Fluorophore labeling of core-crosslinked polymeric micelles for multimodal in vivo and ex vivo optical imaging

Yang Shi, Sijumon Kunjachan, Zhuojun Wu, Felix Gremse, Diana Moeckel, Marc van Zandvoort, Fabian Kiessling, Gert Storm, Cornelus F. van Nostrum, Wim E. Hennink, Twan Lammers*

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

    Abstract

    Aim: To enable multimodal in vivo and ex vivo optical imaging of the biodistribution and tumor accumulation of core-crosslinked polymeric micelles (CCPMs). Materials & methods: mPEG-b-p(HPMAm-Lac)-based polymeric micelles, core-crosslinked via cystamine and covalently labeled with two different fluorophores (Dy-676/488), were synthesized. The CCPMs were intravenously injected into CT26 tumor-bearing mice. Results: Upon intravenous injection, the CCPMs accumulated in CT26 tumors reasonably efficiently, with values reaching approximately 4% ID at 24 h. Ex vivo two-photon laser scanning microscopy confirmed efficient extravasation of the image-guided CCPMs out of tumor blood vessels and relatively deep penetration into the tumor interstitium. Conclusion: CCPMs were labeled with multiple fluorophores, and the results obtained exemplify that combining several different in vivo and ex vivo optical imaging techniques is highly useful for analyzing the biodistribution and tumor accumulation of nanomedicines.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)1111-1125
    JournalNanomedicine
    Volume10
    Issue number7
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2015

    Keywords

    • drug targeting
    • micelles
    • nanomedicine
    • optical imaging
    • PEG
    • pHPMA
    • theranostics

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