Why researchers believe silver nanoparticles could ‘revolutionize’ medical imaging.
Why researchers believe silver nanoparticles could ‘revolutionize’ medical imaging.
1. Study Date and Source:
• Published on April 9, 2025
• Source: Health Imaging
• Author: Hannah Murphy
2. Institution:
• Research conducted at Oregon State University (OSU)
3. Research Focus:
• Development of uniform silver nanoparticles to improve the targeting ability of CT contrast agents, especially for cancer imaging.
4. Lead Researcher:
• Marilyn Mackiewicz, PhD, associate professor of chemistry at OSU.
5. Medical Application:
• Goal is to use silver nanoparticles to track and highlight cancer cells during X-ray CT imaging by designing agents that selectively accumulate in cancerous tissue.
6. Scientific Challenge:
• Current silver nanoparticles vary in size and shape, making them unstable and unreliable for consistent medical use.
7. Innovative Solution:
• Using ultraviolet (UV) light, oxygen, and silver ions to convert particles into uniform triangle shapes.
• Coating them with a hybrid lipid membrane increases stability and biocompatibility.
8. Advantages:
• Uniform shape and size improve effectiveness, reliability, and safety.
• Potential to replace existing CT contrast agents with a more targeted, low-toxicity alternative.
9. Future Vision:
• These advancements could enable in vivo imaging with reduced toxicity risks.
• Researchers hope the findings will enhance nanoparticle synthesis for broader use in medical imaging and beyond. 1. Study Date and Source:
• Published on April 9, 2025
• Source: Health Imaging
• Author: Hannah Murphy
2. Institution:
• Research conducted at Oregon State University (OSU)
3. Research Focus:
• Development of uniform silver nanoparticles to improve the targeting ability of CT contrast agents, especially for cancer imaging.
4. Lead Researcher:
• Marilyn Mackiewicz, PhD, associate professor of chemistry at OSU.
5. Medical Application:
• Goal is to use silver nanoparticles to track and highlight cancer cells during X-ray CT imaging by designing agents that selectively accumulate in cancerous tissue.
6. Scientific Challenge:
• Current silver nanoparticles vary in size and shape, making them unstable and unreliable for consistent medical use.
7. Innovative Solution:
• Using ultraviolet (UV) light, oxygen, and silver ions to convert particles into uniform triangle shapes.
• Coating them with a hybrid lipid membrane increases stability and biocompatibility.
8. Advantages:
• Uniform shape and size improve effectiveness, reliability, and safety.
• Potential to replace existing CT contrast agents with a more targeted, low-toxicity alternative.
9. Future Vision:
• These advancements could enable in vivo imaging with reduced toxicity risks.
• Researchers hope the findings will enhance nanoparticle synthesis for broader use in medical imaging and beyond.
🔗 https://healthimaging.com/topics/medical-imaging/imaging-contrast/why-researchers-believe-silver-nanoparticles-could-revolutionize-medical-imaging
