Oil/water nano-emulsion loaded with cobalt ferrite oxide nanocubes for photo-acoustic and magnetic resonance dual imaging in cancer: in vitro and preclinical studies

• Published in: Nanomedicine Vol. 13; no. 1; pp. 275 - 286
• Main Authors: Vecchione, Raffaele, PhD, Quagliariello, Vincenzo, PhD, Giustetto, Pierangela, Calabria, Dominic, Sathya, Ayyappan, PhD, Marotta, Roberto, PhD, Profeta, Martina, Nitti, Simone, Silvestri, Niccolò, Pellegrino, Teresa, PhD, Iaffaioli, Rosario V, Netti, Paolo Antonio, PhD
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.01.2017
• Subjects: 3T3 Cells; Animals; Cobalt - chemistry; Contrast Media; Cubic nanoparticles; Dual-imaging; Emulsions - chemistry; Humans; Internal Medicine; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Melanoma - diagnostic imaging; Melanoma, Experimental; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; MRI; Nano-emulsion; Nanoparticles - chemistry; Neoplasm Transplantation; Oxides - chemistry; Photo-acoustic; Photoacoustic Techniques; PBS; Nano-emulsion; Photo-acoustic; magnetic resonance imaging; LO; MRI; optoacoustic; i.v; PA; intravenous; Dual-imaging; O/W; oil in water; phosphate buffered saline; Cubic nanoparticles
• ISSN: 1549-9634; 1549-9642
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nano.2016.08.022

Abstract Dual imaging dramatically improves detection and early diagnosis of cancer. In this work we present an oil in water (O/W) nano-emulsion stabilized with lecithin and loaded with cobalt ferrite oxide (Co0.5 Fe2.5 O4 ) nanocubes for photo-acoustic and magnetic resonance dual imaging. The nanocarrier is responsive in in vitro photo-acoustic and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tests. A clear and a significant time-dependent accumulation in tumor tissue is shown in in vivo photo-acoustic studies on a murine melanoma xenograft model. The proposed O/W nano-emulsion exhibits also high values of r2 /r1 (ranging from 45 to 85, depending on the magnetic field) suggesting a possible use as T2 weighted image contrast agents. In addition, viability and cellular uptake studies show no significant cytotoxicity on the fibroblast cell line. We also tested the O/W nano-emulsion loaded with curcumin against melanoma cancer cells demonstrating a significant cytotoxicity and thus showing possible therapeutic effects in addition to the in vivo imaging.