Multifunctional metal ferrite nanoparticles for MR imaging applications

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a very powerful non-invasive tool for in vivo imaging and clinical diagnosis. With rapid advancement in nanoscience and nanotechnology, there is rapid growth in nanoparticles-based contrast agents. Progress in synthetic protocols enable synthesis of multifunctional nanoparticles which facilitated efforts toward the development of multimodal contrast agents. In this review, recent developments in metal ferrite-based MR contrast agents have been described. Specifically, effect of size, shape, composition, assembly and surface modification of metal ferrite nanoparticles on their T 2 contrast have been discussed. The review further outlines the effect of leaching on MRI contrast and other various factors which affect the multimodal ability of the ( T 1 – T 2 and T 2 -thermal activation) metal ferrite nanoparticles.