Intracellular Contrast Agents for Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Description of Invention:
Available for licensing and commercial development are contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). These agents are composed of charge neutral and lipid-soluble complexes of paramagnetic cations bound by chelators. Unlike conventional extra-cellular contrast agents, these agents of the present invention penetrate into the cells and thus permit higher spatial resolution in MRI. The paramagnetic cation is preferably Gd+3, Dy+3 and Fe+3 with three equivalents of a charge neutralizing chelator that provides a neutral lipid-soluble complex of the paramagnetic cation. The complex is extracted rapidly and retained intracellularly, when mammalian cells are incubated in buffer or plasma media. Hence, they may be used in imaging vascular plaque after intra-arterial injection and tracking the distribution patterns of injected immune cells in localizing the inflammatory disease or implanted stem cells in regenerative medicine.
Inventors:
Mrinal K. Dewanjee (CC)
Patent Status:
DHHS Reference No. E-291-2004/0 --
U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/616,649 filed 08 Oct 2004
For Additional Information Please Contact: Michael Shmilovich J.D.
NIH Office of Technology Transfer
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Phone: (301) 435-5019
Email: shmilovm@mail.nih.gov
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