Magnetic nanoparticles in the imaging of tumor angiogenesis

Abstract

Angiogenesis, the growth of new capillary blood vessels, is central to the growth of tumors. Non-invasive imaging of tumor angiogenesis will allow for earlier detection of tumors and also the development of surrogate markers for assessing response to treatment. Steady state magnetic resonance imaging with magnetic nanoparticles is one method to assess angiogenesis. In this article we explain the theory behind steady state magnetic resonance imaging and review the available literature.