Preparation of magnetic nanoparticles which enable the use of 18F-FDG as multi-modal imaging agents in PET-MRI applications/18F-FDG nin PET-MR görüntüleme uygulamalarında multi-modal görüntüleme ajanı olarak kullanılmasına yönelik manyetik nanoparçacıkların hazırlanması

It is becoming increasingly evident that PET-MRI multi-modal imaging systems have great potential in practical medicine and for basic scientific research. Consequently there is a wide interest in developing proper imaging agents for these applications. Superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) nanoparticles are already, extensively, being used as MRI contrast agents. The labeling of these nanoparticles with radioactive isotopes provides a new generation for MRI agents. Combination of the required properties, in the body of the same sample for both measurement techniques, ensures that both images are coming from the same spot and simultaneously. This approach provides more accurate and reliable data for diagnosis and treatment of the illness. One of the candidates of the applicable radioactive isotopes is 18F, an easily available one and is being produced in our country. However its chemical binding to delivery agents requires several steps of exhaustive chemical treatments. A laboratory/firm which tends to fabricate iron oxide nanoparticles labeled with 18F should reconstruct a new manufacturing plant, which needs a laborious and a quite expensive operation. Instead, a new process, which can convert already available PET contrast agents into PET-MRI agents without requiring any special expertise, would be more practical and economical.