title: Targeted fluoromagnetic nanoparticles for imaging of breast cancer mcf-7 cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To achieve simultaneous imaging and therapy potentials, targeted fluoromagnetic nanoparticles were synthesized and examined in human breast cancer MCF-7 cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized through thermal decomposition of Fe(acac)3. Then, magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) modified by dopamine-poly ethylene glycol (PEG)-NH2; finally, half equivalent fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) and half equivalent folic acid were conjugated to one equivalent of it. The presence of Fe3O4-DPA-PEG-FA/FITC in the folate receptor (FR) positive MCF-7 cells was determined via fluorescent microscopy to monitor the cellular interaction of MNPs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  FT-IR spectra of final compound confirmed existence of fluorescein on folic acid grafted MNPs. The Fe3O4-DPA-PEG-FA/FITC NPs, which displayed a size rang about 30-35 nm using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), were able to actively recognize the FR-positive MCF-7 cells, but not the FR-negative A549 cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The uniform nano-sized Fe3O4-DPA-PEG-FA/FITC NPs displayed great potential as theranostics and can be used for targeted imaging of various tumors that overexpress FR.
authors: Research Center for Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran. ; Faculty of Pharmacy, Zabol University of Medical Sciences, Zabol, Iran. ; Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
authors: Mostafa
authors: M
authors: Heidari Majd
authors: Jaleh
authors: J
authors: Barar
authors: Davoud
authors: D
authors: Asgari
authors: Hadi
authors: H
authors: Valizadeh
authors: Mohammad Reza
authors: MR
authors: Rashidi
authors: Vala
authors: V
authors: Kafil
authors: Javid
authors: J
authors: Shahbazi
authors: Yadollah
authors: Y
authors: Omidi
keywords: Breast cancer; Folate receptor; Internalization; MCF-7 cells; Magnetic nanoparticles