Paramagnetic lipid-coated silica nanoparticles with a fluorescent quantum dot core: a new contrast agent platform for multimodality imaging.
Silica particles as a nanoparticulate carrier material for contrast agents have received considerable attention the past few years, since the material holds great promise for biomedical applications. A key feature for successful application of this material in vivo is biocompatibility, which may be significantly improved by appropriate surface modification. In this study, we report a novel strategy to coat silica particles with a dense monolayer of paramagnetic and PEGylated lipids. The silica nanoparticles carry a quantum dot in their center and are made target-specific by the conjugation of multiple alphavbeta3-integrin-specific RGD-peptides. We demonstrate their specific uptake by endothelial cells in vitro using fluorescence microscopy, quantitative fluorescence imaging, and magnetic resonance imaging. The lipid-coated silica particles introduced here represent a new platform for nanoparticulate multimodality contrast agents.
Koole
Rolf
R
Condensed Matter and Interfaces, University Utrecht, P.O. Box 80000, 3508 TA Utrecht, The Netherlands.
van Schooneveld
Matti M
MM
Hilhorst
Jan
J
Castermans
Karolien
K
Cormode
David P
DP
Strijkers
Gustav J
GJ
de Mello Donegá
Celso
C
Vanmaekelbergh
Daniel
D
Griffioen
Arjan W
AW
Nicolay
Klaas
K
Fayad
Zahi A
ZA
Meijerink
Andries
A
Mulder
Willem J M
WJ
D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002460:Cell Line; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000737:chemistry*; D005453:Fluorescence; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D008055:Lipids / Q000737:chemistry*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008280:Magnetics; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry; D045663:Quantum Dots; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties
D003287:Contrast Media; D008055:Lipids; C077628:gadolinium stearylamide DTPA; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA