Publications

@article{Molinar-Diaz2024-wm,

title = {Development of resorbable phosphate-based glass microspheres as  MRI contrast media agents},

author = {Jes\'{u}s Molinar-D\'{i}az and Andi Arjuna and Nichola Abrehart and Alison McLellan and Roy Harris and Md Towhidul Islam and Ahlam Alzaidi and Chris R Bradley and Charlotte Gidman and Malcolm J W Prior and Jeremy Titman and Nicholas P Blockley and Peter Harvey and Luca Marciani and Ifty Ahmed},

doi = {10.3390/molecules29184296},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-09-01},

urldate = {2024-09-01},

journal = {Molecules},

volume = {29},

number = {18},

pages = {4296},

publisher = {MDPI AG},

abstract = {In this research, resorbable phosphate-based glass (PBG) 

 compositions were developed using varying modifier oxides 

 including iron (Fe2O3), copper (CuO), and manganese (MnO2), and 

 then processed via a rapid single-stage flame spheroidisation 

 process to manufacture dense (i.e., solid) and highly porous 

 microspheres. Solid (63-200 µm) and porous (100-200 µm) 

 microspheres were produced and characterised via SEM, XRD, and 

 EDX to investigate their surface topography, structural 

 properties, and elemental distribution. Complementary NMR 

 investigations revealed the formation of Q2, Q1, and Q0 

 phosphate species within the porous and solid microspheres, and 

 degradation studies performed to evaluate mass loss, particle 

 size, and pH changes over 28 days showed no significant 

 differences among the microspheres (63-71 µm) investigated. The 

 microspheres produced were then investigated using clinical (1.5 

 T) and preclinical (7 T) MRI systems to determine the R1 and R2 

 relaxation rates. Among the compositions investigated, 

 manganese-based porous and solid microspheres revealed enhanced 

 levels of R2 (9.7-10.5 s-1 for 1.5 T; 17.1-18.9 s-1 for 7 T) and 

 R1 (3.4-3.9 s-1 for 1.5 T; 2.2-2.3 s-1 for 7 T) when compared to 

 the copper and iron-based microsphere samples. This was 

 suggested to be due to paramagnetic ions present in the Mn-based 

 microspheres. It is also suggested that the porosity in the 

 resorbable PBG porous microspheres could be further explored for 

 loading with drugs or other biologics. This would further 

 advance these materials as MRI theranostic agents and generate 

 new opportunities for MRI contrast-enhancement oral-delivery 

 applications.},

keywords = {Magnetic Resonance Imaging, oral contrast agents, phosphate-based glasses, porous microspheres, resorbable   materials},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}