PSMA-Targeted Nano-Conjugates as Dual-Modality (MRI/PET) Imaging Probes for the Noninvasive Detection of Prostate Cancer

Abstract

Abstract : The goal of this project is to develop dual modality imaging probes for the detection of prostate cancer by doping radioisotopes to iron oxide nanoparticles, so that the sensitivity and specificity of prostate cancer diagnosis could be significantly improved. During the funding period, a facile approach was developed to prepare gamma- or positron emitting nuclides incorporated SPIO nanoparticles (NUSPIONs) for dual modality imaging of prostate cancer. Preliminary MR and autoradiography images with 177Lu-NUSPIONs in nude mice bearing PC-3 tumors clearly showed tumors implanted in the flanks, indicating the potential application of such nanoplatforms for the noninvasive dual modality imaging of prostate cancer. Due to the limited availability of As-74 in the USA, this novel approach was applied to another nanoplatform, gold nanoparticle (AuNP), for the development of multi-modality imaging probes for prostate cancer detection. The AuNP-based multi-modality nanoprobes showed great potential in non-invasive detection of distal prostate cancer metastases in an orthotopic tumor model. Furthermore, a PET/CT dual modality nanoprobe was prepared by incorporating a positron emitter (Cu-64) instead of As-74 into the core of AuNPs and the probe was able to reveal the nevasculature formation of tumor in a prostate cancer mouse model on PET/CT images.