Liver-targeting MRI contrast agent based on galactose functionalized o-carboxymethyl chitosan.

Commercial gadolinium (Gd)-based contrast agents (GBCAs) play important role in clinical diagnostic of hepatocellular carcinoma, but their diagnostic efficacy remained improved. As small molecules, the imaging contrast and window of GBCAs is limited by low liver targeting and retention. Herein, we developed a liver-targeting gadolinium (Ⅲ) chelated macromolecular MRI contrast agent based on galactose functionalized o-carboxymethyl chitosan, namely, CS-Ga-(Gd-DTPA), to improve hepatocyte uptake and liver retention.

A novel manganese chelated macromolecular MRI contrast agent based on O-carboxymethyl chitosan derivatives.

Currently used Gd-based and Mn-based small molecular MRI contrast agents fail to meet the requirements for the long-term monitoring, and the potential safety risk under high administration dose or repeat dosing needs to be considered. In the present study, a biocompatible macromolecular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents based on O-carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS), CMCS-(Mn-DTPA) was designed and synthesized. The relaxivity of CMCS-(Mn-DTPA) is approximately 3.