Antibody-functionalized gold nanospheres for multimodal imaging.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Imaging
• Nanotechnology
• Oncology

Background:

• Near-infrared (NIR-I) spectral window (700-900 nm) offers deep tissue penetration for in vivo imaging.
• Low fluorescence intensity of existing NIR fluorophores limits sensitivity.
• Gold nanostructures offer potential for enhanced optical properties and X-ray contrast.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel gold nanodye (AuND) for multimodal imaging.
• To enhance fluorescence emission and provide computed tomography (CT) contrast.
• To evaluate the efficacy of AuND for preclinical cancer imaging.

Main Methods:

• Conjugation of gold nanospheres (AuNSs) with IRDye 800 NHS ester via polyethylene glycol (PEG) linkers.
• Functionalization of AuNSs with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) targeting antibodies (Anti-AuND).
• Integration of CT, NIR fluorescence, and fluorescence lifetime (FLT) imaging in a preclinical mouse model.

Main Results:

• Developed Anti-AuND with enhanced fluorescence emission via plasmonic interactions.
• Demonstrated high X-ray attenuation of gold for CT contrast.
• Achieved high-sensitivity, high-resolution in vivo tumor visualization in an EGFR-overexpressing head and neck cancer model.

Conclusions:

• Anti-AuND enables a multimodal imaging platform integrating CT, NIR fluorescence, and FLT imaging.
• The combined approach provides complementary anatomical and molecular information.
• Anti-AuND shows potential for early cancer detection and translational biomedical imaging.