title: PEGylated FePt@Fe2O3 core-shell magnetic nanoparticles: potential theranostic applications and in vivo toxicity studies.
abstract: Herein, we develop FePt@Fe2O3 core-shell magnetic nanoparticles as a T2 magnetic resonance (MR) imaging contrast agent as well as a drug carrier for potential cancer theranostic applications. The FePt@Fe2O3 core-shell nanoparticles are synthesized and then functionalized with polyethylene glycol (PEG). Folic acid (FA) is conjugated on the surface of FePt@Fe2O3-PEG nanoparticles for effective targeting of folate receptor (FR)-positive tumor cells. A chemotherapy drug, doxorubicin (DOX), is then loaded onto those nanoparticles via hydrophobic physical adsorption, for targeted intracellular drug delivery and selective cancer cell killing. We then use those FePt@Fe2O3-PEG nanoparticles for in vivo MR imaging, observing obvious tumor MR contrasts, which resulted from both passive tumor accumulation and active tumor targeting of nanoparticles. Moreover, both in vitro and in vivo studies uncover no obvious toxicity for FePt@Fe2O3-PEG nanoparticles. Therefore, our PEGylated FePt@Fe2O3 core-shell nanoparticles could serve as a promising multifunctional theranostic nano-platform in imaging guided cancer therapy.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  In this study of PEGylated FePt@Fe2O3 core-shell magnetic nanoparticles, both therapeutic and diagnostic applications are demonstrated. Folic acid surface-conjugation resulted in uptake by folate receptor positive cancer cells, the iron oxide particles enabled MRI imaging using T2* weighted sequences, and the absorbed doxorubicin provided treatment effects in this model. Similar multi-modality approaches will hopefully find their way to clinical applications in the near future.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China; Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials and Devices, Institute of Functional Nano and Soft Materials Laboratory (FUNSOM), Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Yumeng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Xinxing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Huan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Yonggang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Hongwei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: Zhuang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D018675:Toxicity Tests
chemical_list: D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D004317:Doxorubicin
keywords: Drug delivery; FePt@Fe(2)O(3) core-shell nanoparticles; Magnetic nanoparticles; Magnetic resonance imaging; Toxicology