Enhanced NIR-II Nanoparticle Probe for PSMA-Targeted Molecular Imaging and Prostate Cancer Diagnosis

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Optical Imaging
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is a key biomarker for prostate cancer (PCa).
• Current PSMA-targeted imaging agents face limitations like radiation exposure and poor intraoperative performance.
• There is a need for advanced imaging probes with enhanced specificity and penetration for PCa detection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel near-infrared-II (NIR-II) fluorescent nanoprobe for enhanced in vivo and ex vivo imaging of PCa.
• To evaluate the probe's targeting specificity, tumor accumulation, and biocompatibility.
• To assess the potential of the probe for fluorescence-guided surgery and ex vivo tumor evaluation.

Main Methods:

• Self-assembly of an organic semiconducting polymer (OSP12) into nanoparticles (NPs).
• Conjugation of OSP12 NPs with ACUPA-SH, a PSMA-targeting moiety, to create PSMA-OSP12 NPs.
• In vitro and in vivo evaluation in PSMA-positive/negative cell lines and PCa xenograft mouse models, alongside biosafety assessments.

Main Results:

• PSMA-OSP12 NPs demonstrated strong NIR-II fluorescence, high photostability, and deep tissue penetration.
• In vivo imaging showed selective tumor accumulation with a peak tumor-to-background ratio (TBR) of 7.40 ± 1.28 at 48 hours.
• The probe exhibited superior performance compared to existing agents and showed no significant systemic toxicity.

Conclusions:

• PSMA-OSP12 NPs represent a promising NIR-II fluorescent probe for PCa imaging.
• The probe offers excellent tumor specificity, deep tissue imaging capabilities, and good biocompatibility.
• These findings support the application of PSMA-OSP12 NPs in fluorescence-guided surgery and ex vivo tumor assessment.