Mri contrast agent including t1 contrast material coated on surface of nanoparticle support

Abstract

The present invention relates to a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) T1 contrast agent composition including T1 contrast material coated on the surface of a nanoparticle support. The MRI T1 contrast agent composition of the present invention has excellent T1 spin magnetic relaxation effects by modifying the paramagnetic T1 contrast material on the nanoparticle support having a certain diameter such that the paramagnetic T1 contrast material has a certain thickness or less, and thereby remarkably increasing the surface-to-volume ratio of the T1 contrast material. The present invention provides more precise and clear T1 positive contrast images, and is thus useful for highly reliable image diagnosis.

1 . A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) T1 contrast agent composition comprising a T1 contrast material coated on a surface of a nanoparticle support, wherein the ratio of the thickness of the T1 contrast material coating layer to the diameter of the nanoparticle support is 1:200 to 1:1. 
     
     
         2 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the thickness of the T1 contrast material coating layer to the diameter of the nanoparticle support is 1:100 to 1:2.5. 
     
     
         3 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the thickness of the T1 contrast material coating layer to the diameter of the nanoparticle support is 1:60 to 1:3. 
     
     
         4 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the thickness of the T1 contrast material coating layer to the diameter of nanoparticle support is 1:30 to 1:3. 
     
     
         5 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the T1 contrast material coating layer is 0.1 to 5 nm. 
     
     
         6 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the diameter of the nanoparticle support is 50 nm or less. 
     
     
         7 - 11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the nanoparticle support is a non-magnetic material. 
     
     
         13 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the T1 contrast material is metal ion M n+  (M n+  is Ti n+ , V n+ , Cr n+ , Mn n+ , Fe n+ , Co n+ , Ni n+ , Cu n+ , Ru n+  (0<n≦14) or a lanthanide metal), a metal oxide, a metal complex compound, a metal compound, or a multi-component hybrid structure thereof. 
     
     
         14 - 16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the nanoparticle support is inorganic chalcogen M x A y  nanoparticle support (M is at least one element selected from the group consisting of group 2 elements (Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba), group 13 elements (Al, In, TI), group 14 elements (Si, Ge, Sn, Pb), group 15 elements (As, Sb, Bi), transition metal elements (Sc, Ti, V, Zn, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo), lanthanide elements (Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Lu), and actinide elements; A is at least one element selected from the group consisting of O, S, Se, and Te; and 0<x≦16, 0<y≦8). 
     
     
         18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the nanoparticle support is an organic polymer. 
     
     
         20 . The composition of  claim 19 , wherein the organic polymer is a polysaccharide. 
     
     
         21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . The composition of  claim 19 , wherein the organic polymer is a protein. 
     
     
         23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the T1 contrast material and the nanoparticle support are bound to each other by an ionic bond, an electrostatic bond, a coordinate bond, a hydrophobic bond, a hydrogen bond, a covalent bond, a hydrophilic bond, or a van der Waals bond. 
     
     
         25 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the T1 contrast material grows on the surface of the nanoparticle support to form the coating layer. 
     
     
         26 . A method for enhancing a T1 contrast effect of a T1 contrast agent, the method comprising:
 (a) preparing a nanoparticle support; and   (b) forming a T1 contrast material coating layer on a surface of the nanoparticle support, wherein the step of preparing the nanoparticle support is performed while the diameter of the nanoparticle support is adjusted to be 2-40 nm.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the step of preparing the nanoparticle support is performed while the diameter of the nanoparticle support is adjusted to be 2-35 nm. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the step of preparing the nanoparticle support is performed while the diameter of the nanoparticle support is adjusted to be 2-20 nm. 
     
     
         29 . (canceled) 
     
     
         30 . A method for enhancing a T1 contrast effect of a T1 contrast agent, the method comprising:
 (a) preparing a nanoparticle support; and   (b) forming a T1 contrast material coating layer on a surface of the nanoparticle support, wherein the step of forming the coating layer is performed while the ratio of the thickness of the T1 contrast material coating layer to the diameter of the nanoparticle support is 1:200 to 1:1.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the ratio of the thickness of the T1 contrast material coating layer to the diameter of the nanoparticle support is 1:100 to 1:2.5. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the ratio of the thickness of the T1 contrast material coating layer to the diameter of the nanoparticle support is 1:60 to 1:3. 
     
     
         33 . (canceled)