L’Imagerie par Résonance Magnétique est une des techniques de diagnostic les plus performantes. Parmi les perspectives d’avenir, les applications en imagerie moléculaire avec l’utilisation d’agents de contraste intelligents sensibles à divers paramètres physico-chimiques sont particulièrement attrayantes.Dans cette thèse, nous présentons la synthèse et la caractérisation physico-chimique de nouveaux complexes de lanthanide dans le but de développer des agents de contraste sensibles à l’activité enzymatique ou la présence d’ions calcium. Les premiers complexes sont basés sur le concept de coupler un substrat spécifique à une enzyme par l’intermédiaire d’un bras auto-immolable, à un chélate de lanthanide macrocyclique. Les modifications de structure qui suivent le clivage du substrat et l’autodestruction du bras sont sensées induire des variations de relaxivité ou des propriétés CEST des complexes. Même si nous n'avons pas pu créer des agents de GdIII avec une réponse T1, plusieurs complexes d’YbIII ou d’EuIII montrent un important changement de leurs propriétés CEST après réaction enzymatique. Certains d'entre eux portant un bras dérivé pyridinique peuvent également agir comme des sondes optiques émettant dans le visible ou le proche infrarouge.Nous avons également développé un agent sensible au calcium en combinant un chélate de lanthanide macrocyclique avec une unité d’iminodiacetate permettant la coordination du calcium. Les complexes d’EuIIIet d’YbIII montrent une importante diminution de l’effet CEST en présence de Ca2+. L’utilisation en parallèle des deux complexes permet une approche ratiométrique où la réponse IRM détectée est indépendante de la concentration de l’agent. / Today, Magnetic Resonance Imaging is one of the most powerful diagnostic techniques in the clinics. Amongfuture perspectives, molecular imaging applications based on smart contrast agents which are responsive to various physico-chemical parameters, are particularly attractive. In this work, we present the synthesis and physico-chemical characterisation of novel lanthanide complexes with the aim of developing smart contrast agents for the detection of enzyme activity or calcium concentration.The complexes designed to give an MRI response to an enzyme are based on the original concept of coupling an enzyme-specific substrate to a macrocyclic LnIII chelate via a self-immolative linker. The structural changes following enzymatic cleavage of the substrate and destruction of the self-immolative armare expected to induce variation of the relaxivity or the CEST properties of the LnIII complexes. Though we failed creating GdIII agents with a T1 response upon enzymatic reaction, several YbIII or EuIII complexes were synthesized that provide an important change in their CEST properties. Some of them, bearing a pyridine-derivative arm which is an efficient sensitizer of lanthanide luminescence, act also as enzyme-responsive NIR or visible emitting optical probes.We have developed a Ca-responsive agent combining a DOTA-tetraamide LnIII chelator with animinodiacetate unit for calcium coordination. The EuIII and YbIII complexes show an important decrease in the CEST effect in response to Ca2+. The parallel application of the two complexes allows for ratiometric approaches where the detected MRI response is independent of the concentration of the agent.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is the most prominent non-invasive technique used in clinical diagnosis and biomedical research. Its development as an imaging technique has been aided by contrast agents (CAs) which enhance contrast to noise ratio in the images. This dissertation deals with paramagnetic lanthanide- and superparamagnetic iron-based nanoparticles (NPs) which are potential CAs at clinical field of 3 T and a high field of 9.4 T. Chapter 1 provides a brief overview of colloidal nanoparticles, with an emphasis on their surface chemistry and magnetic properties for bio-applications. Chapter 2 employs europium as an optical probe to illustrate the contribution of inner, second and outer sphere relaxation towards longitudinal and transverse relaxivities of paramagnetic NP-based CAs. Chapter 3 investigates the positive and the negative contrast enhancement abilities and magnetization of paramagnetic NPs comprising a core of sodium dysprosium fluoride with a sodium gadolinium fluoride shell. Their surface chemistry is tuned to target prostate cancer specifically. The application of these NPs is further extended in Chapter 4 to track an intraneuronal protein called tau following mild traumatic brain injury. Chapter 5 deals with facile synthesis and long-term stability of superparamagnetic iron NPs for their potential application as CAs. Chapter 6 illustrates the concept of MRI correlation using ‘T1-only’ and ‘T2-only’ NPs. Chapter 7 investigates on the dynamics involved in the phospholipids coating the surface of NPs. Chapter 8 concludes on the work detailed in the previous chapters and outlines the future outlook. / Graduate / 2020-01-15

More than one-third of all Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans employ image-enhancing contrast agents to increase the differential signal intensity between diseased and normal tissue. Because current clinical contrast agents exhibit low relaxivity (mM-1 s-1), low dose efficiency, and rapid secretion, we have designed a group of protein-based MRI contrast agents with multiple gadolinium binding sites. In this study, the developed purification method for Class ProCA-3 agents allows for a quick and cost-effective way to abstract up to 109 mg of pure, soluble protein from a 1L E. Coli cell pellet devoid of DNA or RNA “contamination” for extensive animal studies. Circular dichroism far-UV spectra ensure the metal stability of the agents, revealing maintenance of their native α-helical structure in the presence and absence of metal ions. Furthermore, substantial evidence supports the high dose efficiency of these agents, exhibiting up to five folds higher relaxivity than their analogous commercial competitors.

Calmodulin (CaM) is a ubiquitous intracellular protein that regulates biological activities of numerous enzymes and ion channels. Upon responding Ca2+ concentration change, Ca2+- dependent CaM activates the hydrolyzation of cGMP by PDE and Ca2+ releasing channel activity of ryanodine receptor. In this dissertation, a series of CaM variants were engineered to enhance Ca2+ binding affinities by increasing the number of negative charged residues in individual EF-hand. The capability of shifting the biphasic Ca2+-activation profile of RyR1 is significantly altered by changing Ca2+ binding affinity of CaM at the C-terminal. This indicates that examining Ca2+-CaM affinity is a valid strategy to tune the activation profile of CaM-regulated ion channels. To further understand interactions between CaM and RyR1, NMR was used to determine their binding mode. To dissect roles of structural components of CaM in metal binding and regulation of biological functions of target proteins, we created half-CaMs and Del-CaM. Binding affinities of these variants to Ca2+, Tb3+ and Gd3+ were determined by fluorescence spectroscopy; functional studies were conducted using single channel analysis and PDE function assay. Another objective of my dissertation is to design a protein based contrast agent for molecular imaging. CaM was selected as the scaffold protein for designing Gd3+ based MRI contrast agent by modifying metal binding sites as well as grafting a biomarker peptide into the linker region to specifically target cancers with efficient and optimized modifications. The physical kinetic properties and animal imaging effects of these designed contrast agents were investigated by various methods.

L’ADN est une molécule biologique essentielle, assurant le support et le transfert de l’information génétique des êtres vivants, et impliquée dans de nombreux processus d’interactions. L’élaboration d’outils moléculaires efficaces capables d’interagir avec l’ADN et de mettre en évidence cette interaction est donc un domaine de recherche d’intérêt majeur pour la compréhension d’événements biologiques essentiels et pour le diagnostic médical. Grâce à leurs propriétés spectroscopiques et magnétiques particulières, les ions lanthanides (Ln3+) s’avèrent être d’excellents candidats dans l’élaboration de telles sondes. En effet, la luminescence des ions Tb3+ et Eu3+ est très intense avec des bandes d’émission fines et caractéristiques dans le visible, et permet une détection résolue en temps grâce à de longs temps de vie de luminescence. L’ion Gd3+, grâce à un moment magnétique de spin très élevé et à un temps de relaxation électronique relativement long, possède des propriétés magnétiques particulièrement intéressantes pour augmenter la relaxation paramagnétique nucléaire des protons de l’eau.Ce travail de thèse a consisté à exploiter les propriétés des lanthanides au sein de peptides optimisés pour complexer ces ions, et fonctionnalisés par une unité de reconnaissance de l’ADN. Les complexes de Gd(III) développés sont de puissants outils capables de mettre en évidence l’interaction avec l’ADN en induisant une augmentation significative de la relaxivité aux champs intermédiaires. Celle-ci est caractéristique de l’augmentation du temps de corrélation rotationnelle inhérente à la formation de l’adduit complexe-ADN. Par ailleurs, les complexes de Tb(III) comportant un sensibilisateur de cet ion et une unité de reconnaissance de l’ADN ont permis l’obtention de sondes efficaces de l’ADN aux propriétés d’émission optimisées. Un choix judicieux du trio « unité de reconnaissance – sensibilisateur - lanthanide » permet d’éteindre la luminescence du lanthanide en absence d’ADN et de l’augmenter suite à l’interaction avec cet acide nucléique. Ces sondes luminescentes sont également capables d’induire une augmentation de la luminescence centrée sur le métal suite à leur interaction avec d’autres acides nucléiques. / DNA is an essential biomolecule, which ensures the support and the transfer of the genetic information in all organisms, and is involved in many interaction processes. The development of effective molecular tools interacting with DNA and highlighting this interaction is a field of research of high relevance, in order to understand essential biological events and for medical diagnostics. Thanks to their unique spectroscopic and magnetic properties, lanthanide ions (Ln3+) have proved to be very promising candidates in the design of such probes. In fact, luminescence of Tb3+ and Eu3+ is highly sensitive with narrow and specific emission bands, and is time-resolved with long luminescence lifetimes. Gd3+ ion, thanks to a high spin magnetic moment and a long electronic relaxation time, has interesting magnetic properties to enhance the nuclear paramagnetic relaxation of water protons.In this work, we take advantage of lanthanides’ properties within peptides, optimized for complexing these ions, and functionalized with a DNA binding unit. Developed Gd3+ complexes are powerful tools that can highlight the interaction with DNA, thanks to a significant increase of relaxivity at intermediate fields. This one is characteristic of the increase of the rotational correlation time inherent to the formation of the complex‑DNA adduct. Moreover, the Tb3+ complexes include a sensitizer of this ion and a DNA binding unit, allowing the conception of effective DNA probes with optimized emission properties. A judicious choice of the trio “DNA binding unit – sensitizer – lanthanide” allows to switch off the lanthanide luminescence without DNA and to turn it on after interaction with this nucleic acid. These luminescent probes are also able to induce an increase of the metal-centered luminescence after interaction with other nucleic acids.

Submitted by Fabio Sobreira Campos da Costa (fabio.sobreira@ufpe.br) on 2017-02-13T14:42:08Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) dissertação para imprimir.pdf: 1944013 bytes, checksum: 446b8ae7597e9bfcfe53826edaa4a028 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-02-13T14:42:08Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) dissertação para imprimir.pdf: 1944013 bytes, checksum: 446b8ae7597e9bfcfe53826edaa4a028 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-08-20 / FACEPE / Neste trabalho foram sintetizados quantum dots de CdTe e CdTe:Gd3+ tendo o ácido mercapto succínico como estabilizante, visando uma potencial aplicação como agente de contraste bimodal para imagem ótica e magnética. A difração de raios-X evidenciou a formação dos QDs. Após quantificação dos íons dopantes por Espectrometria de Emissão Ótica com Plasma Indutivo Acoplado (ICP-OES), verificou-se 75,7% dos íons Gd3+ adicionados ficaram na nanopartícula. A grande quantidade de íons aderidos à nanopartícula, além da observação do aumento da relaxividade com a diminuição do pH e o deslocamento do estiramento das carbonilas por espectroscopia de infravermelho, são fatores que indicam que os íons Gd3+ aderiram aos QDs pela coordenação com o estabilizante e não por dopagem. A presença do íon gadolínio não alterou o deslocamento do máximo de absorção dos QDs e possivelmente interferiu na cinética de estabilização das superfícies, pois houve a diminuição da intensidade da luminescência dos mesmos. / In this work were synthesized quantum dots of CdTe and CdTe:Gd3+ having mercapto succinic acid (MSA) as a stabilizer, looking forward their use as a bimodal contrast agent for optical and magnetic images. The X-ray diffraction showed the formation of QDs. The quantification of dopants by Optical Emission Spectrometry with Inductive Coupled (ICPOES) Plasma, showed that 75.7% of Gd3+ ions were added in the nanoparticle. The large amount of ions bonded to the nanoparticle and the observation of increased relaxivity with decreasing pH and the observed shift of the stretching of carbonyls by infrared spectroscopy, are factors that indicated that Gd3+ ions were adhered to the QDs by coordinating with the stabilizer and not by doping. The presence of gadolinium ions did not change the absorption maximum band of the QDs, but probably changed the stabilization kinetics at the QD surface, due to the observed luminescence intensity decreasing.

Magnetic nanoparticles offer a plethora of application possibilities in various fields of human endeavors. The fundamental understanding of their physical properties, related to the constituent magnetic phase, surface termination, and possible coating, synthesis method, size, shape, or even clustering, is crucial for their effective use and optimization for the intended applications. This thesis aims to contextualize original results, concerning especially the structure and magnetic properties, obtained during fundamental research on nanoparticles of selected iron-containing systems and employ these findings in testing the nanoparticles in chosen applications. Iron presents an ideal constituting element due to its low cost, high abundance in the Earth's crust, exploitability, and low toxicity. The selected systems involved in this thesis comprise iron-containing oxides (ferrites, and various polymorphs of iron(III) oxide, including ε-Fe2O3 and doped counterparts), and sulfides (greigite, chalcopyrite), all of which exhibit specific properties such as magnetic or structural transitions. Among the studied applications, the largest attention is devoted to the use of magnetic nanoparticles as contrast agents in magnetic resonance imaging, and the analysis of their efficacy in contrast enhancement -...

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Advanced nuclear and electron magnetic resonance techniques (i.e. nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)) were used to study the attitude and dynamics of TEMPO (2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinyloxy)-substrate systems and the relaxivity properties of water-soluble trimetallic nitride template functionalized endohedral metallofullerenes (TNT-fMF). The attitude and average distance of interaction for each TEMPO-substrate system was determined from comparing density functional theory (DFT) calculation results with experimental hyperfine coupling constants leading to an improved understanding of solution dynamics. The short-lived solvent-solute interactions of the TEMPO-substrate molecules, such as transient complex formation, are governed by weak hydrogen-bonding interactions. The collisions in solution were explained by determining the favored orientations of the two molecules interacting using calculated relative energy minima and reproducibility of the experimental results by the calculated coupling constants. Water-soluble TNT-fMFs are studied as candidates for the next generation MRI contrast agents as diagnostic agents and also as possible therapeutic agents to kill cancer cells and decrease tumors. The TNT-fMFs are being studied as part of a multi-modal platform dependent upon which metal atoms are encapsulated inside: Gd — MRI contrast agent (diagnostic), Lu and Ho — radio labeled for use as a therapeutic agent, Tb – fluorescence, and Lu – x-ray contrast. The current commercial MRI contrast agent, OmniscanTM, contains one gadolinium atom; however, the metal is complexed to, not encapsulated in, the molecule. TNT-fMFs fully encapsulate three metal atoms to ensure the patient does not run the risk of metal poisoning. The r1 and r2 relaxivities of TNT-fMFs containing either Gd, Lu, Ho, or Sc metals were measured at 0.35T. The data for the Gd containing TNT-fMFs indicated the metallofullerene has significantly higher relaxivities than OmniscanTM, and can be the next generation MRI contrast agent. The Ho containing species has a high r2/r1 ratio compared to the other samples showing it is a potential T2 agent, and has therapeutic capabilities. / Ph. D.

Gadolinium endohedral metallofullerenes (EMFs) have shown the potential to become next generation magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents due to their significantly improved efficiency and safety, as well as multi-day body retention which allows for a longer surgery and observation compared to current contrast agents. In Chapter 1, I have reviewed the development of gadolinium EMF based MRI contrast agents. In Chapter 2, I have described my study of Gd3N@C80 and Gd3N@C84 metallofullerenols as next generation MRI contrast agents. The metallofullerenols are synthesized and characterized utilizing UV-vis, IR, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and dynamic light scattering (DLS). In addition, relaxivity data were obtained for the two metallofullerenes, and the results showed that Gd3N@C84 metallofullerenol had enhanced relaxivity compared to Gd3N@C80 metallofullerenol. This result is consistent with the observation of magnetic resonance images of the samples at different concentrations. The enhanced relaxivity was attributed to the special "egg shape" of the Gd3N@C84 cage. In Chapter 3, I have described the relaxivity study of Gd3N@C80 (without functionalization) in oleic acid, which could be used as an MRI contrast agent for more hydrophobic bioenvironments. The results show that Gd3N@C80 has a reasonable relaxation effect (relaxivity ~10 mM-1S-1 at 1.4 T) in oleic acid and could be a viable contrast agent even without functionalization. In Chapter 4, I have discussed the outlook of gadolinium EMF-based MRI contrast agents and suggested several directions for future work. / Master of Science