Hard-Shelled Glycol Chitosan Nanoparticles for Dual MRI/US Detection of Drug Delivery/Release: A Proof-of-Concept Study

Simona Baroni; Monica Argenziano; Francesca La Cava; Marco Soster; Francesca Garello; David Lembo; Roberta Cavalli; Enzo Terreno

doi:10.3390/nano13152227

Hard-Shelled Glycol Chitosan Nanoparticles for Dual MRI/US Detection of Drug Delivery/Release: A Proof-of-Concept Study

Nanomaterials (Basel). 2023 Aug 1;13(15):2227. doi: 10.3390/nano13152227.

Authors

Simona Baroni¹, Monica Argenziano², Francesca La Cava¹, Marco Soster², Francesca Garello¹, David Lembo³, Roberta Cavalli², Enzo Terreno¹

Affiliations

¹ Molecular and Preclinical Imaging Centers, Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Via Nizza 52, 10126 Torino, Italy.
² Department of Drug Science and Technology, University of Torino, Via P. Giuria 9, 10125 Torino, Italy.
³ Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Torino, S. Luigi Gonzaga Hospital, Regione Gonzole, 10, 10043 Orbassano, Italy.

Abstract

This paper describes a novel nanoformulation for dual MRI/US in vivo monitoring of drug delivery/release. The nanosystem was made of a perfluoropentane core coated with phospholipids stabilized by glycol chitosan crosslinked with triphosphate ions, and it was co-loaded with the prodrug prednisolone phosphate (PLP) and the structurally similar MRI agent Gd-DTPAMA-CHOL. Importantly, the in vitro release of PLP and Gd-DTPAMA-CHOL from the nanocarrier showed similar profiles, validating the potential impact of the MRI agent as an imaging reporter for the drug release. On the other hand, the nanobubbles were also detectable by US imaging both in vitro and in vivo. Therefore, the temporal evolution of both MRI and US contrast after the administration of the proposed nanosystem could report on the delivery and the release kinetics of the transported drug in a given lesion.

Keywords: Gd(III) complexes; MRI; nanobubbles; relaxometry; theranostics; ultrasound imaging.

Grants and funding

This research was funded by Associazione Italiana per la Ricerca sul Cancro “Boosting the efficacy of liposomal doxorubicin against ovarian cancer by local ultrasound stimulation under MRI guidance” (IG 2018-n. 22041, PI E.T.), by the University of Torino (Ricerca Locale 2021 for E.T., ex60 for R.C., Finanziamento Ricerca Locale 2018-Linea B for M.A.).