A hepatocyte-targeting nanoparticle for enhanced hepatobiliary magnetic resonance imaging
Menée in vitro et sur différents types d'animaux (cochons, lapins, singes et rats), cette étude met en évidence l'intérêt, pour améliorer la sensibilité et la résolution des IRM hépatobiliaires, de nanoparticules composées d'un noyau de ferrite de manganèse et de ligands de surface capables de se lier aux transporteurs transmembranaires de métaux et d'anions des hépatocytes
Hepatobiliary magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can inform the diagnosis of liver tumours in patients with liver cirrhosis and hepatitis. However, its clinical utility has been hampered by the lack of sensitive and specific contrast agents, partly because hepatocyte-specific nanoparticles, regardless of their surface ligands, are readily sequestered by Kupffer cells. Here we show, in rabbits, pigs and macaques, that the performance of hepatobiliary MRI can be enhanced by an ultrasmall nanoparticle composed of a manganese ferrite core (3 nm in diameter) and poly(ethylene glycol)-ethoxy-benzyl surface ligands binding to hepatocyte-specific transmembrane metal and anion transporters. The nanoparticle facilitated faster, more sensitive and higher-resolution hepatobiliary MRI than the clinically used contrast agent gadoxetate disodium, a substantial enhancement in the detection rate (92% versus 48%) of early-stage liver tumours in rabbits, and a more accurate assessment of biliary obstruction in macaques. The nanoparticle’s performance and biocompatibility support the further translational development of liver-specific MRI contrast agents.
Nature Biomedical Engineering , résumé, 2022