In vivo near infrared fluorescence imaging and dynamic quantification of pancreatic metastatic tumors using folic acid conjugated biodegradable mesoporous silica nanoparticles.

Cancer metastasis is one of the biggest challenges in cancer treatments since it increases the likelihood that a patient will die from the disease. Therefore, the availability of techniques for the early detection and quantification of tumors is very important. We have prepared cyanine 7.5 NHS ester (Cy7.5) and folic acid (FA) conjugated biodegradable mesoporous silica nanoparticles (bMSN@Cy7.5-FA NPs) (~100 nm) for visualizing tumors in vivo. The fluorescence spectra revealed that the emission peak of bMSN@Cy7.5-FA NPs had a red-shift of 1 nm. Confocal immunofluorescent images showed that bMSN@Cy7.5-FA NPs had an excellent targeting ability for visualizing cancer cells. In vivo fluorescence imaging has been conducted using an orthotopic model for pancreatic cancer within 48 h, and the fluorescence intensity reached a maximum at a post injection time-point of 12 h, which demonstrated that the use of bMSN@Cy7.5-FA NPs provides an excellent imaging platform for tumor precision therapy in mice.