Citation
Mouli SK, Zhao LC, Omary RA, Thaxton CS. Lymphotropic nanoparticle enhanced MRI for the staging of genitourinary tumors. Nature reviews. Urology. 2010
Abstract
Nanotechnology is poised to have a substantial influence on biomedicine. A unique example of a nanotechnology that has progressed from proof-of-concept to human clinical trials is the use of ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles as a cell-specific contrast agent for MRI. When injected systemically, these particles are taken up by macrophages of the reticuloendothelial system and accumulate in lymph nodes. This passive, cell-specific targeting of the iron oxide nanoparticles to lymph nodes, and the differential cellular content of benign versus malignantly infiltrated nodes make this method suitable for cancer staging. By using lymphotropic nanoparticle enhanced MRI, differences in benign versus malignant infiltration of lymph nodes can be visualized, which adds accuracy to standard MRI beyond criteria based solely upon the size and shape of lymph nodes. This technology has been used to assess lymph node metastases in a large number of human cancer types. In this Review, we focus on lymphotropic nanoparticle enhanced MRI and its application for the staging of genitourinary malignancies.
Key Points
- Published in Nature reviews. Urology in 2010.
- Indexed in PubMed as PMID 20084078.
- Mapped to Uro-Oncology, Outcomes, Methods & Education.
- Abstract available from PubMed and rendered as static text on this page.
Clinical Relevance
This work belongs to the outcomes, methods, and education layer of the site, where measurement, registries, training, and patient-reported outcomes support clinical interpretation.