Gd n 3+ @CNTs-PEG versus Gadovist®: In Vitro Assay

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are allotropes of carbon with a length-to-diameter ratio greater than 10 with the potential uses as medical diagnostic or therapeutic agents. In vitro studies have revealed that gadolinium (Gd) nanoparticle-catalyzed single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) possess superparamagnetic properties, which enable them to be used as contrast agents in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Our study synthesized Gd-CNT for use as MRI contrast agents. To reduce the toxicity and solubility of CNTs, it was functionalized, and after loading with Gd was coated with polyethylene glycols (PEG). We then synthesized different concentrations of Gd @CNTs-PEG and Gadovist to be evaluated as MRI contrast agents. The analysis showed that the Gd concentration in Gadovist was 12.18% higher than synthesized Gd @CNTs-PEG, but the mean signal intensity of the Gd @CNTs-PEG was approximately 3.3% times higher than Gadovist . Our findings indicate that synthesized Gd @CNTs-PEG has the potential to be used as an MRI contrast agent in vitro, but in vivo assessment is necessary to determine the bio-distribution, kinetic, and signal enhancement characteristics.