Multimodal-luminescence core-shell nanocomposites for targeted imaging of tumor cells

Uniform silica-coated NaYF(4): 20 mol % Yb, 2 mol % Er nanocomposites with good dispersibility, containing organic dye incorporated in the silica shell and folic acid conjugated on the surface of the shell, were prepared and characterized. The core-shell nanocomposites are 20-22 nm in size, water soluble, and buffer stable, with good photostability and biocompatibility. Folic acid (FA) offers a means of targeting human cells that greatly overexpress the folate receptor (FR). By the use of confocal microscopy and quantitative flow cytometry analysis, we demonstrate the receptor-mediated delivery of FA-conjugated nanocomposites targeting FR-positive cell lines, such as KB cells. The receptor-mediated targeting was confirmed by a comparison with the uptake of these nanocomposites in FR-negative cell lines, such as MCF-7. These results show that the silica-coated upconverting nanophosphor (UCNP) nanocomposites prepared by our strategy can potentially be useful as multimodal bioimaging agents.