Anti-CD4-targeted Gold Nanoparticles Induce Specific Contrast Enhancement of Peripheral Lymph Nodes in X-ray Computed Tomography of Live Mice

• Published in: Nano letters 2010-07, Vol.10 (7), p.2318-2322
• Main Authors: Eck, Wolfgang, Nicholson, Anthony I, Zentgraf, Hanswalter, Semmler, Wolfhard, Bartling, Sönke
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Antibodies - chemistry; Antibodies - immunology; CD4 Antigens - immunology; Contrast Media - chemistry; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Exact sciences and technology; General equipment and techniques; Gold - chemistry; Instruments, apparatus, components and techniques common to several branches of physics and astronomy; Lymph Nodes - diagnostic imaging; Materials science; Mice; Nanocrystalline materials; Nanoparticles - chemistry; Nanoscale materials and structures: fabrication and characterization; Physics; Sensors (chemical, optical, electrical, movement, gas, etc.); remote sensing; Tomography, X-Ray Computed - methods
• ISSN: 1530-6984; 1530-6992
• DOI: 10.1021/nl101019s

Antibody-conjugated gold nanoparticles have been applied as a biologically targeted contrast agent in live mice for one of the most widely used medical imaging methods, X-ray computed tomography. Such nanoprobes directed toward the CD4 receptor lead to distinctly enhanced X-ray contrast of peripheral lymph nodes. This study demonstrates the general feasibility of biologically specific X-ray imaging in living animals and discusses basic requirements for the use of nanoparticles as a targeted X-ray contrast agent.