Multifunctional Rare-Earth Element Nanocrystals for Cell Labeling and Multimodal Imaging

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Biomedical Imaging

Background:

• Multimodal imaging requires probes with diverse functionalities.
• Existing probes may lack sufficient optical, magnetic, and elemental detection capabilities.
• Developing novel nanomaterials for integrated bioimaging is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize europium-doped gadolinium orthovanadate nanocrystals (Eu:GdVO4-PAA) for multimodal cellular imaging.
• To evaluate their potential as optical probes, MRI contrast agents, and for elemental microscopy.
• To demonstrate their efficacy in intracellular labeling of human stem cells and A549 cells.

Main Methods:

• Solvothermal synthesis of Eu:GdVO4-PAA nanocrystals.
• Characterization using X-ray diffraction (XRD), photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).
• Assessment of MRI contrast agent properties (r1 relaxivity) and suitability for Laser Ablation-ICP-MS.

Main Results:

• Polycrystalline nanocrystals with hydrodynamic diameter of 55 nm and crystal size of 36.7 nm were synthesized.
• Eu:GdVO4-PAA exhibited red photoluminescence and functioned as a positive MRI contrast agent (r1 = 1.97 mM-1 s-1).
• Nanocrystals were successfully used for intracellular labeling of human adipose-derived stem cells and A549 cells.

Conclusions:

• Eu:GdVO4-PAA nanocrystals are versatile multifunctional probes for multimodal cellular imaging.
• Their combination of optical, magnetic, and elemental detection properties makes them suitable for advanced bioimaging applications.
• These nanocrystals show promise for applications in stem cell tracking and cancer cell imaging.