Protein-based MRI contrast agents for molecular imaging of prostate cancer.

Department of Chemistry and Biology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, USA.

Molecular imaging and biology : MIB : the official publication of the Academy of Molecular Imaging 2011 Jun

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The purpose of this study was to demonstrate a novel protein-based magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent that has the capability of targeting prostate cancer and which provides high-sensitivity MR imaging in tumor cells and mouse models. A fragment of gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) was fused into a protein-based MRI contrast agent (ProCA1) at different regions. MR imaging was obtained in both tumor cells (PC3 and H441) and a tumor mouse model administrated with ProCA1.GRP. PC3 and DU145 cells treated with ProCA1.GRPs exhibited enhanced signal in MRI. Intratumoral injection of ProCA1.GRP in a PC3 tumor model displayed enhanced MRI signal. The contrast agent was retained in the PC3 tumor up to 48 h post-injection. Protein-based MRI contrast agent with tumor targeting modality can specifically target GRPR-positive prostate cancer. Intratumoral injection of the ProCA1 agent in the prostate cancer mouse model verified the targeting capability of ProCA1.GRP and showed a prolonged retention time in tumors.

Citation

Lixia Wei, Shunyi Li, Jianhua Yang, Yiming Ye, Jin Zou, Liya Wang, Robert Long, Omar Zurkiya, Tiejun Zhao, Julian Johnson, Jingjuan Qiao, Wangda Zhou, Adriana Castiblanco, Natalie Maor, Yanyi Chen, Hui Mao, Xiaoping Hu, Jenny J Yang, Zhi-Ren Liu. Protein-based MRI contrast agents for molecular imaging of prostate cancer. Molecular imaging and biology : MIB : the official publication of the Academy of Molecular Imaging. 2011 Jun;13(3):416-23