Targeting Fluorescent Nanodiamonds to Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptors in Tumor

Targeting Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells via Dual-Antibody Fluorescent Nanodiamond Conjugate

Fluorescent nanodiamonds (FNDs) are carbon-based nanomaterials that emit bright, photostable fluorescence and exhibit a modifiable surface chemistry. Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are an immunosuppressive cell population known to expand in cancer patients and contribute to worse patient outcomes. To target MDSC, glycidol-coated FND were conjugated with antibodies against the murine MDSC markers, CD11b and GR1 (dual-Ab FND). In vitro, dual-Ab FND uptake by murine MDSC was significantly higher than IgG-coated FND (94.7% vs. 69.0%, p < 0.05). In vivo, intra-tumorally injected dual-Ab FND primarily localized to the tumor 2 and 24 h post-injection, as measured by in vivo fluorescence imaging and flow cytometry analysis of the spleen and tumor. Dual-Ab FND were preferentially taken up by intra-tumoral MDSC, representing 87.1% and 83.0% of FND+ cells in the tumor 2 and 24 h post-injection, respectively. Treatment of mice with anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy prior to intra-tumoral injection of dual-Ab FND did not significantly alter the uptake of FND by MDSC. These results demonstrate the ability of our novel dual-antibody conjugated FND to target MDSC and reveal a potential strategy for targeted delivery to other specific immune cell populations in future cancer research.

Designing functionalized nanodiamonds with hyaluronic acid-phospholipid conjugates for enhanced cancer cell targeting and fluorescence imaging capabilities

Nanomedicine aims to develop smart approaches for treating cancer and other diseases to improve patient survival and quality of life. Novel nanoparticles as nanodiamonds (NDs) represent promising candidates to overcome current limitations. In this study, NDs were functionalized with a 200 kDa hyaluronic acid-phospholipid conjugate (HA/DMPE), enhancing the stability of the nanoparticles in water-based solutions and selectivity for cancer cells overexpressing specific HA cluster determinant 44 (CD44) receptors. These nanoparticles were characterized by diffuse reflectance Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and photoluminescence spectroscopy, confirming the efficacy of the functionalization process. Scanning electron microscopy was employed to evaluate the size distribution of the dry particles, while dynamic light scattering and zeta potential measurements were utilized to evaluate ND behavior in a water-based medium. Furthermore, the ND biocompatibility and uptake mediated by CD44 receptors in three different models of human adenocarcinoma cells were assessed by performing cytofluorimetric assay and confocal microscopy. HA-functionalized nanodiamonds demonstrated the advantage of active targeting in the presence of cancer cells expressing CD44 on the surface, suggesting higher drug delivery to tumors over non-tumor tissues. Even CD44-poorly expressing cancers could be targeted by the NDs, thanks to their good passive diffusion within cancer cells.

Fluorescent nanodiamonds as innovative delivery systems for MiR-34a replacement in breast cancer

Nanodiamonds are innovative nanocrystalline carbon particles able to deliver chemically conjugated miRNAs. In oncology, the use of miRNA-based therapies may represent an advantage, based on their ability to simultaneously target multiple intracellular oncogenic targets. Here, nanodiamonds were tested and optimized to deliver miR-34a, a miRNA playing a key role in inhibiting tumor development and progression in many cancers. The physical-chemical properties of nanodiamonds were investigated suggesting electrical stability and uniformity of structure and size. Moreover, we evaluated nanodiamond cytotoxicity on two breast cancer cell models and confirmed their excellent biocompatibility. Subsequently, nanodiamonds were conjugated with miR-34a, using the chemical crosslinker polyethyleneimine; real-time PCR analysis revealed a higher level of miR-34a in cancer cells treated with the different formulations of nanodiamonds than with commercial transfectant. A significant and early nanodiamond-miR-34a uptake was recorded by FACS and fluorescence microscopy analysis in MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 cells. Moreover, nanodiamond-miR-34a significantly inhibited both cell proliferation and migration. Finally, a remarkable anti-tumor effect of miR-34a-conjugated nanodiamonds was observed in both heterotopic and orthotopic murine xenograft models. In conclusion, this study provides a rationale for the development of new therapeutic strategies based on use of miR-34a delivered by nanodiamonds to improve the clinical treatment of neoplasms.

Emerging biomedical imaging-based companion diagnostics for precision medicine

The tumor heterogeneity, which leads to individual variations in tumor microenvironments, causes poor prognoses and limits therapeutic response. Emerging technology such as companion diagnostics (CDx) detects biomarkers and monitors therapeutic responses, allowing identification of patients who would benefit most from treatment. However, currently, most US Food and Drug Administration-approved CDx tests are designed to detect biomarkers in vitro and ex vivo, making it difficult to dynamically report variations of targets in vivo. Various medical imaging techniques offer dynamic measurement of tumor heterogeneity and treatment response, complementing CDx tests. Imaging-based companion diagnostics allow for patient stratification for targeted medicines and identification of patient populations benefiting from alternative therapeutic methods. This review summarizes recent developments in molecular imaging for predicting and assessing responses to cancer therapies, as well as the various biomarkers used in imaging-based CDx tests. We hope this review provides informative insights into imaging-based companion diagnostics and advances precision medicine.

Biomedical applications of nanodiamonds: From drug-delivery to diagnostics

Advances in nanotechnology have great potential to address many unmet clinical and biomedical needs. Nanodiamonds, as a class of carbon nanoparticles with unique properties, may be useful towards a versatile range of biomedical applications from drug delivery to diagnostics. This review describes how these properties of nanodiamonds facilitate their application in different fields of biomedicine, including delivery of chemotherapy drugs, peptides, proteins, nucleic acids and biosensors. Additionally, clinical potential of nanodiamonds, with studies in both preclinical and clinical stages, is also reviewed here, highlighting the translational potential of nanodiamonds in biomedical research.

NanoBeacon.AI: AI-Enhanced Nanodiamond Biosensor for Automated Sensitivity Prediction to Oxidative Phosphorylation Inhibitors

Spalt-like transcription factor 4 (SALL4) is an oncofetal protein that has been identified to drive cancer progression in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and hematological malignancies. Furthermore, a high SALL4 expression level is correlated to poor prognosis in these cancers. However, SALL4 lacks well-structured small-molecule binding pockets, making it difficult to design targeted inhibitors. SALL4-induced expression of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) genes may serve as a therapeutically targetable vulnerability in HCC through OXPHOS inhibition. Because OXPHOS functions through a set of genes with intertumoral heterogeneous expression, identifying therapeutic sensitivity to OXPHOS inhibitors may not rely on a single clear biomarker. Here, we developed a workflow that utilized molecular beacons, nucleic-acid-based, activatable sensors with high specificity to the target mRNA, delivered by nanodiamonds, to establish an artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted platform for rapid evaluation of patient-specific drug sensitivity. Specifically, when the HCC cells were treated with the nanodiamond-medicated OXPHOS biosensor, high sensitivity and specificity of the sensor allowed for improved identification of OXPHOS expression in cells. Assisted by a trained convolutional neural network, drug sensitivity of cells toward an OXPHOS inhibitor, IACS-010759, could be accurately predicted. AI-assisted OXPHOS drug sensitivity assessment could be accomplished within 1 day, enabling rapid and efficient clinical decision support for HCC treatment. The work proposed here serves as a foundation for the patient-based subtype-specific therapeutic research platform and is well suited for precision medicine.

Poly(Glycerol)-Based Biomedical Nanodevices Constructed by Functional Programming on Inorganic Nanoparticles for Cancer Nanomedicine

Nanomedicine is promising to improve conventional cancer medicine by making diagnosis and therapy more accurate and more effective in a more personalized manner. A key of the cancer nanomedicine is construction of medical nanodevices by programming various requisite functions to nanoparticles (NPs). As compared to that of soft NPs, including organic micelles and polymers, fabrication of an inorganic NP based nanodevice is still challenging; the approved nanoformulations have been confined to the limited number of superparamagnetic iron oxide NPs (SPIONs). The major challenges lie in how to program the requisite functions to inorganic NPs. In spite the much denser and less hydrophilic properties of inorganic NPs, most of the following functions have to be programmed for their in vivo applications: (A) high dispersibility in a physiological environment, (B) high stealth efficiency to slip through the trap by liver and spleen, (C) high targeting efficiency to cancer tissue, (D) clear visualization of cancer for diagnosis, and (E) high anticancer activity for treatment.In our approach, poly(glycerol) (PG), containing a hydroxy group at every monomer unit, was found as a better alternative to poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), the most commonly used hydrophilic polymer, giving (A) high dispersibility to inorganic NPs. Although most of the inorganic NPs are not dense in functional groups, the hyperbranched structure with many hydroxy groups in PG turns the less functional surface into highly functional one, imparting not only good hydrophilicity but also (B) high stealth efficiency as we reported recently. In addition, a number of hydroxy groups in PG afford the structural or functional extensibility to introduce the additional layer or function. This enables us to design and construct a three-layer architecture consisting of a core inorganic NP, a hydrophilic and stealthy PG layer, and a functional molecule layer, where their interfaces are connected firmly by covalent bonds. The three-layered nanodevice is very flexible in its design for the following reasons: The PG coating can be applied to a wide variety of inorganic NPs with various functions, and various functional moieties can be introduced on the PG layer as a functional molecule layer. Owing to the versatility of the three-layer model, the rest of the above functions (C)-(E) can be programed in the NP core and/or the outmost layer in nanodevices.In this Account, the author described first the methodology for precise construction and quantitative characterization of various biomedical nanodevices. This fundamental aspect of this research has been achieved by "applying organic chemistry to nanomaterials" which is the concept of our research. That is, the rich chemistry in synthesis and characterization of organic compounds has been applied to the nanodevice fabrication and characterization. Second, evaluation of the functions programmed in the nanodevices is described in terms of stealth and targeting efficiencies, cancer diagnosis and therapy, and biomedical sensing. This stage in our research made us more interdisciplinary from chemistry and nanoscience to biology and medicine. The following research spiral has been established in our group to strongly promote the improvement of our biomedical nanodevices; nanodevice design → precise construction → quantitative characterization → functional evaluation.

The Antibacterial Effect, Biocompatibility, and Osteogenesis of Vancomycin-Nanodiamond Composite Scaffold for Infected Bone Defects

Purpose

The repair and treatment of infected bone defects (IBD) is a common challenge faced by orthopedic clinics, medical materials science, and tissue engineering.

Methods

Based on the treatment requirements of IBD, we utilized multidisciplinary knowledge from clinical medicine, medical materials science, and tissue engineering to construct a high-efficiency vancomycin sustained-release system with nanodiamond (ND) and prepare a composite scaffold. Its effect on IBD treatment was assessed from materials, cytology, bacteriology, and zoology perspectives.

Results

The results demonstrated that the Van-ND-45S5 scaffold exhibited an excellent antibacterial effect, biocompatibility, and osteogenesis in vitro. Moreover, an efficient animal model of IBD was established, and a Van-ND-45S5 scaffold was implanted into the IBD. Radiographic and histological analyses and bone repair-related protein expression, confirmed that the Van-ND-45S5 scaffold had good biocompatibility and osteogenic and anti-infective activities in vivo.

Conclusion

Collectively, our findings support that the Van-ND-45S5 scaffold is a promising new material and approach for treating IBD with good antibacterial effects, biocompatibility, and osteogenesis.

New insight into the application of fluorescence platforms in tumor diagnosis: From chemical basis to clinical application

Early and rapid diagnosis of tumors is essential for clinical treatment or management. In contrast to conventional means, bioimaging has the potential to accurately locate and diagnose tumors at an early stage. Fluorescent probe has been developed as an ideal tool to visualize tumor sites and to detect biological molecules which provides a requirement for noninvasive, real-time, precise, and specific visualization of structures and complex biochemical processes in vivo. Rencently, the development of synthetic organic chemistry and new materials have facilitated the development of near-infrared small molecular sensing platforms and nanoimaging platforms. This provides a competitive tool for various fields of bioimaging such as biological structure and function imaging, disease diagnosis, in situ at the in vivo level, and real-time dynamic imaging. This review systematically focused on the recent progress of small molecular near-infrared fluorescent probes and nano-fluorescent probes as new biomedical imaging tools in the past 3-5 years, and it covers the application of tumor biomarker sensing, tumor microenvironment imaging, and tumor vascular imaging, intraoperative guidance and as an integrated platform for diagnosis, aiming to provide guidance for researchers to design and develop future biomedical diagnostic tools.

Nanodiamonds as Possible Tools for Improved Management of Bladder Cancer and Bacterial Cystitis

Nanodiamonds (NDs) are a class of carbon nanomaterials with sizes ranging from a few nm to micrometres. Due to their excellent physical, chemical and optical properties, they have recently attracted much attention in biomedicine. In addition, their exceptional biocompatibility and the possibility of precise surface functionalisation offer promising opportunities for biological applications such as cell labelling and imaging, as well as targeted drug delivery. However, using NDs for selective targeting of desired biomolecules within a complex biological system remains challenging. Urinary bladder cancer and bacterial cystitis are major diseases of the bladder with high incidence and poor treatment options. In this review, we present: (i) the synthesis, properties and functionalisation of NDs; (ii) recent advances in the study of various NDs used for better treatment of bladder cancer and (iii) bacterial cystitis; and (iv) the use of NDs in theranostics of these diseases.

General Method to Increase Carboxylic Acid Content on Nanodiamonds

Carboxylic acid is a commonly utilized functional group for covalent surface conjugation of carbon nanoparticles that is typically generated by acid oxidation. However, acid oxidation generates additional oxygen containing groups, including epoxides, ketones, aldehydes, lactones, and alcohols. We present a method to specifically enrich the carboxylic acid content on fluorescent nanodiamond (FND) surfaces. Lithium aluminum hydride is used to reduce oxygen containing surface groups to alcohols. The alcohols are then converted to carboxylic acids through a rhodium (II) acetate catalyzed carbene insertion reaction with tert–butyl diazoacetate and subsequent ester cleavage with trifluoroacetic acid. This carboxylic acid enrichment process significantly enhanced nanodiamond homogeneity and improved the efficiency of functionalizing the FND surface. Biotin functionalized fluorescent nanodiamonds were demonstrated to be robust and stable single-molecule fluorescence and optical trapping probes.

Quantum nanodiamonds for sensing of biological quantities: Angle, temperature, and thermal conductivity

Measuring physical quantities in the nanometric region inside single cells is of great importance for understanding cellular activity. Thus, the development of biocompatible, sensitive, and reliable nanobiosensors is essential for progress in biological research. Diamond nanoparticles containing nitrogen-vacancy centers (NVCs), referred to as fluorescent nanodiamonds (FNDs), have recently emerged as the sensors that show great promise for ultrasensitive nanosensing of physical quantities. FNDs emit stable fluorescence without photobleaching. Additionally, their distinctive magneto-optical properties enable an optical readout of the quantum states of the electron spin in NVC under ambient conditions. These properties enable the quantitative sensing of physical parameters (temperature, magnetic field, electric field, pH, etc.) in the vicinity of an FND; hence, FNDs are often described as “quantum sensors”. In this review, recent advancements in biosensing applications of FNDs are summarized. First, the principles of orientation and temperature sensing using FND quantum sensors are explained. Next, we introduce surface coating techniques indispensable for controlling the physicochemical properties of FNDs. The achievements of practical biological sensing using surface-coated FNDs, including orientation, temperature, and thermal conductivity, are then highlighted. Finally, the advantages, challenges, and perspectives of the quantum sensing of FND are discussed. This review article is an extended version of the Japanese article, In Situ Measurement of Intracellular Thermal Conductivity Using Diamond Nanoparticle, published in SEIBUTSU BUTSURI Vol. 62, p. 122–124 (2022).

Modification of carbon-based nanomaterials by polyglycerol: recent advances and applications

Hyperbranched polymers, a subclass of dendritic polymers, mimic nature's components such as trees and nerves. Hyperbranched polyglycerol (HPG) is a hyperbranched polyether with outstanding physicochemical properties, including high water-solubility and functionality, biocompatibility, and an antifouling feature. HPG has attracted great interest in the modification of different objects, in particular carbon-based nanomaterials. In this review, recent advances in the synthesis and application of HPG to modify carbon-based nanomaterials, including graphene, carbon nanotubes, fullerene, nanodiamonds, carbon dots, and carbon fibers, are reviewed.

Enhanced penetrative siRNA delivery by a nanodiamond drug delivery platform against hepatocellular carcinoma 3D models

Small interfering RNA (siRNA) can cause specific gene silencing and is considered promising for treating a variety of cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, siRNA has many undesirable physicochemical properties that limit its application. Additionally, conventional methods for delivering siRNA are limited in their ability to penetrate solid tumors. In this study, nanodiamonds (NDs) were evaluated as a nanoparticle drug delivery platform for improved siRNA delivery into tumor cells. Our results demonstrated that ND-siRNA complexes could effectively be formed through electrostatic interactions. The ND-siRNA complexes allowed for efficient cellular uptake and endosomal escape that protects siRNA from degradation. Moreover, ND delivery of siRNA was more effective at penetrating tumor spheroids compared to liposomal formulations. This enhanced penetration capacity makes NDs ideal vehicles to deliver siRNA against solid tumor masses as efficient gene knockdown and decreased tumor cell proliferation were observed in tumor spheroids. Evaluation of ND-siRNA complexes within the context of a 3D cancer disease model demonstrates the potential of NDs as a promising gene delivery platform against solid tumors, such as HCC.

The expression of VEGF and VEGFR in endotoxin induced otitis media with effusion in rats

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the expression and correlation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptor with hypoxia-inducible factor-1 α (HIF-1 α) in otitis media with effusion (OME).

METHODS

A rat model of OME was induced by injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) into the middle ear. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining was used to observe the pathomorphological changes of the tympanic cavity in the middle ear of rats. Immunohistochemistry (IHC), western blotting and RT-qPCR were used to determine the mRNA and protein expression of VEGF, VEGFR-1, VEGFR-2 and HIF-1α in mucosa of tympanic cavity mucosa, respectively.

RESULTS

In the OME group, the epithelial space of the middle ear mucosa was significantly thickened and infiltration of a large number of inflammatory cells was found on postoperative day (POD), and the otitis media basically subsided 2 weeks after operation. VEGF mRNA expression was significantly increased on POD 1, and its protein expression peaked on POD 3. HIF-1α mRNA expression was significantly increased and peaked on POD 1, while its protein expression began to increase on POD 3 and was significantly expressed in the middle ear mucosal epithelium. HIF-1α mRNA showed a positive correlation with VEGF mRNA and VEGFR-1 mRNA expression.

CONCLUSION

VEGF mainly plays a role in the acute phase of OME, and it is abundantly expressed mediated by HIF-1α. And then it play a role in vasodilatation and increase of vascular permeability, thus promoting the generation of middle ear effusion.

Antibody Conjugation of Fluorescent Nanodiamonds for Targeted Innate Immune Cell Activation

BACKGROUND

fluorescent nanodiamonds (FND) are nontoxic, infinitely photostable nanoparticles that emit near-infrared fluorescence and have a modifiable surface allowing for the generation of protein-FND conjugates. FND-mediated immune cell targeting may serve as a strategy to visualize immune cells and promote immune cell activation.

METHODS

uncoated-FND (uFND) were fabricated, coated with glycidol (gFND), and conjugated with immunoglobulin G (IgG-gFND). In vitro studies were performed using a breast cancer/natural killer/monocyte co-culture system, and in vivo studies were performed using a breast cancer mouse model.

RESULTS

in vitro studies demonstrated the targeted immune cell uptake of IgG-gFND, resulting in significant immune cell activation and no compromise in immune cell viability. IgG-gFND remained at the tumor site following intratumoral injection compared to uFND which migrated to the liver and kidneys.

CONCLUSION

antibody-conjugated FND may serve as immune drug delivery vehicles with "track and trace capabilities" to promote directed antitumor activity and minimize systemic toxicities.

A tumor-targeted, intracellular activatable and theranostic nanodiamond drug platform for strongly enhanced in vivo antitumor therapy

Enhancing tumor homing and improving the efficacy of drugs are urgent needs for cancer treatment. Herein a novel targeted, intracellularly activatable fluorescence and cytotoxicity nanodiamond (ND) drug system (ND-PEG-HYD-FA/DOX, NPHF/D) was successfully prepared based on doxorubicin (DOX) and folate (FA) covalently bound to PEGylated NDs, in which the DOX was covalently coupled via an intracellularly hydrolyzable hydrazone bond that was stable in the physiological environment to ensure minimal drug release in circulation. Cell uptake studies demonstrated the selective internalization of NPHF/D by folate receptor (FR) mediated endocytosis in the order MCF-7 > HeLa > HepG2 ≫ CHO, using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and flow cytometry. Interestingly, the DOX fluorescence of NPHF/D was significantly quenched, while the fluorescence recovery and cytotoxicity took place by low pH regulation in intracellular lysosomes, which made NPHF/D act as a fluorescence OFF-ON messenger for activatable imaging and cancer therapy. Of note, NPHF/D significantly inhibited the growth of tumors. Simultaneously, it was demonstrated that the introduction of FA and the cleavability of the hydrazone greatly enhanced the therapeutic performance of NPHF/D. In addition, toxicity studies in mice verified that the composites were devoid of any detected hepatotoxicity, cardiotoxicity, and nephrotoxicity using histopathology and blood biochemistry studies. Our work provides a novel strategy for cancer therapy, using ND-conjugated cancer drugs, and the exploration of theranostic drug-delivery systems.

Targeting Nanodiamonds to the Nucleus in Yeast Cells

Nanodiamonds are widely used for drug delivery, labelling or nanoscale sensing. For all these applications it is highly beneficial to have control over the intracellular location of the particles. For the first time, we have achieved targeting the nucleus of yeast cells. In terms of particle uptake, these cells are challenging due to their rigid cell wall. Thus, we used a spheroplasting protocol to remove the cell wall prior to uptake. To achieve nuclear targeting we used nanodiamonds, which were attached to antibodies. When using non-targeted particles, only 20% end up at the nucleus. In comparison, by using diamonds linked to antibodies, 70% of the diamond particles reach the nucleus.

Smart stimuli-responsive biopolymeric nanomedicines for targeted therapy of solid tumors

Solid tumors form a permissive microenvironment with irregular features, including high pressured tumor interstitial fluid with acidic pH, co-adaptation of cancer cells with other cells like the immune system cells, abnormal metabolism and anomalous overexpression of various pieces of molecular machinery. The functional expressions of several oncomarkers in different solid tumors have led to the development of targeted drug-delivery systems (DDSs). As a new class of DDSs, stimuli-responsive nanomedicines (SRNMs) have been developed using advanced nanobiomaterials such as biopolymers that show excellent biocompatibility with low inherent immunogenicity. In this review, we aim to overview different types of SRNMs, present deep insights into the stimuli-responsive biopolymers and discuss the most up-to-date progress in the design and development of SRNMs used as advanced DDSs for targeted therapy of cancer.

A Perspective on Fluorescent Nanodiamond Bioimaging

The field of fluorescent nanodiamonds (FNDs) has advanced greatly over the past few years. Though historically limited primarily to red fluorescence, the wavelengths available for nanodiamonds have increased due to continuous technical advancement. This Review summarizes the strides made in the synthesis, functionalization, and application of FNDs to bioimaging. Highlights range from super-resolution microscopy, through cellular and whole animal imaging, up to constantly emerging fields including sensing and hyperpolarized magnetic resonance imaging.

Biocompatibility studies of fluorescent diamond particles-(NV)~800nm (part V): in vitro kinetics and in vivo localization in rat liver following long-term exposure

Background

We recently reported on long-term comprehensive biocompatibility and biodistribution study of fluorescent nanodiamond particles (NV)-Z-average 800nm (FNDP-(NV)) in rats. FNDP-(NV) primary deposition was found in the liver, yet liver function tests remained normal.

Purpose

The present study aimed to gain preliminary insights on discrete localization of FNDP-(NV) in liver cells of the hepatic lobule unit and venous micro-vasculature. Kinetics of FDNP-(NV) uptake into liver cells surrogates in culture was conducted along with cell cytokinesis as markers of cells' viability.

Methods

Preserved liver specimens from a pilot consisting of two animals which were stained for cytoskeletal elements (fluorescein-isothiocyanate-phalloidin) were examined for distribution of FNDP-(NV) by fluorescent microscopy (FM) and Confocal-FM (CFM) using near infra-red fluorescence (NIR). Hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HepG-2) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were cultured with FNDP-(NV) and assayed for particle uptake and location using spectrophotometric technology and microscopy.

Results

HepG-2 and HUVEC displayed rapid (<30 mins) onset and concentration-dependent FNDP-(NV) internalization and formation of peri-nuclear corona. FM/CFM of liver sections revealed FNDP-(NV) presence throughout the hepatic lobules structures marked by spatial distribution, venous microvascular spaces and parenchyma and non-parenchyma cells.

Conclusion

The robust presence of FNDP-(NV) throughout the hepatic lobules including those internalized within parenchyma cells and agglomerates in the liver venous micro-circulation were not associated with macro or micro histopathological signs nor vascular lesions. Cells cultures indicated normal cytokinesis in cells containing FNDP-(NV) agglomerates. Liver parenchyma cells and the liver microcirculation remain agnostic to presence of FNDP-(NV) in the sinusoids or internalized in the hepatic cells.