Long-circulating Iodinated Albumin-Gadolinium Nanoparticles As Enhanced Magnetic Resonance And Computed Tomography Imaging Probes For Osteosarcoma Visualization

Objective:Multimodal imaging probes represent an extraordinary tool for accurate diagnosis of diseases due to the complementary advantages of multiple imaging modalities. However,an iodinated protein nanoparticles synthesis for MR/CT imaging, as well as its useful application, has not been reported yet.The purpose of the work was to fabricate a simple dual-modality MR/CT probe for osteosarcoma visualization in vivo.Methods:Protein-directed synthesis methods offer a suitable alternative to MR/CT probe produced by synthetic chemistry. Bovine serum albumin(BSA) bound to gadolinium nanoparticles(GdNPs) was first prepared via a biomimetic synthesis method and was subsequently iodinated by chloramine-T method. The iodinated mixture was purified by dialysis. We first characterized and monitored the stability of I-BSA-GdNPs, then captured images by MR and CT in vitro imaging. Then we carried out the biological distribution and toxicity analysis, and finally established SD rat orthotopic osteosarcoma model for MR and CT in vivo imaging.Results:The synthesis of multifunctional iodinated albumin-gadolinium nanoparticles was successful. Intravenous injection of I-BSA-GdNPs into orthotopic osteosarcoma-bearing rats led to its accumulation and retention by the tumor, allowing for a noninvasive tumor dual-modality imaging through the intact thigh. The synthesized I-BSA-GdNPs showed excellent chemical stability and biocompatibility, intense X-ray attenuation coefficient, andgood MR imaging ability. Moreover, the orthotopic osteosarcoma animal model was successfully established by in situ injection of mouse osteosarcoma osteoblast K7M2 Wt.Conclusion:In conclusion, we reported the synthesis of multifunctional iodinated albumin-gadolinium nanoparticles for dual-model MR/CT osteosarcoma visualization.The synthesized I-BSA-GdNPs showed excellent chemical stability and biocompatibility,intense X-ray attenuation coefficient, and good MR imaging ability. The long-circulating MR/CT multimodal imaging probe possesses potential application for image-guided drug delivery and image-guided surgery. Moreover, Our study is also highlighting the properties of albumin in this field of Multimodal imaging of tumors combined with its useful use in our study, underlining its potential use as a drug carrier for a future therapy on cancer.