Folic Acid-Conjugated CuFeSe(2) Nanoparticles for Targeted T2-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Computed Tomography of Tumors In Vivo

BACKGROUND: Development of new long-circulating contrast agents for computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of different biological systems still remains a great challenge. Here, we report the synthesis of folic acid (FA)-targeted CuFeSe(2) nano-contrast agent for CT and MRI imaging in vitro and in vivo. METHODS AND RESULTS: In our study, CuFeSe(2) was fabricated through a facile and green aqueous reaction and then further aminated through silanization. The amine-functionalized CuFeSe(2)-NH(2) nanoparticles enable the covalent conjugation of folate-conjugated polyethylene glycol (FA-PEG-COOH) as a targeting ligand onto their surface, which could improve the dispersion and endue the targetability of nanoparticles, respectively. The formed multifunctional CuFeSe(2)-PEG-FA nanoparticles were characterized via different techniques, which exhibited outstanding dispersion, good biocompatibility and excellent FA-targeted capability. Meanwhile, the nanoparticles were quite safe in the given concentration range as confirmed by in vitro and in vivo toxicity assay. Importantly, CuFeSe(2)-PEG-FA nanoparticles were successfully applied in CT/MRI dual-modality imaging in vitro and in vivo, which showed a better imaging performance and targeted capability. CONCLUSION: Therefore, the constructed CuFeSe(2)-PEG-FA nanoparticles have a great potential as an efficient contrast agent for dual-modality imaging of different biological systems.