Self-assembling nanoparticles may help physicians diagnose cancers earlier, according to a study published in Angewandte Chemie.
The nanoparticles boost the effectiveness of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) by specifically seeking out CXCR4 receptors, which are found in cancerous cells.
The iron oxide nanoparticles are coated with peptide ligands that target tumor sites. When the particles find a tumor, they begin to interact with the cancerous cells.
Cancer-specific matrix metalloproteinase biomarkers prompt the nanoparticles to self-assemble into larger particles. And these larger particles are more visible on an MRI scan.
Researchers used cancer cells and mouse models to compare the effects of the self-assembling nanoparticles in MRI scanning against commonly used imaging agents. The nanoparticles produced a more powerful signal and created a clearer image of the tumor.
The team said the nanoparticles increase the sensitivity of MRI scans and could ultimately improve physicians’ ability to detect cancerous cells at much earlier stages of development.
“By improving the sensitivity of an MRI examination, our aim is to help doctors spot something that might be cancerous much more quickly,” said study author Nicholas Long, PhD, of Imperial College London in the UK. “This would enable patients to receive effective treatment sooner, which would hopefully improve survival rates from cancer.”
In addition to improving the sensitivity of MRI scans, the nanoparticles also appear to be safe. Before testing and injecting the particles into mice, the researchers had to ensure the particles would not become so big as to cause damage.
The team injected the particles into a saline solution inside a petri dish and monitored their growth over a 4-hour period. The nanoparticles grew from 100 nm to 800 nm, which was still small enough not to cause any harm.
Now, the researchers are working to enhance the effectiveness of the nanoparticles. And they hope to test their design in a human trial within the next 3 to 5 years.
“We would like to improve the design to make it even easier for doctors to spot a tumor and for surgeons to then operate on it,” Dr Long said. “We’re now trying to add an extra optical signal so that the nanoparticle would light up with a luminescent probe once it had found its target. So, combined with the better MRI signal, it will make it even easier to identify tumors.”
