Fig. 4.

Metal oxide nanomaterials for biomedical imaging. A) A sketch of a glucose and dextran coated SPIO nanoparticle. (i) T2-weighted MR image of AIA rats 24 h post-injection of SPIO in different groups. The arrow shows the synovium [57]. The images reproduced with the permission from The Royal Society of Chemistry. B) Schematic illustration of the stepwise synthesis of IOPC-CD3. (ii) The defined ROIs. And serial T2*WIs (sagittal view) of CIA rat knees infused with IOPC or IOPC-CD3 [58]. The images reproduced with the permission from World Molecular Imaging Society. C) Schematic picture indicating the preservation of ALN phosphonate moieties during conjugation to SPIONs, for subsequent targeting of bone. (iii) TEM image representing numerous bone-targeting SPION-ALN targeted to a HA crystal after incubation for 2 h [59]. The images reproduced with the permission from American Chemical Society. D) Multifunctional polymersomes loaded with maghemite nanoparticles and grafted with fluorescein and targeting antibodies, directed against HER2, were developed as novel MRI contrast agents for bone metastasis imaging in NOD/SCID mice. (iv) Bone BT-474 tumor targeting as assessed from high resolution 3D TrueFisp MRI. Red arrows denote tumor tissue. White arrows denote contrast variations on tumor boundaries [60]. The images reproduced with the permission from WILEY-VCH.