Targeted superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles for early detection of cancer: Possibilities and challenges

SPIONs are currently being used as MRI contrast agents in the clinic. However, the first generation SPIONs cannot differentiate cancer cells from normal tissues with high specificity. Therefore, researchers have focused on conjugating SPIONs with targeting moieties, which enable SPIONs to recognize specific markers on desired tumor cells in vivo and accumulate in the region of interest. The presence of targeted SPIONs in tumor vicinity can lead to a higher MRI contrast enhancement and as well, internalized SPIONs can be used as drug delivery vehicles.251