Avasthi, AshishCaro, CarlosPozo-Torres, EstherPernia Leal, ManuelGarcía-Martín, María Luisa2021-06-212021-06-212020-05-07Avasthi A, Caro C, Pozo-Torres E, Leal MP, García-Martín ML. Magnetic Nanoparticles as MRI Contrast Agents. Top Curr Chem (Cham). 2020 May 7;378(3):40. Erratum in: Top Curr Chem (Cham). 2021 Jun 14;379(4):30.2365-0869http://hdl.handle.net/10668/3377Iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) have emerged as a promising alternative to conventional contrast agents (CAs) for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). They have been extensively investigated as CAs due to their high biocompatibility and excellent magnetic properties. Furthermore, the ease of functionalization of their surfaces with different types of ligands (antibodies, peptides, sugars, etc.) opens up the possibility of carrying out molecular MRI. Thus, IONPs functionalized with epithelial growth factor receptor antibodies, short peptides, like RGD, or aptamers, among others, have been proposed for the diagnosis of various types of cancer, including breast, stomach, colon, kidney, liver or brain cancer. In addition to cancer diagnosis, different types of IONPs have been developed for other applications, such as the detection of brain inflammation or the early diagnosis of thrombosis. This review addresses key aspects in the development of IONPs for MRI applications, namely, synthesis of the inorganic core, functionalization processes to make IONPs biocompatible and also to target them to specific tissues or cells, and finally in vivo studies in animal models, with special emphasis on tumor models.enMagnetic nanoparticlesIron oxide nanoparticlesMagnetic resonance imagingCancerDiagnosisNanopartículas magnéticas de óxido de hierroImagen por resonancia magnéticaNeoplasiasDiagnósticoMedical Subject Headings::Organisms::Eukaryota::AnimalsMedical Subject Headings::Chemicals and Drugs::Chemical Actions and Uses::Pharmacologic Actions::Diagnostic Uses of Chemicals::Contrast MediaMedical Subject Headings::Organisms::Eukaryota::Animals::Chordata::Vertebrates::Mammals::Primates::Haplorhini::Catarrhini::Hominidae::HumansMedical Subject Headings::Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment::Diagnosis::Diagnostic Techniques and Procedures::Diagnostic Imaging::Magnetic Resonance ImagingMedical Subject Headings::Technology and Food and Beverages::Technology, Industry, and Agriculture::Manufactured Materials::Nanostructures::Nanoparticles::Metal Nanoparticles::Magnetite NanoparticlesMedical Subject Headings::Diseases::NeoplasmsMedical Subject Headings::Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment::Diagnosisreview article32382832Acceso abierto10.1007/s41061-020-00302-w2364-8961PMC8203530