Multi-functional Nanocontrast Agents for In Vivo Probing on Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer in MR and Optical Molecular Imaging

Molecular imaging has become an indispensable technology in cancer research and clinical use. Among various molecular imaging modalities, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides high spatial resolution and soft-tissue contrast in global view and optical microscopy supplies excellent time and spatial resolution in local view [1-3]. In the previous study, nano-sized Fe3O4 particles showed significantly negative contrast in the MR imaging, and nano-sized quantum dot revealed high fluorescence signals [4-5]. Multi-functional nanocontrast agents including Fe3O4 and quantum dot are supposed to provide the two contrast effect in the imaging. Therefore, the goal of this study is to combine magnetic resonance imaging and optical imaging system with multifunctional contrast agent to detect xenograft non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) murine model.