*Photo description: Confirms the contrast effect of the carbon dot-based contrast medium developed by professor Na Gun's research team at the Catholic University of Korea

- The Catholic University of Korea Professor Na Gun's research team developed a carbon dot contrast medium capable of computed tomography

- Development of a biocompatible carbon dot-based contrast medium capable of contrast-enhanced computed tomography

- Expected to show superior contrast effect and biocompatibility compared to existing contrast agents

The Catholic University of Korea Department of Biomedical Chemical Engineering Professor Gunn Nah's research team successfully developed a carbon-dot contrast agent capable of computed tomography by reacting a carbon-based precursor and an iodine-based contrast agent in one container without an organic solvent.

Computed tomography is a method of transmitting X-rays and then reconstructing and analyzing the difference in absorption into a three-dimensional image and is used to diagnose wounds or diseases in the human body. Compared to other medical imaging devices, this imaging method has the advantages of shorter imaging time, lower cost, and deeper spatial penetration. Various contrast agents has been developed and administered to increase the low resolution of a specific tissue or blood vessel.

However, the existing contrast agents had problems such as complicated purification and synthesis processes, severe pain when injected into the body, and various toxicity problems, including elevated liver enzymes, nephropathy, and heart disease, when left untreated for an extended period.

Professor Na Gun's research team developed a carbon dot-type contrast medium using a carbon-based precursor and an iodine-based contrast medium. The developed carbon dot contrast agent has the characteristic of showing a contrast effect that is about 28% higher than that of existing contrast agents at the same iodine concentration. In addition, it was confirmed that it shows similar or improved biocompatibility through osmotic pressure, hemolysis test, and cytotoxicity test.

The research team showed that the carbon dot contrast agent developed in animal experiments using small animals showed a 42% increased contrast effect compared to conventional contrast agents during a computed tomography, and its excellent biocompatibility was confirmed through histological examination and biochemical examination of major organs.

The carbon dot contrast medium developed by the research team not only shows an improved contrast medium compared to existing contrast agents, but is also expected to be used as a new contrast medium that can minimize toxicity without side effects on the body.

This research was conducted with the support from the basic research project (middle-level research) by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the National Research Foundation of Korea, and the research findings have been published in the June 25 issue of the international journal Advanced Science (IF: 15.863, Engineering, Biomedical).