Gadolinium embedded iron oxide nanoclusters as T1–T2 dual-modal MRI-visible vectors for safe and efficient siRNA delivery

Xiaoyong Wang; Zijian Zhou; Zhiyong Wang; Yunxin Xue; Yun Zeng; Jinhao Gao; Lei Zhu; Xianzhong Zhang; Gang Liu; Xiaoyuan Chen

doi:10.1039/C3NR02797J

Gadolinium embedded iron oxide nanoclusters as T₁–T₂ dual-modal MRI-visible vectors for safe and efficient siRNA delivery†

Xiaoyong Wang,‡^a Zijian Zhou,‡^ab Zhiyong Wang,^d Yunxin Xue,^a Yun Zeng,^a Jinhao Gao,^ab Lei Zhu,^a Xianzhong Zhang,^a Gang Liu*^ac and Xiaoyuan Chen*^e

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* Corresponding authors

^a Center for Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
E-mail: gangliu.cmitm@xmu.edu.cn

^b State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, The Key Laboratory for Chemical Biology of Fujian Province and Department of Chemical Biology College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China

^c State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China

^d Paul C. Lauterbur Research Center for Biomedical Imaging, Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China

^e Laboratory of Molecular Imaging and Nanomedicine (LOMIN), National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), National Institutes of Health (NIH), 31 Center Dr, 1C22, Bethesda, MD 20892-2281, USA
E-mail: shawn.chen@nih.gov

Abstract

This report illustrates a new strategy of designing a T₁–T₂ dual-modal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-visible vector for siRNA delivery and MRI. Hydrophobic gadolinium embedded iron oxide (GdIO) nanocrystals are self-assembled into nanoclusters in the water phase with the help of stearic acid modified low molecular weight polyethylenimine (stPEI). The resulting water-dispersible GdIO–stPEI nanoclusters possess good stability, monodispersity with narrow size distribution and competitive T₁–T₂ dual-modal MR imaging properties. The nanocomposite system is capable of binding and delivering siRNA for knockdown of a gene of interest while maintaining its magnetic properties and biocompatibility. This new gadolinium embedded iron oxide nanocluster provides an important platform for safe and efficient gene delivery with non-invasive T₁–T₂ dual-modal MRI monitoring capability.

Nanoscale

Gadolinium embedded iron oxide nanoclusters as T₁–T₂ dual-modal MRI-visible vectors for safe and efficient siRNA delivery†

Abstract

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Gadolinium embedded iron oxide nanoclusters as T₁–T₂ dual-modal MRI-visible vectors for safe and efficient siRNA delivery

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