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Although nanodiamonds have long being considered as a potential tool for biomedical research, the practical in vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) application of nanodiamonds remains relatively unexplored. In this paper, we present the first application of in vivo MRI contrast enhancement using only iron embedded magnetic nanodiamonds. An MR image enhancement was clearly demonstrated in the rendering of T2-weighted images of mice obtained using an unmodified commercial MRI scanner. The excellent contrast obtained using these nanodiamonds opens the door to the non-invasive in vivo tracking of nanodiamonds and image enhancement. In the future, one can apply these magnetic nanodiamonds together with surface modifications to facilitate drug delivery, targeted therapy, localized thermal treatment, and diagnostic imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Boron neutron capture therapy is a potentially powerful anti-cancer treatment, the success of which depends heavily on the boron delivery agent. Enabling the real-time tracing of delivery agents as they move through the body is crucial to the further development of boron neutron capture therapy. In this study, we fabricate fluorescent 10B embedded nanodiamonds using physical ion implantation in conjunction with a two-step annealing process. Fluorescent 10B embedded nanodiamonds perform well in cell viability test. The red fluorescence of the 10B embedded nanodiamonds allows their use in fluorescence microscopy and in vivo imaging systems, thereby making it possible to conduct tracking in real time. The proposed fluorescent 10B embedded nanodiamonds, combining optical visibility and 10B transport capability, might be a promising boron delivery agent suitable for a wide range of biomedical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]