Porphyrin-iron oxide nanoparticle functionalized with trastuzumab (ION-PP-TZ) potential MR imaging probe for breast cancer cells

Abstract

In this study, iron oxide nanoparticles coated with porphyrin and functionalized with trastuzumab (ION-PP-TZ) were applied as a new potential probe for magnetic resonance imaging to detect breast cancer cells. This synthesized nanoprobe was applied to breast cancer (MCF-7) cells under both ex vivo and in vivo conditions. The synthesized nanoprobe was administered by systemic injection into C57BL/6 mice. Then, cytotoxicity, T-2 relaxation time, image signal intensity, and biodistribution of nanoprobe measurement are performed. At 12 h after injection, it is found that the non-toxic ION-PP-TZ had reduced (83) T-2 relaxation times. After 8 h, the signal intensity of mice treated with ION-PP-TZ was lowered by 67 when compared to the control sample. Moreover, ex vivo results of mice organs at 12 h after treatment had a larger concentration of a specific nanoprobe in tumors of mice killed eight hours after injection. Iron accumulation in the tumor side in a specific group was higher than those of other organs. The developed nanoprobe showed significant MR contrast agent ability on MCF-7 in vivo and ex vivo under different conditions. As a result, ION-PP-TZ has the potential as an MR imaging probe for breast cancer (MCF-7) cell detection.