title: Optical nano-constructs composed of genome-depleted brome mosaic virus doped with a near infrared chromophore for potential biomedical applications.
abstract: We have engineered an optical nanoconstruct composed of genome-depleted brome mosaic virus doped with indocyanine green (ICG), an FDA-approved near-infrared (NIR) chromophore. Constructs are highly monodispersed with standard deviation of ±3.8 nm from a mean diameter of 24.3 nm. They are physically stable and exhibit a high degree of optical stability at physiological temperature (37 °C). Using human bronchial epithelial cells, we demonstrate the effectiveness of the constructs for intracellular optical imaging in vitro, with greater than 90% cell viability after 3 h of incubation. These constructs may serve as a potentially nontoxic and multifunctional nanoplatform for site-specific deep-tissue optical imaging, and therapy of disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioengineering, University of California - Riverside, Riverside, California 92521, USA.
authors.forename: Bongsu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Ayala L N
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.forename: Bahman
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Anvari
mesh_terms: D017795:Bromovirus / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics*; D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D016679:Genome, Viral; D006801:Humans; D007208:Indocyanine Green / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000633:toxicity; D007259:Infrared Rays; D042541:Intracellular Space / Q000378:metabolism; D057054:Molecular Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D055620:Optical Phenomena
chemical_list: D007208:Indocyanine Green