Multifunctional mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) with well-integrated multimodality imaging properties have generated increasing research interest in the past decade. However, limited progress has been made in developing MSN-based multimodality imaging agents to image tumors. We describe the successful conjugation of, copper-64 ((64)Cu, t1/2 = 12.7 h), 800CW (a near-infrared fluorescence [NIRF] dye), and TRC105 (a human/murine chimeric IgG1 monoclonal antibody) to the surface of MSN via well-developed surface engineering procedures, resulting in a dual-labeled MSN for in vivo targeted positron emission tomography (PET) imaging/NIRF imaging of the tumor vasculature. Pharmacokinetics and tumor targeting efficacy/specificity in 4T1 murine breast tumor-bearing mice were thoroughly investigated through various in vitro, in vivo, and ex vivo experiments. Dual-labeled MSN is an attractive candidate for future cancer theranostics.
Keywords: mesoporous silica nanoparticle (MSN); near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging; positron emission tomography (PET) imaging; vasculature targeting.