Encapsulation of new ferucarbotran nanoparticles into red blood cells as potential MPI contrast agent

The creation of new magnetic nanoparticles require consideration for careful engineering of size, shape, and coating surface in order to produce new MPI-optimized particles that could be used for the RBC loading procedure. An improved MPI signal can be obtained if a better starting material is used. Although ferucarbotran-loaded RBCs showed a lower MPS spectral response compared to bulk suspension they could be used as new potential MPI tracer; in fact the reduced signal could be counterbalanced by superior in vivo stability of SPIO-loaded RBCs compared to free nanoparticles. The advantage of SPIO-loaded RBCs is that they are stable constructs able to survive for a number of days without being eliminated and with a lifespan comparable to that of untreated RBCs. SPIO-loaded RBCs are biomimetic constructs suited to increase the in vivo circulation of SPIO contrast agents; as longer blood half-time tracer materials they could improve diagnostic imaging procedures, such as angiography analysis of patients with cardiovascular diseases and therapeutic interventions with long-term monitoring, since up to now the time window for data acquisition is limited to the first pass due to very short lifespan of iron oxide nanoparticles.