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. 2021 Apr 27;22(9):4556.
doi: 10.3390/ijms22094556.

Transferrin-Decorated Niosomes with Integrated InP/ZnS Quantum Dots and Magnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles: Dual Targeting and Imaging of Glioma

Didem Ag Seleci  1   2 , Viktor Maurer  1   2 , Firat Baris Barlas  3 , Julian Cedric Porsiel  1 , Bilal Temel  1 , Elcin Ceylan  3 , Suna Timur  3 , Frank Stahl  4 , Thomas Scheper  4 , Georg Garnweitner  1   2
Affiliations

Transferrin-Decorated Niosomes with Integrated InP/ZnS Quantum Dots and Magnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles: Dual Targeting and Imaging of Glioma

Didem Ag Seleci et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

The development of multifunctional nanoscale systems that can mediate efficient tumor targeting, together with high cellular internalization, is crucial for the diagnosis of glioma. The combination of imaging agents into one platform provides dual imaging and allows further surface modification with targeting ligands for specific glioma detection. Herein, transferrin (Tf)-decorated niosomes with integrated magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (MIONs) and quantum dots (QDs) were formulated (PEGNIO/QDs/MIONs/Tf) for efficient imaging of glioma, supported by magnetic and active targeting. Transmission electron microscopy confirmed the complete co-encapsulation of MIONs and QDs in the niosomes. Flow cytometry analysis demonstrated enhanced cellular uptake of the niosomal formulation by glioma cells. In vitro imaging studies showed that PEGNIO/QDs/MIONs/Tf produces an obvious negative-contrast enhancement effect on glioma cells by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and also improved fluorescence intensity under fluorescence microscopy. This novel platform represents the first niosome-based system which combines magnetic nanoparticles and QDs, and has application potential in dual-targeted imaging of glioma.

Keywords: glioma imaging; iron oxide nanoparticles; multifunctional niosomes; quantum dots.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
TGA curves of MIONs and CA-MIONs (A), TEM images of CA-MIONs and InP/ZnS QDs (B,D), and the fluorescence and absorption spectra of InP/ZnS QDs (C).
Figure 2
Figure 2
TEM images of PEGNIO/QDs/MIONs obtained at 120 keV (A) and at 200 keV (B).
Figure 3
Figure 3
U87 cell viability of PEGNIO/QDs/MIONs (A) and PEGNIO/QDs/MIONs/Tf (B) at different concentrations with (with MT) or without (without MT) a preceding magnetic treatment. For the calculated half inhibition concentrations (IC50), we evaluated p < 0.05 by using the Student’s t-test, which is thus considered as significant.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Fluorescence microscopy images of U87 cells after incubating with PEGNIO/QDs/MIONs ((A): without MT; (B): with MT) and PEGNIO/QDs/MIONs/Tf ((C): without MT; (D): with MT). The quantification procedure was evaluated with p < 0.05, and is therefore significant.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Flow cytometric measurement of the uptake of PEGNIO/QDs/MIONs and PEGNIO/QDs/MIONs/Tf by U87 cells.
Figure 6
Figure 6
MRI of U87 cells after 2h incubation with control DMEM (A) and PEGNIO/QDs/MIONs/Tf (B). The histograms show the density of the MR images (C). Error bar means ± S.D. (n = 4) with p < 0.05.
Scheme 1
Scheme 1
Schematic representation of the PEGNIO/QDs/MIONs/Tf formation and application.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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