Effect of magnetic nanoparticles on magnetic field homogeneity

The mechanism of magnetic nanoparticles(MNPs)affecting magnetic field uniformity is studied in this work.The spatial distribution of MNPs in liquid is simulated based on Monte Carlo method.The induced field of the single MNP is combined with the magnetic field distribution of magnetofluid.In the simulation,magnetic field uniformity is described by a statistical distribution.As the chemical shift(CS)and full width at half maximum(FWHM)of magnetic resonance(MR)spectrum can reflect the uniformity of magnetic field,the simulation is verified by spectrum experiment.Simulation and measurement results prove that the CS and FWHM of the MR spectrum are basically positively correlated with the concentration of MNPs and negatively correlated with the temperature.The research results can explain how MNPs play a role in MR by affecting the uniform magnetic field,which is of great significance in improving the temperature measurement accuracy of magnetic nanothermometers and the spatial resolution of magnetic particle imaging.

Extraction method of nanoparticles concentration distribution from magnetic particle image and its application in thermal damage of magnetic hyperthermia

Magnetic particle imaging(MPI)technology can generate a real-time magnetic nanoparticle(MNP)distribution image for biological tissues,and its use can overcome the limitations imposed in magnetic hyperthermia treatments by the unpredictable MNP distribution after the intratumoral injection of nanofluid.However,the MNP concentration distribution is generally difficult to be extracted from MPI images.This study proposes an approach to extract the corresponding concentration value of each pixel from an MPI image by a least squares method(LSM),which is then translated as MNP concentration distribution by an interpolation function.The resulting MPI-based concentration distribution is used to evaluate the treatment effect and the results are compared with the ones of two baseline cases under the same dose:uniform distribution and MPI-based distribution considering diffusion.Additionally,the treatment effect for all these cases is affected by the blood perfusion rate,which is also investigated deeply in this study.The results demonstrate that the proposed method can be used to effectively reconstruct the concentration distribution from MPI images,and that the weighted LSM considering a quartic polynomial for interpolation provides the best results with respect to other cases considered.Furthermore,the results show that the uniformity of MNP distribution has a positive correlation with both therapeutic temperature distribution and thermal damage degree for the same dose and a critical power dissipation value in the MNPs.The MNPs uniformity inside biological tissue can be improved by the diffusion behavior after the nanofluid injection,which can ultimately reflect as an improvement of treatment effect.In addition,the blood perfusion rate considering local temperature can have a positive effect on the treatment compared to the case which considers a constant value during magnetic hyperthermia.

Facile in situ synthesis and characterization of Fe@Si/zeolite Na composites with magnetic core–shell structures from natural materials for enhanced curcumin loading capacity

Curcumin is a natural polyphenol that is used in various traditional medicines.However,its inherent properties,such as its rapid degradation and metabolism,low bioavailability,and short half-life,are serious problems that must be resolved.To this end,a drug carrier incorporating natural magnetic cores in a zeolite framework was developed and applied to the loading of curcumin in ethanol solutions.In this system,curcumin is encapsulated in a zeolite Na(ZNA)magnetic core–shell structure(Fe@Si/ZNA),which can be easily synthesized using an in situ method.Synthesis of Fe_(3)O_(4) nanoparticles was carried out from natural materials using a co-precipitation method.Analysis of the prepared magnetic core–shell structures and composites was carried out using vibrating-sample magnetometery,Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy,transmission electron microscopy,and x-ray diffraction.The cumulative loading of curcumin in the ZNA composite with 9%nanoparticles was found to reach 90.70%with a relatively long half-life of 32.49 min.Stability tests of curcumin loading in the composite showed that adding magnetic particles to the zeolite framework also increased the stability of the composite structure.Adsorption kinetics and isotherm studies also found that the system follows the pseudo-second-order and Langmuir isotherm models.

Initial therapeutic evidence of a borosilicate bioactive glass(BSG)and Fe_(3)O_(4)magnetic nanoparticle scaffold on implant-associated Staphylococcal aureus bone infection

Implant-associated Staphylococcus aureus(S.aureus)osteomyelitis is a severe challenge in orthopedics.While antibiotic-loaded bone cement is a standardized therapeutic approach for S.aureus osteomyelitis,it falls short in eradicating Staphylococcus abscess communities(SACs)and bacteria within osteocyte-lacuna canalicular network(OLCN)and repairing bone defects.To address limitations,we developed a borosilicate bioactive glass(BSG)combined with ferroferric oxide(Fe_(3)O_(4))magnetic scaffold to enhance antibacterial efficacy and bone repair capabilities.We conducted comprehensive assessments of the osteoinductive,immunomodulatory,antibacterial properties,and thermal response of this scaffold,with or without an alternating magnetic field(AMF).Utilizing a well-established implant-related S.aureus tibial infection rabbit model,we evaluated its antibacterial performance in vivo.RNA transcriptome sequencing demonstrated that BSG+5%Fe_(3)O_(4)enhanced the immune response to bacteria and promoted osteogenic differentiation and mineralization of MSCs.Notably,BSG+5%Fe_(3)O_(4)upregulated gene expression of NOD-like receptor and TNF pathway in MSCs,alongside increased the expression of osteogenic factors(RUNX2,ALP and OCN)in vitro.Flow cytometry on macrophage exhibited a polarization effect towards M2,accompanied by upregulation of anti-inflammatory genes(TGF-β1 and IL-1Ra)and downregulation of pro-inflammatory genes(IL-6 and IL-1β)among macrophages.In vivo CT imaging revealed the absence of osteolysis and periosteal response in rabbits treated with BSG+5%Fe_(3)O_(4)+AMF at 42 days.Histological analysis indicated complete controls of SACs and bacteria within OLCN by day 42,along with new bone formation,signifying effective control of S.aureus osteomyelitis.Further investigations will focus on the in vivo biosafety and biological mechanism of this scaffold within infectious microenvironment.

Structural, Magnetic and Heating Efficiency of Ball Milled γ-Fe2O3/Gd2O3 Nanocomposite for Magnetic Hyperthermia

The preparation of γ-Fe2O3/Gd2O3 nanocomposite for possible use in magnetic hyperthermia application was done by ball milling technique. The nanocomposite was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The heating efficiency and the effect of milling time (5 h and 30 h) on the structural and magnetic properties of the nanocomposite were reported. XRD analysis confirms the formation of the nanocomposite, while magnetization measurements show that the milled sample present hysteresis with low coercivity and remanence. The specific absorption rate (SAR) under an alternating magnetic field is investigated as a function of the milling time. A mean heating efficiency of 68 W/g and 28.7 W/g are obtained for 5 h and 30 h milling times respectively at 332 kHz and 170 Oe. The results showed that the obtained nanocomposite for 5 h milling time is a promising candidate for magnetic hyperthermia due to his properties which show an interesting magnetic behavior and high specific absorption rate.

Adsorption behavior and adsorption mechanism of Cu(Ⅱ) ions on amino-functionalized magnetic nanoparticles

Amino-functionalized magnetic nanoparticle （NH2-MNP） were prepared by a sol-gel approach. The adsorption behavior of Cu（II） ions on NH2-MNP was discussed systematically by batch experiments. The effects of initial Cu（II） ions concentration, time, pH and temperature were investigated. In kinetic studies, the pseudo-second-order model was successfully employed, and the pseudo-first-order model substantiated that Cu（II） adsorption on NH2-MNP was a diffusion-based process. Langmuir model and Dubinin-Radushkevich model （R2〉0.99） were more corresponded with the adsorption isotherm data of Cu（II） ions than Freundlich model. The adsorption capacity was increased with the increment of temperature and pH. NH2-MNP remains excellent Cu（II） recoveries after reusing five adsorption and desorption cycles, making NH2-MNP a promising candidate for repetitively removing heavy metal ions from environmental water samples. According to the results obtained from adsorption activation energy and thermodynamic studies, it can be inferred that the main adsorption mechanism between absorbent and Cu（II） ions is ion exchange-surface complexation.

Preparation of Superparamagnetic Dextran-coated Iron Oxide Nanoparticles used as a Novel Gene Carrier into Human Bladder Cancer Cells'

Objective: Application of magnetic nanoparticles as gene carrier in gene therapy has developed quickly. This study was designed to investigate the preparation of superparamagnetic dextran-coated iron oxide nanoparticles (SDION) and the feasibility of SDION used as a novel gene carrier for plasmid DNA in vitro. Methods: SDION were prepared by chemical coprecipitation and separated by gel filtration on Sephacryl S-300HR, characterized by TEM, laser scattering system and Vibrating Sample Magnetometer Signal Processor. The green fluorescent protein (pGFP-C2) plasmid DNA was used as target gene. SDION-pGFP-C2 conjugate compounds were produced by means of oxidoreduction reaction. The connection ratio of SDION and pGFP-C2 DNA was analyzed and evaluated by agarose electrophoresis and the concentration of pGFP-C2 in supernatant was measured. Using liposome as control, the transfection efficiency of SDION and liposome was respectively evaluated under fluorescence microscope in vitro. Results: The diameter of SDION ranges from 3 nm to 8 nm, the effective diameter was 59.2 nm and the saturation magnetization was 0.23 emu/g. After SDION were reasonably oxidized, SDION could connect with pGFP-C2 to a high degree. The transfection efficiency of SDION as gene carrier was higher than that of liposome. Conclusion: The successes in connecting SDION with pGFP-C2 plasmid by means of oxidoreduction reaction and in transferring pGFP-C2 gene into human bladder cancer BIU-87 cells in vitro provided the experimental evidence for the feasibility of SDION used as a novel gene carrier.

The preparation and characterization of folate-conjugated human serum albumin magnetic cisplatin nanoparticles

Objective： Nanoparticles are becoming an important method of targeted drug delivery. To evaluate the importance of folate-conjugated human serum albumin （HSA） magnetic nanoparticles （Folate-CDDP/HSA MNP）, we prepared drug-loaded Folate-CDDP/HSA MNPs and characterized their features. Methods： First, folate was conjugated with HSA under the effect of a condensing agent, and the conjugating rate was evaluated by a colorimetric method using 2, 4, 6 - trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid. Second, under N., gas, Fe：~O1 magnetic nanomaterials were prepared and characterized by using transmission electron microscopy （TEM）, SEM-EDS and X-ray diffraction （XRD）. Finally, Folate-CDDP/HSA MNP was prepared by using a solvent evaporation technique. TEM was used to observe particle morphology. The particle size and distribution of the prepared complexes were determined by a Laser particle size analyzer. Drug loading volume and drug release were investigated by a high performance liquid chromatography method （HPLC） in vitro. Results： We successfully prepared folate-conjugated HSA and its conjugating rate was 27.26 μg/mg. Under TEM, Fe2O4 magnetic nanoparticles were highly electron density and had an even size distribution in the range of 10-20 nm. It was confirmed by SEM-EDS and XRD that Fe304 magnetic nanoparticles had been successfully prepared. Under TEM, drug-loaded magnetic nanoparticles were observed, which had a round shape, similar uniform size and smooth surface. Their average size was 79 nm which was determined by laser scattering, and they exhibited magnetic responsiveness. Encapsulation efficiency was 89.75% and effective drug loading was calculated to be 15.25%. The release results in vitro showed that the half release time （ta/2） of cisplatin in cisplatin Solution and Folate-CDDP/HSA MNP was 65 min and 24 h respectively, which indicated that microspheres had an obvious effect of sustained-release. Conclusion： Folate-CDDP/HSA MNPs were prepared successfully. The preparation process and related characteristics data provided a foundation for further study, including the mechanism of the nanoparticles distribution in vivo and their intake by tumor cells.

Chemiluminescence enzyme immunoassay based on magnetic nanoparticles for detection of hepatocellular carcinoma marker glypican-3

Glypican-3 （GPC3） is reported as a great promising tumor marker for hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC） diagnosis. Highly sensitive and accurate analysis of serum GPC3 （sGPC3）, in combination with or instead of traditional HCC marker alpha-fetoprotein （AFP）, is essential for early diagnosis of I-ICC. Biomaterial-functionalized magnetic particles have been utilized as solid supports with good biological compatibility for sensitive immunoassay. Here, the magnetic nanoparticles （MnPs） and magnetic microparticles （MmPs） with carboxyl groups were further modified with streptavidin, and applied for the development of chemiluminescence enzyme immunoassay （CLEIA）. After comparing between MnPs- and MmPs-based CLEIA, MnPs-based CLEIA was proved to be a better method with less assay time, greater sensitivity, better linearity and longer chemiluminescence platform. MnPs-based CLEIA was applied for detection of sGPC3 in normal liver, hepatocirrhosis, secondary liver cancer and HCC serum samples. The results indicated that sGPC3 was effective in diagnosis of HCC with high performance.

Effects of targeting magnetic drug nanoparticles on human cholangiocarcinoma xenografts in nude mice

BACKGROUND: Targeting is a new therapeutic tool for malignant tumor as a result of combining nanotechnology with chemotherapeutics. The aim of our study was to investigate the effects of magnetic nanoparticles enveloping a chemotherapeutic drug on human cholangiocarcinoma xenografts in nude mice. METHODS: The human cholangiocarcinoma xenograft model was established in nude mice with the QBC939 cell line. The nude mice were randomly assigned to 7 groups. 0.9% saline or magnetic nanoparticles, including high (group 2), medium (group 4) and low (group 5) dosages, were given to nude mice through the tail vein 20 days after the QBC939 cell line was implanted. Calculations were made 35 days after treatment in order to compare the volumes, inhibition ratios and growth curves of the tumors in each group. Mice in each group were sacrificed randomly to collect tumor tissues and other organs for electron microscopy and pathological examination. RESULTS: The high and medium dosage groups were significantly different from the control group (P<0.05). The tumor inhibition ratios for the high, medium and low dosage groups were 39.6%, 14.6% and 7.9%, respectively. The tumor growth curve of groups 5, 4, and 2 changed slowly in turn. The high and medium groups showed cell apoptosis under an electron microscope. CONCLUSION: Magnetic nanoparticles can inhibit the growth of human cholangiocarcinoma xenografts in nude mice.

Surface modification of Fe_3O_4 nanoparticles and their magnetic properties

Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles were synthesized by the hydrothermal method, and the influences of the surfactant sodium bis（2-ethylhexyl） sulfosuecinate （AOT） on the particles were investigated. The structure, morphology, and magnetic properties of the products were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction （XRD）, transmission electron microscopy （TEM）, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy （FT-IR）, and vibrating sample magnetometer （VSM）. It is confirmed that the as-prepared nanoparticles have been modified by using the surfactant during the synthesis process. The amount of the surfactant has an effect on the size, the dispersal, and the magnetic properties of the particles. Besides, the mechanisms of the influences were also discussed.

PREPARATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF PVA COATED MAGNETIC NANOPARTICLES

Polyvinyl alcohol coated magnetic particles (PVA ferrofluids) have been synthesized by chemical co-precipitation of Fe(II)/Fe(III) salts in 1.5 mol/L NH4OH solution at 70 degreesC in the presence of PVA. The resultant colloidal particles have core-shell structures, in which the iron oxide crystallites form the cores and PVA chains form the shells. The hydrodynamic diameter of the colloidal particles is in the range of 108 to 155 nm, which increases with increasing PVA concentration from 5 wt% to 20 wt%, The size of the magnetic cores is ca. 5-10 nm, which is relatively independent of PVA concentration. Under transmission electron microscopic (TEM) examination, the magnetic cores exhibit somewhat irregular shapes varying from spherical, oval, to cubic. Magnetometry measurement revealed that the PVA coated magnetic particles are superparamagnetic. The saturation magnetization of 5 wt% and 20 wt% PVA ferrofluids at 300 K is 54 and 49 emu/g, respectively. All the PVA ferrofluids exhibited excellent colloidal stability in pure water and phosphate buffer saline (PBS, pH = 7.4). The ferrofluids can remain stable in above solutions for more than three months at 4 degreesC.

Preparation of Magnetic Chitosan Nanoparticles and Immobilization of Laccase

The magnetic chitosan nanoparticles were prepared by reversed-phase suspension method using Span-80 as an emulsifier, glutaraldehyde as cross-linking reagent. And the nanoparticles were characterized by TEM, FT-IR and hysteresis loop. The results show that the nanoparticles are spherical and almost superparamagnetic. The laccase was immobilized on nanoparticles by adsorption and subsequently by cross-linking with glutaraldehyde. The immobilization conditions and charac-terizations of the immobilized laccase were investigated. The optimal immobilization conditions were as follows： 10 mL of phosphate buffer （0.1 M, pH 7.0） containing 50 mg of magnetic chitosan nanoparticles, 1.0 mg·mL-1 of laccase and 1% （v/v） glutaraldehyde, immobilization temperature of 4 ℃ and immobilization time of 4 h. The immobilized laccase exhibited an appreciable catalytic capability （480 units·g-1 support） and had good storage stability and operation stability. The Km of immobilized and free laccase for ABTS were 140.6 and 31.1 μM in phosphate buffer （0.1 M, pH 3.0） at 37 ℃, respectively. The immobilized laccase is a good candidate for the research and development of biosensors based on laccase catalysis.

Hierarchical Magnetic Network Constructed by CoFe Nanoparticles Suspended Within “Tubes on Rods” Matrix Toward Enhanced Microwave Absorption

Hierarchical magnetic-dielectric composites are promising functional materials with prospective applications in microwave absorption(MA)field.Herein,a three-dimension hierarchical“nanotubes on microrods,”core–shell magnetic metal–carbon composite is rationally constructed for the first time via a fast metal–organic frameworksbased ligand exchange strategy followed by a carbonization treatment with melamine.Abundant magnetic CoFe nanoparticles are embedded within one-dimensional graphitized carbon/carbon nanotubes supported on micro-scale Mo2N rod(Mo2N@CoFe@C/CNT),constructing a special multi-dimension hierarchical MA material.Ligand exchange reaction is found to determine the formation of hierarchical magnetic-dielectric composite,which is assembled by dielectric Mo2N as core and spatially dispersed CoFe nanoparticles within C/CNTs as shell.Mo2N@CoFe@C/CNT composites exhibit superior MA performance with maximum reflection loss of−53.5 dB at 2 mm thickness and show a broad effective absorption bandwidth of 5.0 GHz.The Mo2N@CoFe@C/CNT composites hold the following advantages:(1)hierarchical core–shell structure offers plentiful of heterojunction interfaces and triggers interfacial polarization,(2)unique electronic migration/hop paths in the graphitized C/CNTs and Mo2N rod facilitate conductive loss,(3)highly dispersed magnetic CoFe nanoparticles within“tubes on rods”matrix build multi-scale magnetic coupling network and reinforce magnetic response capability,confirmed by the off-axis electron holography.

Decoration of Electrospun Nanofibers with Magnetic Nanoparticles via Electrospinning and Sol-gel Process

Polyacrylonitrile（PAN）/Fe3O4 composite nanofibers were successfully obtained through electrospinning and sol-gel technology. The resulting magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles were homogeneously distributed on the surface of PAN nanofibers and the diameters of polyacrylonitrile nanofibers and nanoparticles were easily controlled, respectively. The distribution of Fe3O4 nanoparticles inside the nanofibrous composite was investigated by field emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. X-ray diffraction reveals the presence of Fe3O4 nanoparticles in the composite nanofiber. The resulting sample shows a super paramagnetic behavior.

Removal of lead and cadmium ions by single and binary systems using phytogenic magnetic nanoparticles functionalized by 3-marcaptopropanic acid

The present research study is focused on green fabrication of superparamagnetic Phytogenic Magnetic Nanoparticles(PMNPs), and then its surface functionalization with 3-Mercaptopropionic acid(3-MPA). The resulting material(i.e. 3-MPA@PMNPs) characterized by FTIR, powder XRD, SEM, TEM, EDX, VSM, BET and TGA techniques and then further employed for the investigation of the adsorptive removal of lead(Pb^2+) and cadmium(Cd^2+) ions from aqueous solutions in single and binary systems. The material showed fastest adsorptive rate(98.23%) for Pb^2+ and(96.5%) Cd2+within the contact time of 60 min at pH 6.5 in the single system. The experimental data were fitted well to Langmuir isotherm, indicated monolayer adsorption of both metal ions onto 3-MPA@PMNPs and an estimated comparable adsorptive capacity of 68.41 mg·g^-1(Pb2+) and 79.8 mg·g^-1(Cd2+) at p H 6.5. However, kinetic data agreed well with pseudo-second-order model, and indicated that the removal mainly supported chemisorption and/or ion-exchange mechanism. Thermodynamic parameters such asΔGo,ΔHo, and ΔSo, were-3259.20, 119.35 and 20.73 for Pb^2+, and-1491.10, 45.441 and 7.87 for Cd^2+ at temperature 298.15 K, confirmed that adsorption was endothermic, spontaneous and favorable. The material demonstrated higher selectivity of Pb2+ and its removal efficiency was(98.20 ± 0.3)% in binary system experiments. The material persisted performance up-to seven(07) consecutive treatment cycles without losing their stability and offered comparable fastest magnetic separation(35 s) from aqueous solutions. Therefore, it is recommended that the prepared material can be employed to remove toxic heavy metal ions from water/wastewaters and this "green" method can easily be implemented at large scale in low economy countries.

Simulation research on effect of magnetic nanoparticles on physical process of magneto–acoustic tomography with magnetic induction

Magneto–acoustic tomography with magnetic induction（MAT-MI） is a multiphysics coupled imaging technique that is combined with electrical impedance tomography and ultrasound imaging. In order to study the influence of adding magnetic nanoparticles as a contrast agent for MAT-MI on its physical process, firstly, we analyze and compare the electromagnetic and acoustical properties of MAT-MI theoretically before and after adding magnetic nanoparticles, and then construct a two-dimensional（2 D） planar model. Under the guidance of space-time separation theory, we determine the reasonable simulation conditions and solve the electromagnetic field and sound field physical processes in the two modes by using the finite element method. The magnetic flux density, sound pressure distribution, and related one-dimensional（1 D）, 2 D, and three-dimensional（3 D） images are obtained. Finally, we make a qualitative and quantitative analysis based on the theoretical and simulation results. The research results show that the peak time of the time item separated from the sound source has a corresponding relationship with the peak time of the sound pressure signal. At this moment, MAMPTMI produces larger sound pressure signals, and the sound pressure distribution of the MAMPT-MI is more uniform, which facilitates the detection and completion of sound source reconstruction. The research results may lay the foundation for the MAT-MI of magnetically responsive nanoparticle in subsequent experiments and even clinical applications.

Effect of targeted magnetic nanoparticles containing 5-FU on expression of bcl-2, bax and caspase 3 in nude mice with transplanted human liver cancer

AIM: To investigate the anti-tumor effect and mechanisms of magnetic nanoparticles targeting hepatocellular carcinoma. METHODS: Human hepatocellular carcinoma was induced in nude mice, and the mice were randomly divided into group A receiving normal saline, group B receiving magnetic nanoparticles containing 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), group C receiving 5-FU, and group D receiving magnetic nanoparticles containing 5-FU with a magnetic field built in tumor tissues. The tumor volume was measured on the day before treatment and 1, 4, 7, 10 and 13 d after treatment. Tumor tissues were isolated for examination of the expression of bcl-2, bax and caspase 3 by immunohistochemical method, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting. RESULTS: The tumor volume was markedly lower in groups C and D than in groups A and B (group C or D vs group A or B, P < 0.01). The volume was markedly lower in group D than in group C (P < 0.05). The expression of protein and mRNA of bcl-2 was markedly lower in groups C and D than in groups A and B (group C or D vs group A or B, P < 0.01), and was markedly lower in group D than in group C (P < 0.01). The expression of bax and caspase 3 in groups C and D was signif icantly increased, compared with that in groups A and B (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The targeted magnetic nanoparticles containing 5-FU can improve the chemotherapeutic effect of 5-FU against hepatocellular carcinoma by decreasing the expression of bcl-2 gene, and increasing the expression of bax and caspase 3 genes.

Self-assembled superparamagnetic nanoparticles as MRI contrast agents — A review

Recent progress of the preparation and applications of superparamagnetic iron oxide（SPIO） clusters as magnetic resonance imaging（MRI） probes is reviewed with regard to their applications in labeling and tracking cells in vivo, in diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases and tumors, and in drug delivery systems. Magnetic nanoparticles（NPs）, especially SPIO nanoparticles, have long been used as MRI contrast agents and as an advantageous nanoplatform for drug delivery,taking advantage of their unique magnetic properties and ability to function at the molecular and cellular levels. Due to advances in nanotechnology, various means to control SPIO NPs＇ size, composition, magnetization and relaxivity have been developed, as well as ways to usefully modify their surface. Recently, self-assembly of SPIO NP clusters in particulate carriers — such as polymeric micelles, vesicles, liposomes, and layer-by-layer（Lb L） capsules — have been widely studied for application as ultrasensitive MRI probes, owing to their remarkably high spin–spin（T2） relaxivity and convenience for further functionalization.