Ferric Contrast Information

Ferric Contrast is developing iron-based contrast agents that can be used to produce high-quality magnetic resonance images of the brain, vasculature, liver and kidneys, and for detection of tumors resulting from cancer. The technology could offer an alternative to the gadolinium complexes that have traditionally been employed in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), says Morrow, PhD. Recent studies have found that gadolinium can accumulate in the brain, bones and skin of patients, a discovery that has spurred scientists to search for new agents that do not build up in the body. "There is a lot of potential for iron-based contrast agents to be a gadolinium alternative. Iron is natural - it's found in hemoglobin, so it is in your blood," says Morrow, who founded Ferric Contrast with businessman and entrepreneur Bradford La Salle. "Our contrast agents could be particularly useful for people who need multiple MRI exams, or for people who have poor kidney or heart function and have a difficult time clearing gadolinium from their systems." Ferric Contrast is designing a suite of contrast agents consisting of an iron ion housed inside an organic cage. The company has used these molecules to obtain clear images of organs including the kidneys and brain tumors in collaboration with Joseph Spernyak, PhD, at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, and will leverage the FuzeHub prize money to create additional complexes that can be directed to different parts of the body for imaging.