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Biomolecular Imaging of Cellular Uptake of Nanoparticles using Multimodal Nonlinear Optical Microscopy
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Ultrasmall silicon nanoparticles as a promising platform for multimodal imaging
Garima Singh1, John L Z Ddungu, Nadia Licciardello
1Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Bautzner Landstraße 400, Dresden, D-01328, Germany. h.stephan@hzdr.de.
Faraday Discussions
|February 29, 2020
Summary
Researchers developed dual-labeled silicon nanoparticles (Si NPs) for combined nuclear and optical imaging. These biocompatible Si NPs show rapid clearance from the body, offering a promising tool for advanced medical imaging applications.
Area of Science:
- Nanotechnology
- Biomedical Imaging
- Materials Science
Background:
- Bimodal imaging systems combine nuclear and optical modalities for enhanced sensitivity and complementary data.
- Ultrasmall silicon nanoparticles (Si NPs) offer biocompatibility, fast clearance, and versatile surface functionalization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and characterize dual-modality (nuclear and optical) imaging agents using ultrasmall silicon nanoparticles.
- To evaluate the biocompatibility and in vivo behavior of these novel dual-labeled Si NPs.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of monodisperse citrate-stabilized Si NPs (2.4 ± 0.5 nm) with abundant surface amino groups.
- Covalent conjugation of a near-infrared dye (IR800-CW) and a radiolabel (64Cu-NOTA) onto Si NPs.
- Comprehensive characterization using HR-TEM, XPS, UV-Vis, and FT-IR spectroscopy; in vitro cytotoxicity assays; in vivo PET and optical imaging studies in mice.
Main Results:
- Successfully synthesized dual-labeled Si NPs with uniform size and high surface functionalization.
- Demonstrated no in vitro cytotoxicity of the dual-labeled Si NPs.
- In vivo studies confirmed rapid renal clearance of the dual-labeled Si NPs from mice using PET and optical imaging.
Conclusions:
- Ultrasmall, dual-labeled silicon nanoparticles are biocompatible and suitable for simultaneous nuclear and optical imaging.
- The rapid renal clearance of these Si NPs is advantageous for in vivo imaging applications.
- This work presents a novel platform for developing advanced bimodal imaging agents.
