Abstract
Background and Aims Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has taken an important role in the diagnosis of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). In the wake of current advances in nanotechnology, the drug delivery industry has seen a surge of nanoparticles advertising high specificity in target imaging. Given the rapid development of the field, this review has assembled related articles to explore whether molecular contrast agents can improve the diagnostic capability on gastrointestinal imaging, especially for IBD. Methods Relevant articles published between 1998 and 2018 from a literature search of PubMed and EMBASE were reviewed. Data extraction was performed on the studies' characteristics, experimental animals, modelling methods, nanoparticles type, magnetic resonance methods, and means of quantitative analysis. Results A total of 8 studies were identified wherein the subjects were animals, and all studies employed MR equipment. One group utilized a perfluorocarbon solution and the other 7 groups used either magnetic nanoparticles or gadolinium- (Gd-) related nanoparticles for molecular contrast. With ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide (USPIO) particles and Gd-related nanoparticles, signal enhancements were found in the mucosa or with focal lesion of IBD-related model in T1-weighted images (T1WI), whereas superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) particles showed a signal decrease in the intestinal wall of the model in T1WI or T2-weighted images. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) was employed to analyze bowel intensity in 3 studies. And the percentage of normalized enhancement was used in 1 study for assessing the severity of inflammation. Conclusion Molecular MRI with contrast agents can improve the early diagnosis of IBD and quantitate the severity of inflammation in experimental studies.
Highlights
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), is a chronic, relapsing illness. e worldwide incidence of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) has increased over the years, especially in western countries and newly industrialized countries [1, 2].As a method for noninvasive examination, radiology takes an important role in the diagnoses of IBD by evaluating lesions in the intestinal wall
With the development of nanotechnology, new molecular probes have been developed for targeted imaging to evaluate lesions and surrounding tissues. e majority of the molecular contrast agents play a passive targeting role by being susceptible to macrophage clearance. erefore, several studies rely on nanoparticles to monitor inflammation in the cardiovascular and nervous systems related to macrophage dysplasia [4,5,6]
Molecular magnetic resonance (MR) imaging was facilitated in all 8 studies except for one, in which magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was combined with single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT/CT) [9]
Summary
As a method for noninvasive examination, radiology takes an important role in the diagnoses of IBD by evaluating lesions in the intestinal wall. With the development of nanotechnology, new molecular probes have been developed for targeted imaging to evaluate lesions and surrounding tissues. E majority of the molecular contrast agents play a passive targeting role by being susceptible to macrophage clearance. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has taken an important role in the diagnosis of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Given the rapid development of the field, this review has assembled related articles to explore whether molecular contrast agents can improve the diagnostic capability on gastrointestinal imaging, especially for IBD. Molecular MRI with contrast agents can improve the early diagnosis of IBD and quantitate the severity of inflammation in experimental studies
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
