title: Worm-Like Superparamagnetic Nanoparticle Clusters for Enhanced Adhesion and Magnetic Resonance Relaxivity.
abstract: Nanosized bioprobes that can highlight diseased tissue can be powerful diagnostic tools. However, a major unmet need is a tool with adequate adhesive properties and contrast-to-dose ratio. To this end, this study demonstrates that targeted superparamagnetic nanoprobes engineered to present a worm-like shape and hydrophilic packaging enhance both adhesion efficiency to target substrates and magnetic resonance (MR) sensitivity. These nanoprobes were prepared by the controlled self-assembly of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) into worm-like superstructures using glycogen-like amphiphilic hyperbranched polyglycerols functionalized with peptides capable of binding to defective vasculature. The resulting worm-like SPION clusters presented binding affinity to the target substrate 10-fold higher than that of spherical ones and T2molar MR relaxivity 3.5-fold higher than that of conventional, single SPIONs. The design principles discovered for these nanoprobes should be applicable to a range of other diseases where improved diagnostics are needed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.
authors.forename: Cartney E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.
authors.forename: JuYeon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.
authors.forename: Yongbeom
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0343-8812
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Clay
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.
authors.forename: Jooyeon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.
authors.forename: Artem
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shkumatov
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.
authors.forename: Dawn
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ernenwein
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.
authors.forename: Mei-Hsiu
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4456-556X
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic , Rochester, Minnesota 55905, United States.
authors.forename: Sanjay
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Misra
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.
authors.forename: Charles E
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7231-2685
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Sing
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.
authors.forename: Brenda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.
authors.forename: Steven C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Zimmerman
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.|Department of Bioengineering, Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.
authors.forename: Hyunjoon
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4680-2968
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kong
mesh_terms: D003287:Contrast Media; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles
keywords: hyperbranched polyglycerol; magnetic resonance imaging; nonspherical nanoparticle cluster; superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticle; targeted imaging