Drug delivery, magnetic resonance and fluorescence imaging, magnetic manipulation, and cell targeting are simultaneously possible using a multifunctional mesoporous silica nanoparticle. Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanocrystals were encapsulated inside mesostructured silica spheres that were labeled with fluorescent dye molecules and coated with hydrophilic groups to prevent aggregation. Water-insoluble anticancer drugs were delivered into human cancer cells; surface conjugation with cancer-specific targeting agents increased the uptake into cancer cells relative to that in non-cancerous fibroblasts. The highly versatile multifunctional nanoparticles could potentially be used for simultaneous imaging and therapeutic applications.

Background-Based on the observation that ultrasmall superparamagnetic particles of iron oxides (USPIOs) are phagocytosed by cells of the mononuclear phagocytic system, the purpose of this study was to evaluate their use as a marker of atherosclerosis-associated inflammatory changes in the vessel wall before luminal narrowing is present. Methods and Results-Experiments were conducted on 6 heritable hyperlipidemic and 3 New Zealand White rabbits. 3DMR angiography (MRA) of the thoracic aorta was performed on all rabbits by use of a conventional paramagnetic contrast agent that failed to reveal any abnormalities. One week later, all rabbits except 1 of the hyperlipidemic animals were injected with a USPIO contrast agent (Sinerem, Guerbet) at a dose of 1 mmol Fe/kg. 3D MRA data sets collected over the subsequent 5 days showed increasing signal in the aortic lumen. Whereas the aortic wall of the control rabbits remained smooth and bright, marked susceptibility effects became evident on day 4 within the aortic walls of hyperlipidemic rabbits. Ex vivo imaging of aortic specimens confirmed the in vivo results. Histopathology documented marked Fe uptake in macrophages embedded in atherosclerotic plaque of the hyperlipidemic rabbits. Electron microscopy showed multiple cytoplasmic Fe particles in macrophages. No such changes were seen in control rabbits or in the hyperlipidemic rabbit that had not received Sinerem. Conclusions-USPIOs

Short- and long-axis cine magnetic resonance (MR) images were obtained with a standard fast low-angle shot, or FLASH, sequence and a first-generation true fast imaging with steady-state precession (FISP) sequence on a 1.5-T MR imager. Contrast-to-noise ratios and volumetric left ventricular measurements were compared for manual and automatic segmentation. True FISP images were associated with significantly (P<.01) higher contrast-to-noise ratios and allowed better detection of the endocardial border. True FISP images were provided with short acquisition times and excellent contrast between the myocardium and the ventricular lumen.

Adequate selection of donors is a major prerequisite for living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). Few centers report on the entire number of potential donors considered or rejected for living donation. From April 1998 to July 2003, a total of 111 living donor liver transplantations were performed at our institution, with 622 potential donors for 297 adult recipients and 78 potential donors for 52 pediatric recipients evaluated. In the adult group, only 89 (14%) potential donors were considered suitable, with a total of 533 (86%) potential donors rejected. Of these, 67% were excluded either at initial screening or during the first and second steps of the evaluation procedure. In 31% of all cases, the evaluation of donors was canceled because of recipient issues. In the pediatric group, 22 (28%) donors were selected, with the other 56 (72%) rejected. Costs of the complete evaluation process accounted for 4,589 Euro (€) per donor. The evaluation of a potential living donor is a complex and expensive process. We present the results on the evaluation of the largest group of potential donors for adults reported in the literature. Only 14% of potential donors in our series were considered suitable candidates. It has not yet been established who should cover the expenses of the evaluation of all rejected donors. In conclusion, all efforts should be made in order to develop an effective screening protocol for the evaluation of donors with the aim of saving time and resources for a liver transplantation program.

Whole-body MR imaging for the evaluation of metastases compared well with the reference techniques for cerebral, pulmonary, and hepatic lesions. Whole-body MR imaging was more sensitive in the detection of hepatic and osseous metastases than were the reference techniques.

Background: The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility and usefulness of a new magnetic resonance (MR) colonography technique for the detection of colorectal pathology in comparison with conventional colonoscopy as the standard of reference. Patients and methods: A total of 122 subjects with suspected colorectal disease underwent ''dark lumen'' MR colonography. A contrast enhanced T1w three dimensional VIBE sequence was collected after rectal administration of water. The presence of colorectal masses and inflammatory lesions were documented. Results were compared with those of a subsequently performed colonoscopy. Results: MR colonography was found to be accurate regarding detection of clinically relevant colonic lesions exceeding 5 mm in size, with sensitivity and specificity values of 93%/100%. Conclusion: Dark lumen MR colonography can be considered as a promising alternative method for the detection of colorectal disease. In addition, it allows assessment of extraluminal organs.

A technique for whole-body magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in only 30 seconds was developed on the basis of a rolling table platform with integrated surface coils and real-time true fast imaging with steady-state precession. In five patients, all hepatic and pulmonary lesions with a diameter exceeding 8 mm were detected by using thoracic and abdominal helical computed tomography as the reference method. Whole-body MR imaging with real-time true fast imaging with steady-state precession is feasible and may be suitable for tumor screening and staging.

In order to compare the performance of "all-in-one" magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and "all-in-one" multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) in the preharvest evaluation 25 potential living donors underwent both MRI and MDCT. MRI was performed on a high-performance 1.5-T scanner, computed tomography (CT) on a 4-row multidetector-scanner. Both scan protocols included angiography of the arterial and venous hepatic systems. CT additionally included infusion of a biliary contrast agent. Data analysis was performed by 4 reviewers, based on source images, multiplanar reformats, and three-dimensional ( L iving donor liver transplantation has evolved into a widely accepted therapeutic option to alleviate the persistent shortage of cadaveric liver transplants. [1][2][3] This innovative procedure allows healthy adults to donate a portion of their liver to compatible recipients suffering from end-stage liver disease. [4][5][6][7] Besides of augmenting the transplant organ pool, living donor liver transplantation involves the advantage of performing an elective operation, access to a graft in best condition, and lowering the likelihood of recipient death while waiting for a suitable organ. 8 In combination with improved surgical technique and highly developed immunosuppression, 9 this results in recipient survival rates as good as those obtained after conventional liver transplantation with full-sized deceased donor organs. 10 The critical issue of this procedure is the risk to the donors, who were healthy until the transplantation; this risk is now estimated to be 0.5% mortality and 21% postoperative morbidity. 1,11,12 To reduce such risk to a minimum, and also to avoid donor-recipient mismatch, the potential donors have to undergo an extensive stepwise evaluation process before being admitted to donation. Special attention is hereby paid to the determination of the liver volumes 13-17 and the recognition of vascular anomalies. [18][19][20] In fact, a majority of the candidates is eliminated mostly due to unfavorable hepatic parenchymal, biliary, or vascular morphology.In the recent past, this preharvest assessment