Synthesis, Characterization, and Biomedical Applications of a Targeted Dual-Modal Near-Infrared-II Fluorescence and Photoacoustic Imaging Nanoprobe

• Published in: ACS nano Vol. 11; no. 12; pp. 12276 - 12291
• Main Authors: Cheng, Kai, Chen, Hao, Jenkins, Cesare H, Zhang, Guanglei, Zhao, Wei, Zhang, Zhe, Han, Fei, Fung, Jonathan, Yang, Meng, Jiang, Yuxin, Xing, Lei, Cheng, Zhen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Chemical Society 26.12.2017; American Chemical Society (ACS)
• Subjects: Animals; Biomedical Technology; Cells, Cultured; Chemistry; Female; Fluorescence; Fluorescent Dyes - chemical synthesis; Fluorescent Dyes - chemistry; Humans; Infrared Rays; Materials Science; Mice; Mice, Nude; Nanoparticles - chemistry; Neoplasms, Experimental - diagnostic imaging; Optical Imaging; Photoacoustic Techniques; Principal Component Analysis; Science & Technology - Other Topics; donor−acceptor chromophore; near-infrared window II; thyroid carcinoma; photoacoustic imaging; epidermal growth factor receptor
• ISSN: 1936-0851; 1936-086X; 1936-086X
• DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.7b05966

Our development of multifunctional dual-modal imaging probes aims to integrate the benefits from both second near-infrared (NIR-II) fluorescence (1000–1700 nm) and photoacoustic imaging with an ultimate goal of improving overall cancer diagnosis efficacy. Herein we designed a donor–acceptor chromophore based nanoparticle (DAP) as a dual-modal image contrast agent has strong absorption in the NIR-I window and a strong fluorescence emission peak in the NIR-II region. The dual-modal DAPs composed of D−π–A−π–D-type chromophores were PEGylated through nanoprecipitation. The multifunctional DAP surface was thus available for subsequent bioconjugation of EGFR Affibody (Ac-Cys-ZEGFR:1907) to target EGFR-positive cancers. The Affibody-conjugated DAPs appeared as highly monodisperse nanoparticles (∼30 nm) with strong absorption in the NIR-I window (at ca. 680 nm) and an extremely high fluorescence in the NIR-II region (maximum peak at 1000 nm). Consequently, the Affibody–DAPs show significantly enhanced photoacoustic and NIR-II fluorescence contrast effects in both in vitro and in vivo experiments. Moreover, the Affibody–DAPs have the capability to selectively target EGFR-positive tumors in an FTC-133 subcutaneous mouse model with relatively high photoacoustic and fluorescent signals. By taking advantage of high spatial resolution and excellent temporal resolution, photoacoustic/NIR-II fluorescence imaging with targeted dual-modal contrast agents allows us to specifically image and detect various cancers and diseases in an accurate manner.