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In vivo magnetic resonance imaging of hyperpolarized silicon particles

Nature Nanotechnology volume 8, pages 363–368 (2013)Cite this article

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Abstract

Silicon-based micro- and nanoparticles have gained popularity in a wide range of biomedical applications due to their biocompatibility and biodegradability in vivo, as well as their flexible surface chemistry, which allows drug loading, functionalization and targeting. Here, we report direct in vivo imaging of hyperpolarized 29Si nuclei in silicon particles by magnetic resonance imaging. Natural physical properties of silicon provide surface electronic states for dynamic nuclear polarization, extremely long depolarization times, insensitivity to the in vivo environment or particle tumbling, and surfaces favourable for functionalization. Potential applications to gastrointestinal, intravascular and tumour perfusion imaging at subpicomolar concentrations are presented. These results demonstrate a new background-free imaging modality applicable to a range of inexpensive, readily available and biocompatible silicon particles.

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Figure 1: Characterization of silicon particles.
Figure 2: 29Si nuclear spin dynamics in silicon particles.
Figure 3: 29Si phantom imaging.
Figure 4: In vivo applications of 29Si MRI using hyperpolarized silicon particles.

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Acknowledgements

This research is supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH, 1R21 CA118509, 1R01NS048589), the National Cancer Institute (NCI, 5R01CA122513), the Tobacco Related Disease Research Program (TRDRP, 16KT-0044), the National Science Foundation (BISH, CBET-0933015), and the National Science Foundation through the Harvard Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center. M.C.C. acknowledges financial support from the R.G. Menzies Foundation. The authors thank L.W. Jones for the gift of the TRAMP animals, N. Zacharias for assistance with histology, M. Lee, L. Robertson and B.D. Armstrong for assistance with the initial stages of the experiment and L.W. Jones, C. Ramanathan and R.W. Mair for many helpful discussions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, 02138, Massachusetts, USA

    M. C. Cassidy

  2. Huntington Medical Research Institutes, Pasadena, 91105, California, USA

    H. R. Chan, B. D. Ross & P. K. Bhattacharya

  3. Experimental Diagnostic Imaging, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, 77030, Texas, USA

    P. K. Bhattacharya

  4. Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, 02138, Massachusetts, USA

    C. M. Marcus

  5. Center for Quantum Devices, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen Ø, 2100, Denmark

    C. M. Marcus

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  1. M. C. Cassidy
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Contributions

M.C.C., P.K.B. and C.M.M. designed the experiments. M.C.C., H.R.C. and P.K.B. performed the experiments. B.D.R. provided consultation on animal techniques. M.C.C. and C.M.M. co-wrote the paper.

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Correspondence to C. M. Marcus.

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Cassidy, M., Chan, H., Ross, B. et al. In vivo magnetic resonance imaging of hyperpolarized silicon particles. Nature Nanotech 8, 363–368 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/nnano.2013.65

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