Alessandro Maiocchi1, Fulvio Uggeri1, Alessandro Barge2, Silvio Aime2, Lorenzo Tei3
1Bracco Imaging s.p.a., Colleretto Giacosa, Torino, Italy; 2Universit degli Studi di Torino, Torino, Italy; 3Universit degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale, Alessandria, Italy
A new extracellular, high relaxivity Gd(III) complex based on a DTPA-like structure was synthesized. It displays a remarkable relaxivity (r1=19 mM-1s-1) that is the result of the occurrence of a large second coordination sphere contribution arising from the extended network of water molecules, hydroxyl containing substituents and the phosponate moiety at the ligand surface. The high hydrophilicity endows this complex with the biodistribution and excretion pathways of the commonly used extracellular Gd(III) agents. The in vivo imaging properties of the new agent was assessed by comparing the contrast enhancement induced in tumor lesions of Her-2/neu transgenic mice in respect to ProHance
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