MR Imaging of Angiogenesis in Tumor Xenografts by αvβ3 - Targeted Magnetofluorescent Micellar Nanoprobes

Introduction One essential requirement for solid tumor growth is the ability to acquire an adequate blood supply; therefore, tumor vasculature is in a perpetual state of angiogenesis. Integrin αvβ3 is a well-established biomarker for angiogenesis with overexpression in tumor vasculature and low to no expression in resting endothelial cells. Non-invasive assessment of tumor angiogenesis is important for early diagnosis of cancer as well as post-therapy assessment. 3 Here we describe the use of αvβ3 targeted magnetofluorescent micelles to analyze angiogenesis in tumor xenografts and nanoprobe accumulation and kinetics by 3D magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and T2*-weighted dynamic contrast enhancement MRI (DCE-MRI).