title: In Vivo Recognition of Human Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor by Molecularly Imprinted Polymers.
abstract: One of the mechanisms responsible for cancer-induced increased blood supply in malignant neoplasms is the overexpression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Several antibodies for VEGF targeting have been produced for both imaging and therapy. Molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticles, nanoMIPs, however, offer significant advantages over antibodies, in particular in relation to improved stability, speed of design, cost and control over functionalization. In the present study, the successful production of nanoMIPs against human VEGF is reported for the first time. NanoMIPs were coupled with quantum dots (QDs) for cancer imaging. The composite nanoparticles exhibited specific homing toward human melanoma cell xenografts, overexpressing hVEGF, in zebrafish embryos. No evidence of this accumulation was observed in control organisms. These results indicate that nanoMIPs are promising materials which can be considered for advancing molecular oncological research, in particular when antibodies are less desirable due to their immunogenicity or long production time.
authors.affiliation: IMSaT, University of Dundee , 1 Wurzburg Loan, Dundee DD2 1FD, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cecchini
authors.affiliation: IMSaT, University of Dundee , 1 Wurzburg Loan, Dundee DD2 1FD, United Kingdom.|Department of Biology, Università di Pisa , S.S. 12 Abetone e Brennero 4, 56127 Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Vittoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Raffa
authors.affiliation: MIP Diagnostics Ltd , University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Canfarotta
authors.affiliation: Center for Nanotechnology Innovation @NEST, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia , Piazza San Silvestro 12, 56127 Pisa, Italy.|NEST, Scuola Normale Superiore, and Istituto Nanoscienze-CNR , Piazza San Silvestro 12, 56127 Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Signore
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Leicester , University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Sergey
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Piletsky
authors.affiliation: School of Science and Engineering, University of Dundee , Nethergate, DD1 4HN, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Michael P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: MacDonald
authors.affiliation: IMSaT, University of Dundee , 1 Wurzburg Loan, Dundee DD2 1FD, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Alfred
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-0764-5947
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cuschieri
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D000818:Animals; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000378:metabolism; D000939:Epitopes; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000737:chemistry; D064593:Heterografts; D006801:Humans; D008545:Melanoma / Q000378:metabolism; D054802:Molecular Imprinting; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D010316:Particle Size; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D011485:Protein Binding; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D000939:Epitopes; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D011108:Polymers; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
keywords: Molecularly imprinted polymers; cancer imaging; composite nanoparticles; human vascular endothelial growth factor; zebrafish embryos