Radical Dendrimers Applications in Magnetic Resonance Imaging Contrast Agents

Date: Wednesday, 30 October 2024

Time: 11AM

Venue: Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona (ICMAB, CSIC) - Sala d'Actes Carles Miravitlles

Abstract

The primary objective of this thesis is to develop metal-free contrast agents (CAs) for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) based on organic radicals, addressing the well-known toxicity associated with the commonly used Gd(III)-based contrast agents (GBCAs) in clinical diagnostics. Radical Dendrimers, which are monodisperse polymers with a precisely defined molecular structure, serve as an ideal platform for anchoring organic radicals. This strategy not only enhances relaxivity but also provides a shielding effect, protecting the radicals from reduction.This thesis explores the synthesis, characterization, and application of novel radical dendrimers, with a focus on i) improving previous synthetic methods, ii) investigating amphiphilic radical dendrimers capable of self-assembly into supramolecular structures, and iii) incorporating additional properties to develop bimodal imaging probes. All of them designed to enhance water-solubility, imaging capabilities and improve safety, while also opening new avenues for a broad range of biomedical applications, including platforms for drug delivery, theranostics, and multimodal imaging.

Supervisors

José Vidal

Vega Lloveras

PhD comitee

President: Dr. Gerard Tobías, ICMAB, Spain

Secretary: Dr. Francisco Nájera, Universidad de Málaga, Spain

Vocal: Dra. Paula Ortega, Universidad de Alcalá de Henares, Spain

University: Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB)

PhD Programme: Material Science