SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE
Radiolabeled multi-layered coated gold nanoparticles as potential biocompatible PET/SPECT tracers†
‡a
Cristina M.
Al-Matarneh,
‡b
Denisse I.
Bostiog,
‡b
Adina
Coroaba,
‡b
Silviu I.
Filipiuc,
a
Natalia
Simionescu,
b
Wael
Jalloul,
c
Valentin
Nastasa,
*d
Stelian S.
Maier
be
and
Mariana
Pinteala
*b
Abstract
The demand for tailored, disease-adapted, and easily accessible radiopharmaceuticals is one of the most persistent challenges in nuclear imaging precision medicine. The aim of this work was to develop two multimodal radiotracers applicable for both SPECT and PET techniques, which consist of a gold nanoparticle core, a shell involved in radioisotope entrapment, peripherally placed targeting molecules, and biocompatibilizing polymeric sequences. Shell decoration with glucosamine units located in sterically hindered molecular environments is expected to result in nanoparticle accumulation in high-glucose-consuming areas. Gold cores were synthesized using the Turkevich method, followed by citrate substitution with linear PEG α,ω-functionalized with thiol and amine groups. The free amine groups facilitated the binding of branched polyethyleneimine through an epoxy ring-opening reaction by using PEG α,ω-diglycidyl ether as a linker. Afterwards, the glucose–PEG–epoxy prepolymer has been grafted onto the surface of AuPEG–PEI conjugates. Finally, the AuPEG–PEI–GA conjugates were radiolabeled with 99mTc or 68Ga. Instant thin-layer chromatography was used to evaluate the radiolabeling yield. The biocompatibility of non-labeled and 99mTc or 68Ga labeled nanoparticles was assessed on normal fibroblasts. The 99mTc complexes remained stable for over 22 hours, while the 68Ga containing ones revealed a slight decrease in stability after 1 hour.
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