Radical Dendrimers as Magnetic Resonance Imaging Contrast Agents

By Songbai Zhang, from the Molecular Nanoscience and Organic Materials (NANOMOL) Group at ICMAB-CSIC

Date: Tuesday 23 November 2021
Time: 11:00 am
Venue: ICMAB Seminar Room "Carles Miravitlles" and online session by Zoom. Register here to attend by Zoom.

Abstract: In this Thesis we have developed metal-free contrast agents (CAs) for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) applications to overcome the established toxicity of the most widely used CAs in clinical diagnosis based on Gd(III) complexes. Our strategy is the incorporation of many persistent organic radicals to a dendrimer scaffold, obtaining the so-called ‘radical dendrimers’. Dendrimers are monodisperse polymers with a well-defined molecular structure, that provides a shield effect protection to the radicals. Different water-soluble radical dendrimers systems have been developed showing good relaxivities and low cytotoxicity. Furthermore, bimodal CAs for potential MRI and fluorescence imaging applications has been proposed. Finally, in vivo studies have been performed to  determine the suitability of radical dendrimers as MRI contrast agents.

Supervisors:

• José Vidal Gancedo, Molecular Nanoscience and Organic Materials (NANOMOL) Group, ICMAB-CSIC
• Vega Lloveras Monserrat, Technical Services, ICMAB-CSIC

PhD Committee:

• President: Rafael Gómez Ramírez, Universidad de Alcalá de Henares, Departamento de Química Orgánica y Química Inorganica
• Secretary: Rosario Nuñez Aguilera, Inorganic Materials & Catalysis (LMI) Group, ICMAB-CSIC
• Vocal: Yolanda Vida Pol, Universidad de Málaga, Departamento de Química Orgánica

University: Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
PhD Programme: Chemistry