Ann: Imagion Biosystems December 2021 Investor Newsletter, page-64

An interesting blog with IBX on it...

Similarly, Imagion Biosystems, Ltd has developed MagSense nanoparticles which have an iron oxide (Fe3O4) core and are known to generate T2 and T2* negative MR contrast at 1.5T or 3T. Unlike existing non-specific MR contrast agents such as gadolinium, MagSense nanoparticles employ a targeting moiety. Currently, the company is undertaking a clinical study that includes an investigation of use as an MR contrast agent. In May 2020, the company entered into a collaboration agreement with Siemens Healthcare Pty Ltd to further explore the utility of Imagion’s MagSense nanoparticles as an MRI contrast agent. The collaboration is to identify optimal MRI scanning protocols for the MagSense HER2 targeted nanoparticles for breast cancer. Also, there is an interesting approach to explore bacterial particles as useful MRI contrast agents. For instance, some microbes are found to have the innate ability to synthesize magnetite to form specific intracellular organelles called magnetosomes and it showed notably higher transverse relaxivity compared to the chemically synthesized Superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIOs). Thus, all these approaches towards the development of nanoparticle-based contrast agents may replace the small molecule-based MRI contrast agents in the future.