Improved superparamagnetic nanoparticles for targeting and imaging.

The article discusses the development of biotechnology nanoworms used to image tumor cells. The nanoworms consist of about 10 dextran-coated nanospheres of iron oxide which are superparamagnetic. The elongated nanostructures accumulated in the tumor cells and remained longer than nanospheres. The research was directed by Michael Sailor’s group at the University of California San Diego in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of California at Santa Barbara. The research is published in the vol. 20, 2008 issue of “Advanced Materials.”