Polyphosphoester Gradient Co-Polymer Micelles as the First Biodegradable Agents for 31P Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Magnetic Resonance Imaging is a powerful medical imaging modality that can provide information on anatomic and molecular level without the use of dangerous ionizing radiation. Hot-spot MRI uses different nuclei than proton. This type of MRI turned out highly efficient for applications where quantification of the imaging agent is important, particularly in imaging cardiovascular diseases, cancer and immunotherapies. However, current hot spot agents are non-biodegradable and show major environmental concerns. As a solution, we have developed the first biocompatible and biodegradable imaging agents for hot spot MRI. These agents are based on polymeric colloids. The structure-function relationship is unknown but is crucial for the future application. We will use SANS to study the structural properties of these agents, and correlate them to imaging performance.