Recently, we reported the synthesis of biodegradable photoacoustic nanoparticles formed by nanoprecipitation of biliverdin, an endogenous chromophore (Fathi et al., ACS Nano, 2019). In this presentation, we will discuss the use of these nanoparticles in sentinel lymph node imaging, in addition to their complete degradation by biliverdin reductase, an enzyme present in various organs and especially in the liver. We will then discuss the expanded use of these nanoparticles in a variety of applications such as the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer and as a multimodal imaging contrast agent. We have demonstrated that doxorubicin-loaded biliverdin nanoparticles (Dox-BVNPs) provide a platform for controlled release of doxorubicin, while also maintaining a high near-infrared absorbance, providing photoacoustic and fluorescent imaging contrast. The therapeutic efficacy of these nanoparticles was demonstrated in both MDA-MB-231 and 4T1 breast cancer cells, and their uptake mechanism was determined through inhibitor studies. Dox-BVNPs were extensively characterized with UV-visible spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, FT-IR spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and zeta potential measurements. Data on Dox-BVNP <i>in vitro</i> and <i>in vivo</i> image-guided therapy will also be presented. We further explored the chelation of metals to allow for use as a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent. We explored the effects of reaction conditions on metal-chelated biliverdin nanoparticle (M-BVNP) performance in MRI, and characterized M-BVNPs using a variety of spectroscopic techniques. Overall, biliverdin nanoparticles provide a promising biodegradable platform for use in therapeutic and imaging applications.

Theranostic biliverdin nanoparticles for multimodal imaging and cancer therapy

ACS Fall 2020 Virtual Meeting

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