Non-iodinated radiolabeled radiopaque microbeads with mri contrast for radioembolization

A method of synthesis of radiopaque microsphere or microbeads capable of rendering an imageable computed tomography (CT) contrast when administered in a subject comprising:

• doping or co-loading an impurity dopant in a ceramic to obtain a ceramic material, wherein the impurity dopant is present at a concentration of 0-30% (w/w) and is selected from molybdenum, tungsten or zirconium or a combination thereof, for X ray contrast and from iron, manganese, terbium, erbium, dysprosium, holmium, thulium, bismuth, barium, strontium, iodine, zirconium, lanthanides, hafnium or aluminium or thereof, for MRI contrast;
• blending the ceramic material with a polymer solution;
• electrospraying the blend with or without a crosslinker to form microbeads;
• incubating the formed microbeads at an optimum temperature for 48 hours and
• radiolabeling the microbeads with a radioisotope to produce the radiolabeled radiopaque microbeads.

A method of medical treatment of a tumor in a mammal comprising:

• administering a therapeutically effective amount of a non-iodinated, radiopaque microbead or microsphere composition for use in image-guided embolization or radioembolization of the tumor, comprising:
• a ceramic material (C), comprising an impurity dopant (X), wherein the impurity dopant is present at a concentration of 0-30% (w/w) and is selected from molybdenum, tungsten, zirconium or gold or a combination thereof;
• a polymer binder blended to the ceramic material, and
• a radioisotope conjugated to the ceramic material or the prepared microbeads, wherein the composition renders imageable computed tomography (CT) contrast or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast, or both, when administered to the subject.