Nanotechnology replaces the use of gadolinium, a substance that can cause harm to people’s health when metabolized
Magnetic resonance imaging is an exam requested to define detailed diagnoses in some areas of health. The procedure identifies, for example, musculoskeletal injuries, neurological diseases and tumors in abdominal and pelvic organs. To better visualize the exam, doctors prescribe the use of contrast, a substance that increases the clarity and differentiation of anatomical and pathological structures.
The compound currently used contains gadolinium-based agents. The substance, if not properly coated in the body, is toxic to human health and can cause numerous damages to the immune and neurological systems. A group of researchers from the Institute of Chemistry at the Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, at USP (University of São Paulo), developed a healthier alternative to this compound: titanium dioxide, coated with iron oxide.
COST-BENEFIT
Gadolinium is a chemical element that has 7 unpaired electrons. This property is essential when used in contrast for medical examinations, such as MRI. The unpairing of electrons provides the element with magnetic properties that allow us to see the results of procedures with greater clarity.
Iron, an alternative used by nanotechnology developed by researchers, offers enormous benefits compared to gadolinium. “Iron, even if it is metabolized by our body, is an essential element for us and does not cause many problems. Our body has ways of controlling concentration and maintaining the balance of our systems”said professor at the USP Chemistry Institute and one of the project developers Koiti Araki.
MERCADO
Searches for alternatives to the compound currently used in contrast are not new. According to the professor, when the research began, there were already projects based on the use of iron oxide, which were already being made available on the market. However, the result obtained by the compounds was not satisfactory for the companies, as they caused the so-called “negative contrast”.
The existing materials made the regions where the contrast was darker, opposite to what was intended. “We had around 7 years of experience working with a material that, in the end, was not suitable, but we learned a lot from it. We created a design, an engineering, that could generate positive contrast”said Araki.
According to the researcher, nanotechnology has already been transferred to a company and is currently in the approval phase before entering the market. “All innovations in the medical field, especially when they need to be administered intravenously, have a long road to approval. Precisely for this reason, the process is still in its early stages.”
With information from .
