Our Sci. China Chem. article on MRI is published!
分类:News
作者:
发布时间:2025-07-25
Metal-organic cages (MOCs) are emerging as pivotal components in the design of innovative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents. This study introduces a novel, water-soluble metal-organic cage, K12[Fe4L4], synthesized using a co-planar triangular ligand, N-{4-[4,6-bis(4-{[(2,3-dihydroxyphenyl)carbonyl]amino}phenyl)-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl]phenyl}-2,3-dihydroxybenzamide (H6L). This cage represents the first instance of a gadolinium(III)-free M4L4 structure optimized for T1-weighted imaging. We provide a detailed analysis of its structural attributes, aqueous stability, magnetic properties, and host-guest interactions. Relaxometric evaluations in vitro reveal that K12[Fe4L4] significantly elevates the longitudinal relaxivity of water protons, achieving a relaxivity of 5.41 mM−1 s−1 at 33 °C and 0.5 T. This enhancement increases to 9.24 mM−1 s−1 in the presence of human serum albumin (HSA), indicating potent interaction dynamics with binding constant (Ka) of (6.1 ± 1.4) × 104 M−1. Comparative studies highlight that even at low doses of 0.010 mmol kg−1, K12[Fe4L4] surpasses the imaging efficacy of the commercial agent ProHance, while also demonstrating prolonged in vivo retention suitable for extended diagnostic procedures. These findings not only underscore the utility of M4L4 cages in T1-weighted MRI but also lay foundational insights for the development of multinuclear, gadolinium(III)-free contrast agents, paving the way for safer and more effective diagnostic imaging solutions.