title: A novel method for preparing microbubbles targeting hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To develop an optimized formula for more stable and effective coupling of albumin microbubbles (MBs) to monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) using a biotin-avidin system.
  
  
  METHODS
  Biotin modified albumin MBs were first linked with avidin (Av) followed by treatment with biotinylated mAbs. Each step was monitored using flow cytometry, and the results were summarized with an optimized formula. A hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and a normal human hepatocyte cell line were used to examine the effectiveness of this novel linkage strategy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The present experiments resulted in 96.05% of MBs bound to their microbubble shells. Av-Bio-MBs were conjugated to mAbs specific for the Hab18G/CD147 cell line. In vitro, CD147-specific MBs were found to bind to HCC cells, but not normal human hepatocyte cells. After exposure to Hab18G rosette-blocking mAb solution, few targeted MBs bound to HCC cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Conjugation of MBs with biotinylated mAbs forming an Av-Bio-MB system is a novel and attractive tool for HCC-targeting and molecular imaging.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Institute of Gastroenterology, Nanfang Hospital, Nanfang Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, PR China.
authors.forename: Fan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xinying
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jiang
mesh_terms: D000418:Albumins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D001360:Avidin / Q000737:chemistry; D001710:Biotin / Q000737:chemistry; D019921:Biotinylation; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000737:chemistry; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D045423:Microbubbles
chemical_list: D000418:Albumins; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D004337:Drug Carriers; D001360:Avidin; D001710:Biotin