Potential fluorescence and magnetic resonance imaging modalityusing mixed lanthanide oxide nanoparticles

Abstract

tImaging is a very important technique in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer diseases. This study devel-oped a dual modality (fluorescence/MR) imaging technique for cancer cell lines (HeLa) and T2-weightedphantom imaging by using a mixed lanthanide (Dy/Er/Tb) oxide nanoparticles. To further enhance thesolubility, stability and biocompatibility of mixed lanthanide oxide, the nanoparticles were coated withfolic acid as well as G4.5 PAMAM dendrimer. The coated nanoparticles were then compared, the later withresults demonstrating pronounced effects in both T2weighted phantom MR and fluorescence imaging ofthe cancer cell lines. Imaging enhancement was attributed to a synergistic effect of the fluorescent prop-erties and higher water solubility of the PAMAM dendrimer when compared to the folic acid. Besides,mixed lanthanides of Dy and Tb were used for T2weighted MR imaging, while mixed lanthanides of Erand Tb were used for fluorescence imaging in the near infrared and visible regions, and were synthesizedin the facile composition control. Hence, the mixed lanthanide oxides are packed together, and stable,which is used to facilitate biomedical imaging in vitro. To conclude, the G4.5 PAMAM dendrimer coatedmixed lanthanide oxide nanoparticles will be used for dual-modality (fluorescence/MR imaging) cancercell line detection in both in vitro and in vivo study.