Nano-Magnetic Resonance Imaging (Nano-MRI) Gives Personalized Medicine a New Perspective

Abstract

This paper reviews some of the major and most recent advances in nanoscale-magnetic resonance imaging (nano-MRI) for personalized medicine (PM). Nano-MRI may drastically expand the capabilities of the traditional magnetic resonance images (MRI), down to the nanometer scale and possibly, in the near future, at the atomic scale. Nano-MRI is potentially able to observe structures which cannot be seen using today's molecular imaging, with sensitivities of many billions of times better than MRI as currently used in hospitals, for example. The paper briefly reports on the foremost research themes in nano-MRI.

Keywords: nano-MRI; personalized medicine; recent developments.

Figure 1

Experimental setup and magnetometry with repetitive readout described in [11]. Image from [11]. Reprinted with permission from AAAS. (A) Schematic of the experimental setup. Ubiquitin proteins attached to the diamond surface are probed using a proximal quantum sensor consisting of a nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center electronic spin and its associated 15 N nuclear spin; (B) Quantum circuit diagram and experimental magnetometry pulse sequence; (C) Measured gain in the readout fidelity as a function of repetitive readout cycles. MW: microwave; RF: radiofrequency; APD: avalanche photodiode; B magnetic field of the nuclear spin.

Figure 2

Schematic illustration of a multifunctional nanocomposite. Image reprinted with permission from [23]. Copyright (2015) American Chemical Society.

Figure 3

Schematic illustration of gadolinium polytungstates nanoclusters GdW10@BSA NCs for dual-modal magnetic resonance (MR) / computed tomography (CT) imaging-guided photothermal therapy/radiotherapy of cancer. (a) The synthesis process of GdW10@BSA; (b) The application of the as-made GdW10@BSA for bio-imaging and treatment of tumor. Image from [29]. Article distributed under a Creative Commons CC-BY license.

Figure 4

In vitro cytoskeletal imaging with rhodamine B displaying localized tumoricidal effects of (A) GO-IO (control); (B) GO-IO-MH; (C) GO-IO-DOX; and (D) GO-IO-DOX-MH. Image from [32]. Article distributed under a Creative Commons CC-BY license.