Abstract
Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have been studied for diagnostic purposes for decades. Their high surface-to-volume ratio, dispersibility, ability to interact with various molecules and superparamagnetic properties are at the core of what makes MNPs so promising. They have been applied in a multitude of areas in medicine, particularly Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) are the most well-accepted based on their excellent superparamagnetic properties and low toxicity. Nevertheless, IONPs are facing many challenges that make their entry into the market difficult. To overcome these challenges, research has focused on developing MNPs with better safety profiles and enhanced magnetic properties. One particularly important strategy includes doping MNPs (particularly IONPs) with other metallic elements, such as cobalt (Co) and manganese (Mn), to reduce the iron (Fe) content released into the body resulting in the creation of multimodal nanoparticles with unique properties. Another approach includes the development of MNPs using other metals besides Fe, that possess great magnetic or other imaging properties. The future of this field seems to be the production of MNPs which can be used as multipurpose platforms that can combine different uses of MRI or different imaging techniques to design more effective and complete diagnostic tests.
Highlights
Diagnosing diseases is the first step toward an adequate treatment
It is essential to understand a patient’s medical and family history, risk factors, their symptoms and cross-check it with the information provided by diagnostic tests in order to correctly deduce their current condition and how it may progress in the future
This review review is is separated separated into into different differentsections
Summary
Diagnosing diseases is the first step toward an adequate treatment. The stage at which a disease is diagnosed plays a major role in patient prognosis. One of the largest contributors to “avoidable deaths” is the fact that many critical pathologies are diagnosed at too advanced stages. A published study from 2009 concluded that a large number of avoidable cancer deaths were due to late diagnosis and consequent delay in potentially curative treatments [1]. In the same year, Virnig et al published a study analysing the disparities in cancer survival between the African American and White populations in the United States of America (USA). African Americans were more likely to be diagnosed with cancer at latter stages and, simultaneously, less likely to survive longer than 5 years after diagnosis [2]
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