title: Multifunctional polyglycerol-grafted Fe₃O₄@SiO₂ nanoparticles for targeting ovarian cancer cells.
abstract: Ligand-mediated magnetic resonance (MR) contrast agents would be highly desirable for cancer diagnosis. In the present study, nanoparticles of Fe₃O₄ core with fluorescent SiO₂ shell were synthesized and grafted with hyperbranched polyglycerol (HPG-grafted Fe₃O₄@SiO₂ nanoparticles). These nanoparticles have a hydrodynamic diameter of 47.0 ± 4.0 nm, and are very stable in aqueous solution as well as in cell culture medium. Numerous surface hydroxyl groups of these nanoparticles were conjugated with folic acid by a thiol 'click' reaction. The successful covalent attachment of folic acid on the nanoparticles was confirmed by FTIR and XPS analyses. Both MR imaging and fluorescence microscopy show significant preferential uptake of the folic acid-conjugated polyglycerol-grafted Fe₃O₄@SiO₂ (FA-HPG-grafted Fe₃O₄@SiO₂) nanoparticles by human ovarian carcinoma cells (SKOV-3) as compared to macrophages and fibroblasts. Such nanoparticles can potentially be used to provide real-time imaging in ovarian cancer resection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, Kent Ridge, Singapore 119260, Singapore.
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Koon Gee
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Neoh
authors.forename: En-Tang
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Borys
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Shuter
mesh_terms: D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005290:Ferric Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D005990:Glycerol / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008280:Magnetics; D008422:Materials Testing; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D005290:Ferric Compounds; D011108:Polymers; C043941:polyglycerol; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; D005492:Folic Acid; D005990:Glycerol