Image-guided and target-selective modulation of drug delivery by external physical triggers at the site of pathology has the potential to enable tailored control of drug targeting. Magnetic microbubbles that are responsive to magnetic and acoustic modulation and visible to ultrasonography have been proposed as a means to realize this drug targeting strategy. To comply with this strategy in vivo...

Nanomaterials offer new opportunities for cancer diagnosis and treatment. Multifunctional nanoparticles harboring various functions including targeting, imaging, therapy, and etc have been intensively studied aiming to overcome limitations associated with conventional cancer diagnosis and therapy. Of various nanoparticles, magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles with superparamagnetic property have s...

BACKGROUND Superparamagnetic nanoparticles are currently used as contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging. These particles can also be used as drug carriers for local chemotherapy, called magnetic drug targeting. Using an external magnetic field, colloidal nanoparticles can be directed to a specific body compartment (i.e. tumor). MATERIALS AND METHODS After magnetic drug targeting in an...

Background Recently, we could demonstrate in humans that (ultrasmall) superparamagnetic iron-oxide (U/SPIO)-based contrast agents enable a detailed characterization of myocardial infarct pathology. Considering the multifunctionality of U/SPIO-based nanoparticles (magnetic targeting as well as diagnostic imaging properties) and their superior safety profile compared to gadoliniumbased compounds,...