Ovarian Cancer Targeting Phage for In Vivo Near-Infrared Optical Imaging

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Nanotechnology
• Oncology

Background:

• Ovarian cancer diagnosis is often delayed due to limitations in current detection methods.
• Novel strategies for early ovarian cancer detection are urgently needed.
• Phage nanoparticles displaying targeting peptides offer a potential solution for optical imaging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate phage nanoparticles for specific ovarian cancer detection.
• To assess the binding affinity and specificity of engineered phage clones and peptides.
• To investigate the in vivo biodistribution and optical imaging capabilities of these phage nanoparticles.

Main Methods:

• Utilized fluorescent microscopy and modified ELISA to assess phage and peptide binding to ovarian cancer cells (SKOV-3, OVCAR-3).
• Conducted biodistribution and optical imaging studies using AF680-labeled phage particles in SKOV-3 xenografted mice.
• Quantified binding specificity using EC50 values and compared fluorescent signal intensity against wild-type phages.

Main Results:

• Engineered phage clones (pJ18, pJ24) and peptides (J18, J24) demonstrated significantly enhanced binding to SKOV-3 cells compared to controls.
• Peptide J18 exhibited specificity for ovarian cancer cell lines SKOV-3 and OVCAR-3.
• In vivo studies showed tumor uptake and successful localization of SKOV-3 tumors via optical imaging with good tumor-to-background contrast.
• Phage pJ18 displayed significantly higher fluorescent tumor signal intensity compared to wild-type phages.

Conclusions:

• Phage nanoparticles displaying targeting peptides are effective tools for specific ovarian cancer cell targeting.
• These engineered phages enable sensitive optical imaging for ovarian cancer detection in vivo.
• The developed phage-based approach holds potential for improving early diagnosis of ovarian cancer.