title: Folic acid-conjugated silica capped gold nanoclusters for targeted fluorescence/X-ray computed tomography imaging.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Gastric cancer is 2th most common cancer in China, and is still the second most common cause of cancer-related death in the world. Successful development of safe and effective nanoprobes for in vivo gastric cancer targeting imaging is a big challenge. This study is aimed to develop folic acid (FA)-conjugated silica coated gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) for targeted dual-modal fluorescent and X-ray computed tomography imaging (CT) of in vivo gastric cancer cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  AuNCs were prepared, silica was coated on the surface of AuNCs, then folic acid was covalently anchored on the surface of AuNCs, resultant FA-conjugated AuNCs@SiO2 nanoprobes were investigated their cytotoxicity by MTT method, and their targeted ability to FR(+) MGC803 cells and FR(-) GES-1 cells. Nude mice model loaded with MGC803 cells were prepared, prepared nanoprobes were injected into nude mice via tail vein, and then were imaged by fluorescent and X-ray computed tomography (CT) imaging.
  
  
  RESULTS
  FA-conjugated AuNCs@SiO2 nanoprobes exhibited good biocompatibility, and could target actively the FR(+) MGC-803 cells and in vivo gastric cancer tissues with 5 mm in diameter in nude mice models, exhibited excellent red emitting fluorescence imaging and CT imaging.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The high-performance FA-conjugated AuNCs@SiO2 nanoprobes can target in vivo gastric cancer cells, can be used for fluorescent and CT dual-mode imaging, and may own great potential in applications such as targeted dual-mode imaging of in vivo early gastric cancer and other tumors with FR positive expression in near future.
authors.forename: Zhijun
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Chunlei
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Qirong
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.forename: Jiebing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Xi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Liyuan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Guo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Hualin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Shen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhi
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ni
authors.forename: Daxiang
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cui
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity; D006801:Humans; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity; D051379:Mice; D016513:Mice, SCID; D015336:Molecular Probe Techniques; D061848:Optical Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D006046:Gold; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; D005492:Folic Acid