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SEOUL, July 25 (Yonhap) — South Korean scientists said Monday that they have developed a new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent that can help better diagnose arteriosclerosis and various vascular diseases.
The Seoul National University team led by Hyeon Taeg-hwan, a chemical and biological engineering professor, said the agent made from ferrimagnetic iron oxide that is 3 nanometers in size, significantly smaller than the 4 nanometer size mass produced in the past. A nanometer is one-billionth of a meter.
Making smaller size particles is critical since using larger ferrimagnetic iron oxide as MRI agents reduces clarity, which effectively limits the agent’s usefulness as a tool for doctors.
The team also said that compared to the most commonly used gadolinium-based agents, the new material has been tested to be much less harmful to people and can show internal structures of arteries much longer. MRI agents have been cited for causing complications for people with bad kidneys.
“The manufacturing process permitted very fine, evenly shaped nanoparticles to be made easily,” Hyeon said. “Using this material as an agent, researchers were able to see arteries with a diameter of less than 0.2 millimeters.”
The scientist claimed that the new agent has the capability to make it easier for doctors to check for arteriosclerosis, vascular disease and signs of heart attacks in people.
The discovery that received support from the government has been published in the latest on-line issue of the Journal of American Chemical Society.
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