Highly Potent MRI Contrast Agent Displaying Outstanding Sensitivity to Zinc Ions

Zinc ions play an important role in numerous crucial biological processes the human body. The ability to image function of Zn2+ would be a significant asset biomedical research for monitoring various physiopathologies dependent on its fate. To this end, we developed novel Gd3+ chelate that can selectively recognize over other abundant endogenous metal and alter paramagnetic properties. More specifically, lanthanide displayed extraordinary increase longitudinal relaxivity (r1) 400 % upon interaction with at 7 T 25 °C, which is greatest r1 enhancement observed any ion-responsive Gd-based complexes high magnetic field. A “turn-on” mechanism responsible these massive changes was confirmed through NMR luminescence lifetime studies 13C-labeled Eu3+ analogue. This molecular platform represents new momentum developing highly suitable resonance imaging contrast agents functional Zn2+.