Ultrasensitive MRI detection of spontaneous pancreatic tumors with nanocage-based targeted contrast agent

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15H03007
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Biomedical engineering/Biomaterial science and engineering
• Research Institution: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: Murata Masaharu 九州大学, 先端医療イノベーションセンター, 特任教授 (30304744)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 橋爪 誠 九州大学, 医学研究院, 教授 (90198664) ; 河野 喬仁 九州大学, 先端医療イノベーションセンター, 特任助教 (90526831) ; 濱野 展人 九州大学, 先端医療イノベーションセンター, 特任助教 (80708397)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: ナノ材料 / 分子イメージング / MRI / 機能化造影剤

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, small heat shock protein 16.5 (Hsp16.5)-based nanocages conjugated to gadolinium(III)-chelated contrast agents and iRGD peptides (which target neuropilin-1 expressed on pancreatic cancer cells) were developed. To investigate whether template size influences relaxivity, nanocages with one to four hydrophobic domains were designed. MRI data showed that larger nanocages had higher T1 relaxivity than smaller nanocages, which resulted from a reduction in molecular tumbling rates caused by an increase in nanocage size, and a robust cage structure resulting from the introduction of hydrophobic domains. For in vivo MRI studies, molecular MRI with protein nanocages was enabled to detect neuropilin-1-positive cells and to produce strong signal enhancement of spontaneous pancreatic tumors in KPC genetically engineered mouse models.

Free Research Field

ナノ医工学