title: Design of PLGA based nanoparticles for imaging guided applications.
abstract: An amphiphilic Gd(III) complex has been efficiently loaded in polylactic-co-glycolic acid nanoparticles (PLGA-NPs) to yield a novel, high sensitive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent for imaging guided drug delivery applications. As the Gd(III) complex is soluble in organic solvents, the nanoparticles were prepared as oil/water emulsions. PLGA-NPs were stable, in buffer, for more than 1 week without any release of the incorporated agents. The millimolar relaxivity of the Gd(III) complex incorporated in the particles (140 nm diameter) was of 21.7 mM(-1) s(-1) at 21.5 MHz, a value that is about 5 times higher than that observed with the commercially available contrast agents used in clinic. The relaxometric efficiency of these particles resulted inversely proportional to the particle size measured by dynamic light scattering. The high stability and sensitivity of PLGA-NPs allowed their accumulation in vivo in murine melanoma xenograft as shown in the corresponding MR images. Once loaded with drug and contrast agents, PLGA nanoparticles can be proposed as efficient theranostic MRI agents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino , via Nizza 52, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Rodolfo Nicolás
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Mariano
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Alberti
authors.forename: Juan Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Cutrin
authors.forename: Simonetta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Geninatti Crich
authors.forename: Silvio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aime
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000737:chemistry*; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000737:chemistry; D015195:Drug Design; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000737:chemistry*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008546:Melanoma, Experimental / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D011100:Polyglycolic Acid / Q000737:chemistry*; D000077182:Polylactic Acid-Polyglycolic Acid Copolymer; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D003287:Contrast Media; D004337:Drug Carriers; D000077182:Polylactic Acid-Polyglycolic Acid Copolymer; D011100:Polyglycolic Acid; D019344:Lactic Acid
keywords: Gd(III) complexes; MRI; contrast agents; imaging guided therapy; poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) nanoparticles