The development of more sensitive diagnostic tools allowing an early-stageand highly efficient medical imaging of tumors remains a challenge. Magneticnanoparticles seem to be the contrast agents with the highest potential, if properlyconstructed. Therefore, in this study, hybrid magnetic nanoarchitectures weredeveloped using a new amphiphilic inulin-based graft copolymer （INU-LA-PEG-FA） as coating material for 10-nm spinel iron oxide （magnetite, Fe304）superparamagnetic nanoparticles （SPION）. Folic acid （FA） covalently linked tothe coating copolymer in order to be exposed onto the nanoparticle surface waschosen as the targeting agent because folate receptors are upregulated in manycancer types. Physicochemical characterization and in vitro biocompatibilitystudy was then performed on the prepared magnetic nanoparticles. The improvedtargeting and imaging properties of the prepared FA-SPIONs were furtherevaluated in nude mice using 7-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging （MRI）.FA-SPIONs exhibited the ability to act as efficient contrast agents in conventionalMRI, providing a potential nanoplatform not only for tumor diagnosis but alsofor cancer treatment, through the delivery of anticancer drug or locoregional magnetic hvverthermia.