Gum arabic as a phytochemical construct for the stabilization of gold nanoparticles: in vivo pharmacokinetics and X-ray-contrast-imaging studies

Nanoparticles for biomedical imaging

BACKGROUND

Synthetic nanoparticles are emerging as versatile tools in biomedical applications, particularly in the area of biomedical imaging. Nanoparticles 1 - 100 nm in diameter have dimensions comparable to biological functional units. Diverse surface chemistries, unique magnetic properties, tunable absorption and emission properties, and recent advances in the synthesis and engineering of various nanoparticles suggest their potential as probes for early detection of diseases such as cancer. Surface functionalization has expanded further the potential of nanoparticles as probes for molecular imaging.

OBJECTIVE

To summarize emerging research of nanoparticles for biomedical imaging with increased selectivity and reduced nonspecific uptake with increased spatial resolution containing stabilizers conjugated with targeting ligands.

METHODS

This review summarizes recent technological advances in the synthesis of various nanoparticle probes, and surveys methods to improve the targeting of nanoparticles for their application in biomedical imaging.

CONCLUSION

Structural design of nanomaterials for biomedical imaging continues to expand and diversify. Synthetic methods have aimed to control the size and surface characteristics of nanoparticles to control distribution, half-life and elimination. Although molecular imaging applications using nanoparticles are advancing into clinical applications, challenges such as storage stability and long-term toxicology should continue to be addressed.

Gum arabic-coated magnetic nanoparticles for potential application in simultaneous magnetic targeting and tumor imaging

Magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (MNP) coated with gum arabic (GA), a biocompatible phytochemical glycoprotein widely used in the food industry, were successfully synthesized and characterized. GA-coated MNP (GA-MNP) displayed a narrow hydrodynamic particle size distribution averaging about 100 nm; a GA content of 15.6% by dry weight; a saturation magnetization of 93.1 emu/g Fe; and a superparamagnetic behavior essential for most magnetic-mediated applications. The GA coating offers two major benefits: it both enhances colloidal stability and provides reactive functional groups suitable for coupling of bioactive compounds. In vitro results showed that GA-MNP possessed a superior stability upon storage in aqueous media when compared to commercial MNP products currently used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In addition, significant cellular uptake of GA-MNP was evaluated in 9L glioma cells by electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy, fluorescence microscopy, and MRI analyses. Based on these findings, it was hypothesized that GA-MNP might be utilized as a MRI-visible drug carrier in achieving both magnetic tumor targeting and intracellular drug delivery. Indeed, preliminary in vivo investigations validate this clinical potential. MRI visually confirmed the accumulation of GA-MNP at the tumor site following intravenous administration to rats harboring 9L glioma tumors under the application of an external magnetic field. ESR spectroscopy quantitatively revealed a 12-fold increase in GA-MNP accumulation in excised tumors when compared to contralateral normal brain. Overall, the results presented show promise that GA-MNP could potentially be employed to achieve simultaneous tumor imaging and targeted intra-tumoral drug delivery.

Gastrin releasing protein receptor specific gold nanorods: breast and prostate tumor avid nanovectors for molecular imaging

Gastrin releasing protein receptor specific bombesin (BBN) peptide-gold nanoconjugates were successfully synthesized using gold nanorods and dithiolated peptide. The gold nanorod-bombesin (GNR-BBN) conjugates showed extraordinary in vitro stabilities against various biomolecules including NaCl, cysteine, histidine, bovine serum albumin, human serum albumin, and dithiothreitol. Quantitative measurements on the binding affinity (IC(50)) of GNR-BBN conjugates toward prostate and breast tumor cells were evaluated. The IC(50) values establish that GNR-BBN conjugates have strong affinity toward the gastrin releasing peptide receptors on both the tumors. Detailed cellular interaction studies of GNR-BBN conjugates revealed that nanorods internalize via a receptor-mediated endocytosis pathway. The receptor specific interactions of GNR-BBN conjugates provide realistic opportunities in the design and development of in vivo molecular imaging and therapy agents for cancer.

Circulation and distribution of gold nanoparticles and induced alterations of tissue morphology at intravenous particle delivery

Kinetics, biodistribution, and histological studies were performed to evaluate the particle-size effects on the distribution of 15 nm and 50 nm PEG-coated colloidal gold (CG) particles and 160 nm silica/gold nanoshells (NSs) in rats and rabbits. The above nanoparticles (NPs) were used as a model because of their importance for current biomedical applications such as photothermal therapy, optical coherence tomography, and resonance-scattering imaging. The dynamics of NPs circulation in vivo was evaluated after intravenous administration of 15 nm CG NPs to rabbit, and the maximal concentrations of gold were observed 15-30 min after injection. Rats were injected in the tail vein with PEG-coated NPs (about 0.3 mg Au/kg rats). 24 h after injection, the accumulation of gold in different organs and blood was determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy. In accordance with the published reports, we observed 15 nm particles in all organs with rather smooth distribution over liver, spleen and blood. By contrast, the larger NSs were accumulated mainly in the liver and spleen. For rabbits, the biodistribution was similar (72 h after intravenous injection). We report also preliminary data on the light microscopy and TEM histological examination that allows evaluation of the changes in biotissues after gold NPs treatment.

Green Nanotechnology from Tea: Phytochemicals in Tea as Building Blocks for Production of Biocompatible Gold Nanoparticles

Phytochemicals occluded in tea have been extensively used as dietary supplements and as natural pharmaceuticals in the treatment of various diseases including human cancer. Results on the reduction capabilities of phytochemicals present in tea to reduce gold salts to the corresponding gold nanoparticles are presented in this paper. The phytochemicals present in tea serve the dual roles as effective reducing agents to reduce gold and also as stabilizers to provide robust coating on the gold nanoparticles in a single step. The Tea-generated gold nanoparticles (T-AuNPs), have demonstrated remarkable in vitro stability in various buffers including saline, histidine, HSA, and cysteine solutions. T-AuNPs with phytochemical coatings have shown significant affinity toward prostate (PC-3) and breast (MCF-7) cancer cells. Results on the cellular internalization of T-AuNPs through endocytosis into the PC-3 and MCF-7 cells are presented. The generation of T-AuNPs follows all principles of green chemistry and have been found to be non toxic as assessed through MTT assays. No 'man made' chemicals, other than gold salts, are used in this true biogenic green nanotechnological process thus paving excellent opportunities for their applications in molecular imaging and therapy.

Targeted gold nanoparticles enable molecular CT imaging of cancer

X-ray based computed tomography (CT) is among the most convenient imaging/diagnostic tools in hospitals today in terms of availability, efficiency, and cost. However, in contrast to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and various nuclear medicine imaging modalities, CT is not considered a molecular imaging modality since targeted and molecularly specific contrast agents have not yet been developed. Here we describe a targeted molecular imaging platform that enables, for the first time, cancer detection at the cellular and molecular level with standard clinical CT. The method is based on gold nanoprobes that selectively and sensitively target tumor selective antigens while inducing distinct contrast in CT imaging (increased X-ray attenuation). We present an in vitro proof of principle demonstration for head and neck cancer, showing that the attenuation coefficient for the molecularly targeted cells is over 5 times higher than for identical but untargeted cancer cells or for normal cells. We expect this novel imaging tool to lead to significant improvements in cancer therapy due to earlier detection, accurate staging, and microtumor identification.

Clearance properties of nano-sized particles and molecules as imaging agents: considerations and caveats

Nanoparticles possess enormous potential as diagnostic imaging agents and hold promise for the development of multimodality agents with both imaging and therapeutic capabilities. Yet, some of the most promising nanoparticles demonstrate prolonged tissue retention and contain heavy metals. This presents serious concerns for toxicity. The creation of nanoparticles with optimal clearance characteristics will minimize toxicity risks by reducing the duration of exposure to these agents. Given that many nanoparticles possess easily modifiable surface and interior chemistry, if nanoparticle characteristics associated with optimal clearance from the body were well established, it would be feasible to design and create agents with more favorable clearance properties. This article presents a thorough discussion of the physiologic aspects of nanoparticle clearance, focusing on renal mechanisms, and provides an overview of current research investigating clearance of specific types of nanoparticles and nano-sized macromolecules, including dendrimers, quantum dots, liposomes and carbon, gold and silica-based nanoparticles.

Synthesis, characterization, and in vivo diagnostic applications of hyaluronic acid immobilized gold nanoprobes

Herein we describe a new class of multifunctional gold nanoprobes for ultra-sensitive optical detection of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and hyaluronidase (HAdase). The nanoprobes were fabricated by end-immobilizing near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) dye labeled hyaluronic acid (HA) onto the surface of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). The nanoprobes effectively induced nanoparticle surface energy transfer (NSET) between NIRF dyes and AuNPs. When the surface immobilized HA was cleaved by ROS and HAdase, strong fluorescence recovery signals were attained with extreme sensitivity. In live animal models of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and metastatic tumor, local arthritic inflammation and tumor sites were clearly identified upon systemic injection of the nanoprobes. These results suggest that the gold nanoprobes can be exploited not only as in vitro molecular and cellular imaging sensors for ROS and HAdase, but also as in vivo optical imaging agents for detection of local HA degrading diseases such as RA and tumor.

Soybeans as a phytochemical reservoir for the production and stabilization of biocompatible gold nanoparticles

The present study demonstrates an unprecedented green process for the production of gold nanoparticles by simple treatment of gold salts with soybean extracts. Reduction capabilities of antioxidant phytochemicals present in soybean and their ability to reduce gold salts chemically to nanoparticles with subsequent coating of proteins and a host of other phytochemicals present in soybean on the freshly generated gold nanoparticles are discussed. The new genre of green nanoparticles exhibit remarkable in vitro stability in various buffers including saline, histidine, HSA, and cysteine solutions. MTT assays reveal that the green gold nanoparticles are nontoxic and thus provide excellent opportunities for their applications in nanomedicine for molecular imaging and therapy. The overall strategy described herein for the generation of gold nanoparticles meets all 12 principles of green chemistry, as no "man-made" chemicals, other than the gold salts, are used in the green nanotechnological process.

Gadolinium chelate coated gold nanoparticles as contrast agents for both X-ray computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging

Functionalized gold nanoparticles were applied as contrast agents for both in vivo X-ray and magnetic resonance imaging. These particles were obtained by encapsulating gold cores within a multilayered organic shell which is composed of gadolinium chelates bound to each other through disulfide bonds. The contrast enhancement in MRI stems from the presence of gadolinium ions which are entrapped in the organic shell, whereas the gold core provides a strong X-ray absorption. This study revealed that these particles suited for dual modality imaging freely circulate in the blood vessels without undesirable accumulation in the lungs, spleen, and liver.

Nanomedicine: application of nanobiotechnology in medical practice

Nanomedicine is the application of nanobiotechnologies to medicine. This article starts with the basics of nanobiotechnology, followed by its applications in molecular diagnostics, nanodiagnostics, and improvements in the discovery, design and delivery of drugs, including nanopharmaceuticals. It will improve biological therapies such as vaccination, cell therapy and gene therapy. Nanobiotechnology forms the basis of many new devices being developed for medicine and surgery such as nanorobots. It has applications in practically every branch of medicine and examples are presented of those concerning cancer (nanooncology), neurological disorders (nanoneurology), cardiovascular disorders (nanocardiology), diseases of bones and joints (nanoorthopedics), diseases of the eye (nanoophthalmology), and infectious diseases. Safety issues of in vivo use of nanomaterials are also discussed. Nanobiotechnology will facilitate the integration of diagnostics with therapeutics and facilitate the development of personalized medicine, i.e. prescription of specific therapeutics best suited for an individual. Many of the developments have already started and within a decade a definite impact will be felt in the practice of medicine.

Composite block copolymer stabilized nanoparticles: simultaneous encapsulation of organic actives and inorganic nanostructures

We describe the preparation and characterization of hybrid block copolymer nanoparticles (NPs) for use as multimodal carriers for drugs and imaging agents. Stable, water-soluble, biocompatible poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(epsilon-caprolactone) NPs simultaneously co-encapsulating hydrophobic organic actives (beta-carotene) and inorganic imaging nanostructures (Au) are prepared using the flash nanoprecipitation process in a multi-inlet vortex mixer. These composite nanoparticles (CNPs) are produced with tunable sizes between 75 nm and 275 nm, narrow particle size distributions, high encapsulation efficiencies, specified component compositions, and long-term stability. The process is tunable and flexible because it relies on the control of mixing and aggregation timescales. It is anticipated that the technique can be applied to a variety of hydrophobic active compounds, fluorescent dyes, and inorganic nanostructures, yielding CNPs for combined therapy and multimodal imaging applications.

Antibiofouling Polymer-Coated Gold Nanoparticles as a Contrast Agent for in Vivo X-ray Computed Tomography Imaging

Current computed tomography (CT) contrast agents such as iodine-based compounds have several limitations, including short imaging times due to rapid renal clearance, renal toxicity, and vascular permeation. Here, we describe a new CT contrast agent based on gold nanoparticles (GNPs) that overcomes these limitations. Because gold has a higher atomic number and X-ray absorption coefficient than iodine, we expected that GNPs can be used as CT contrast agents. We prepared uniform GNPs ( approximately 30 nm in diameter) by general reduction of HAuCl4 by boiling with sodium citrate. The resulting GNPs were coated with polyethylene glycol (PEG) to impart antibiofouling properties, which extends their lifetime in the bloodstream. Measurement of the X-ray absorption coefficient in vitro revealed that the attenuation of PEG-coated GNPs is 5.7 times higher than that of the current iodine-based CT contrast agent, Ultravist. Furthermore, when injected intravenously into rats, the PEG-coated GNPs had a much longer blood circulation time (>4 h) than Ultravist (<10 min). Consequently, CT images of rats using PEG-coated GNPs showed a clear delineation of cardiac ventricles and great vessels. On the other hand, relatively high levels of GNPs accumulated in the spleen and liver, which contain phagocytic cells. Intravenous injection of PEG-coated GNPs into hepatoma-bearing rats resulted in a high contrast ( approximately 2-fold) between hepatoma and normal liver tissue on CT images. These results suggest that PEG-coated GNPs can be useful as a CT contrast agent for a blood pool and hepatoma imaging.