Long-Circulating Iodinated Albumin–Gadolinium Nanoparticles as Enhanced Magnetic Resonance and Computed Tomography Imaging Probes for Osteosarcoma Visualization

Multimodal imaging probes represent an extraordinary tool for accurate diagnosis of diseases due to the complementary advantages of multiple imaging modalities. The purpose of the work was to fabricate a simple dual-modality MR/CT probe for osteosarcoma visualization in vivo. Protein-directed synthesis methods offer a suitable alternative to MR/CT probe produced by synthetic chemistry. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) bound to gadolinium nanoparticles (GdNPs) was first prepared via a biomimetic synthesis method and was subsequently iodinated by chloramine-T method. The final iodinated BSA-GdNPs (I-BSA-GdNPs) showed excellent chemical stability and biocompatibility, intense X-ray attenuation coefficient, and good MR imaging ability. However, an iodinated protein nanoparticles synthesis for MR/CT imaging, as well as its useful application, has not been reported yet. Intravenous injection of I-BSA-GdNPs into orthotopic osteosarcoma-bearing rats led to its accumulation and retention by the tumor, allowing for a noninvasive tumor dual-modality imaging through the intact thigh. The long-circulating dual-model I-BSA-GdNPs probes possess potential application for image-guided drug delivery and image-guided surgery. Our study is therefore highlighting the properties of albumin in this field combined with its useful use in dual-model MR/CT osteosarcoma visualization, underlining its potential use as a drug carrier for a future therapy on cancer.