Fe(3)O(4)/MnO hybrid nanocrystals as a dual contrast agent for both T(1)- and T(2)-weighted liver MRI.

To investigate whether it is possible to develop a dual magnetic resonance (MR) contrast agent, Fe(3)O(4)/MnO hybrid nanocrystals were modified to integrate the T(1) and T(2) contrast-enhancing abilities of each compound, and their characteristics as MR contrast agents were investigated. In vitro and in vivo investigations revealed that the Fe(3)O(4)/MnO dumbbell-shaped nanocrystal exerted a negative T(2) contrast effect in its intact form and also gave rise to a positive contrast effect in T(1)-weighted MR imaging by releasing Mn(2+) ions in a low pH environment. This induced organ-specific contrast enhancement for both T(1)- and T(2)-weighted in vivo MR imaging. The usefulness of the Fe(3)O(4)/MnO hybrid nanocrystals as dual contrast agents was evaluated by in vivo MR imaging of an orthotopic xenograft model of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). After injection of the Fe(3)O(4)/MnO hybrid nanocrystals, dual contrast-enhanced MR images that synergistically combined the T(2) and T(1) contrast effects from the Fe(3)O(4) grain and released Mn(2+) ions were obtained by a single acquisition of MR imaging. This facilitated the detection of HCC with a high degree of conspicuity that could not be achieved with any single contrast agent.