Lipid-Based Pharmaceutical Nanocarriers for Imaging Applications - Nanotechnology for Biomedical Imaging and Diagnostics - page 70

clinical studies. gamma-imaging with radiometal-loaded liposomes and micelles
seems to be the most attractive because of relatively small quantities of both carrier
and reporter metal needed for successful imaging, which greatly minimizes the prob-
lems of side effects. By using polymeric chelates, liposomes and micelles can be
easily loaded with sufficient quantities of radioactive (for gamma-imaging) or
mr-active (for mri) agents. Additionally, grafted pEg can serve as a capture-avoid-
ing agent permitting effective accumulation of the diagnostic label in the target and
also for improvement of mr contrast properties.
still, before liposomes and micelles become imaging agents of choice, several
important questions have to be answered. We have to know much more about the
pharmacokinetics of liposomal and micellar imaging agents; we have to find a way
to still further increase carrier load with reporter moieties in order to minimize over-
loading patient with a carrier itself and to decrease cost of the preparation; we have
to learn more about possible toxicity of metal-loaded liposomes and micelles owing
to the intracellular liberation of metal; we have to achieve cost-effective large-scale
production of homogenous preparations of diagnostic liposomes and micelles. These
are the aims for the nearest future.
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