Atherosclerosis is a major risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease. Unfortunately, due to relatively low sensitivities and poor resolution, the results of surgical resection are often largely unsatisfactory. Moreover, many chemotherapeutic agents, such as curcumin (Cur), are restricted by the low blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability. Recently, nanotechnology proposes new opportunities to overcome these treatment barriers. In this study, superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIO) was prepared by the high-temperature solid-state method, and then loaded into amphiphilic polymer DSPE-PEG to form SDP nanoparticles by hydrogen bonding in oil phase. The curcumin was encapsulated in SDP nanoparticles by self-assembly. Finally, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and Cy5.5 were conjugated on into SDP/Cur nanoparticles by amidation reaction. The average particle size of the prepared multifunctional SDP-VCAM-1/Cur/Cy5.5 nanoparticles is 124.4 nm, which can provide the sustained release of Cur. Moreover, the nanoparticles are proved to have superparamagnetic properties and fluorescence properties. In vitro cell experiments show that nanoparticles have excellent biocompatibility, blood compatibility and macrophage targeting. These results show that SDP-VCAM-1/Cur/Cy5.5 nanoparticles can be used not only as dual imaging probe for magnetic resonance (MR) and fluorescence imaging, but also as carriers to deliver chemotherapeutic drugs to inflammatory tissue, thus providing a promising opportunity for the treatment, molecular imaging and targeted therapy in atherosclerosis due to their established specificity and safety.
Keywords: MRI; SPIO NPs; VCAM-1; atherosclerosis; fluorescence imaging.
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