Today, the development of novel multimodal contrast agents combining both MRI and fluorescence/luminescence imaging modalities is critical to improve diagnostic accuracy in medicine. Nevertheless, current synthetic methods still require complex multi-step processes, often with low yields, and poor control over size and loading, which is less than ideal for translation into the clinic.11 In this context, our goal is to develop simple and robust processes to form, in a size-controlled manner, GdPO4-based nanoparticles (NPs) for diagnosis applications. The Flash NanoPrecipitation (FNP) process has the potential to fulfill this goal and was investigated for the first time for the preparation of GdPO4-based NPs. Key process parameters that control NPs relaxivity was determined and optimized. Second, the FNP process was applied to the formation of novel multi-modal GdPO4-based NPs combining MRI and fluorescence/luminescence modalities. The additional fluorescence/luminescence modality was introduced into the NPs in the form of doping of the GdPO4 NPs with Eu (III) ions.

Towards multi-modal imaging nanoparticles via tunable ion-pairing nanoprecipitation

251st National Meeting (2016)

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