Relaxivity and toxicological properties of manganese oxide nanoparticles for MRI applications.

Manganese oxide nanoparticles (MONs) have received growing attention as alternative MRI contrast agents due to the association of commercial gadolinium-based contrast agents with nephrogenic systemic fibrosis. Since the seminal publication first describing the use of MONs as positive contrast agents, there is an ongoing impetus to develop MONs of higher signal intensity for better diagnostic efficacy. Indeed, various MON-based nanoprobe designs have been proposed, such as the employment of a mesoporous nanomaterial with MONs evenly dispersed within, or the traditional coating of a biocompatible layer onto the surface of MONs to form a core-shell configuration.

Vascularisation in regenerative therapeutics and surgery.

Vascularisation is often deemed the holy grail of tissue engineering because it is one of the key preconditions that determine the in vivo viability of tissue constructs. Given that a well-developed vascular network allows greater complexity in tissue design and helps regulate tissue metabolism, it appears that the overall outcome of engineered tissue implants depends on the success of microvessel formation, maturation and patterning. Current approaches to vascularising tissue include both in vivo and ex vivo techniques, where blood vessel formation is either spontaneous or guided by physical or biochemical factors.