title: One-Component Supramolecular Filament Hydrogels as Theranostic Label-Free Magnetic Resonance Imaging Agents.
abstract: Gadolinium (Gd)-based compounds and materials are the most commonly used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents in the clinic; however, safety concerns associated with their toxicities in the free ionic form have promoted the development of new generations of metal-free contrast agents. Here we report a supramolecular strategy to convert an FDA-approved anticancer drug, Pemetrexed (Pem), to a molecular hydrogelator with inherent chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) MRI signals. The rationally designed drug-peptide conjugate can spontaneously associate into filamentous assemblies under physiological conditions and consequently form theranostic supramolecular hydrogels for injectable delivery. We demonstrated that the local delivery and distribution of Pem-peptide nanofiber hydrogels can be directly assessed using CEST MRI in a mouse glioma model. Our work lays out the foundation for the development of drug-constructed theranostic supramolecular materials with an inherent CEST MRI signal that enables noninvasive monitoring of their in vivo distribution and drug release.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University , 1 Jianshe Eastern Road, Zhengzhou 450052, Henan, China.|Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Institute for NanoBioTechnology, Johns Hopkins University , Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States.
authors.forename: Lye Lin
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Lock
authors.forename: Yuguo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Institute for NanoBioTechnology, Johns Hopkins University , Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States.
authors.forename: Xinpei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Panyu Central Hospital , Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Hanwei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Verena
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Staedtke
authors.forename: Renyuan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University , 1 Jianshe Eastern Road, Zhengzhou 450052, Henan, China.
authors.forename: Wang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Institute for NanoBioTechnology, Johns Hopkins University , Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States.
authors.forename: Ran
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Institute for NanoBioTechnology, Johns Hopkins University , Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute , Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States.
authors.forename: Guanshu
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-8188-4332
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University , 1 Jianshe Eastern Road, Zhengzhou 450052, Henan, China.|Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Institute for NanoBioTechnology, Johns Hopkins University , Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States.|Center for Nanomedicine, The Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine , 400 North Broadway, Baltimore, Maryland 21231, United States.
authors.forename: Honggang
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-4684-2655
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cui
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D065546:Drug Liberation; D005682:Gadolinium / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D005910:Glioma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy; D020100:Hydrogels / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D046911:Macromolecular Substances / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D051379:Mice; D000068437:Pemetrexed / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D000068936:Theranostic Nanomedicine
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D003287:Contrast Media; D020100:Hydrogels; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D010455:Peptides; D000068437:Pemetrexed; D005682:Gadolinium
keywords: CEST; MRI; anticancer drugs; molecular assembly; supramolecular nanofibers