Nanoparticle Biokinetics in Mice and Nonhuman Primates

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Nanotechnology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Iron oxide nanoparticles (NPs) are promising for theranostics but clinical translation is slow.
• Understanding pharmacokinetic differences between animal models and humans is crucial for NP optimization.
• Current methods for tracking NPs in vivo are often invasive or lack spatiotemporal resolution.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate and compare the in vivo biokinetics of iron oxide NPs in mice and nonhuman primates.
• To evaluate the utility of noninvasive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for tracking NP distribution across multiple organ systems.
• To identify potential differences in NP pharmacokinetics that may impact translation to human clinical applications.

Main Methods:

• Utilized noninvasive, full-body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to track iron oxide nanoparticles.
• Administered iron oxide NPs to both mouse and nonhuman primate (macaque) models.
• Quantified NP distribution and retention across various organ systems, including blood, liver, spleen, muscle, kidneys, brain, and bone marrow.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated similar NP pharmacokinetics in blood, liver, spleen, and muscle between mice and macaques.
• Identified significant differences in NP distribution and retention in the kidneys, brain, and bone marrow between the two species.
• Confirmed that full-body MRI is a practical, rapid, and cost-effective method for high-resolution in vivo NP tracking.

Conclusions:

• Pharmacokinetic profiles of iron oxide NPs exhibit species-specific variations, particularly in the kidneys, brain, and bone marrow.
• Nonhuman primate models offer a valuable platform for assessing NP behavior relevant to human applications.
• Noninvasive MRI techniques provide a robust and efficient method for characterizing NP biokinetics, facilitating the development of theranostic NPs.