Effects of Surface IR783 Density on the In Vivo Behavior and Imaging Performance of Liposomes
Qianqian Long,
Xinmin Zhao,
Lili Gao,
Mengyuan Liu,
Feng Pan,
Xihui Gao,
Changyou Zhan,
Yang Chen,
Jialei Wang,
Jun Qian
Affiliations
Qianqian Long
School of Pharmacy, Department of Thoracic Medical Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
Xinmin Zhao
School of Pharmacy, Department of Thoracic Medical Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
Lili Gao
Department of Pathology, Pudong New Area People’s Hospital, Shanghai 201299, China
Mengyuan Liu
School of Pharmacy, Department of Thoracic Medical Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
Feng Pan
School of Pharmacy, Department of Thoracic Medical Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
Xihui Gao
School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
Changyou Zhan
School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
Yang Chen
Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, China
Jialei Wang
School of Pharmacy, Department of Thoracic Medical Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
Jun Qian
School of Pharmacy, Department of Thoracic Medical Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
Background: Nanoparticles conjugated with fluorescent probes have versatile applications, serving not only for targeted fluorescent imaging but also for evaluating the in vivo profiles of designed nanoparticles. However, the relationship between fluorophore density and nanoparticle behavior remains unexplored. Methods: The IR783-modified liposomes (IR783-sLip) were prepared through a modified ethanol injection and extrusion method. The cellular uptake efficiency of IR783-sLip was characterized by flow cytometry and fluorescence microscope imaging. The effects of IR783 density on liposomal in vivo behavior were investigated by pharmacokinetic studies, biodistribution studies, and in vivo imaging. The constitution of protein corona was analyzed by the Western blot assay. Results: Dense IR783 modification improved cellular uptake of liposomes in vitro but hindered their blood retention and tumor imaging performance in vivo. We found a correlation between IR783 density and protein corona absorption, particularly IgM, which significantly impacted the liposome performance. Meanwhile, we observed that increasing IR783 density did not consistently improve the effectiveness of tumor imaging. Conclusions: Increasing the density of modified IR783 on liposomes is not always beneficial for tumor near-infrared (NIR) imaging yield. It is not advisable to prematurely evaluate novel nanomaterials through fluorescence dye conjugation without carefully optimizing the density of the modifications.
