The use of molecular descriptors in the design of gadolinium (III) chelates as MRI contrast agents.

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a very useful tool in modern medical diagnostics, especially when gadolinium(III)-based contrast agents are administered to the patient with the aim of increasing the image contrast between normal and diseased tissues. The main purpose of this review is to show that a new generation of these contrast agents could be developed by making greater use of soft modelling techniques such as QSAR/QSPR after a suitable description of their molecular structure.