Copper is a metal linked with multiple neurodegenerative disorders, most notably Alzheimer's disease. A� plaques contain as much as 400 �M of copper, two orders of magnitude higher than normal extracellular levels and precisely within the range of analyte concentration observable with MRI contrast agents. Although the role of copper in templating protein aggregation is better appreciated, the reasons as to why copper is excreted in the first place and the consequences of this phenomenon on oxidative stress and disease progression are less understood. As a result, multiple attempts at imaging copper by MRI have been reported. Herein we compare and contrast the different strategies to design copper-responsive MRI contrast agents, including responsive gadolinium complexes, iron oxide nanoparticles, fluorine probes and PARACEST agents. The principle behind the design of each probe as well as the advantages and shortcomings of each approach will be discussed.

Imaging copper with responsive MRI contrast agents � a comparison of strategies

248th National Meeting (2014)

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