Yoshinori Kato1,
2, Wenlian Zhu1, Marina V. Backer3, Ronnie C.
Mease, 14, Susanta K. Sarkar5, Joseph M. Backer3,
Dmitri Artemov1, 2
1JHU
ICMIC Program, The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological
Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD,
United States; 2Department of Oncology, The Sidney Kimmel
Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine,
Baltimore, MD, United States; 3SibTech, Inc., Brookfield, CT,
United States; 4Division of Neuroradiology, The Russell H. Morgan
Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins
University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; 5Translational/Clinical
Imaging, Sanofi Oncology, Cambridge, MA, United States
Molecular imaging of cancer vasculature via vascular endothelial growth factor receptors (VEGFR) can be important for image-guided drug delivery and for evaluation of the efficacy of anti-angiogenic therapy. Single-chain VEGF (scVEGF)-decorated liposomes loaded with GdDTPA and superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) can serve as a theranostic (therapeutic and imaging) platform that provides targeted delivery of therapeutic agents and MRI probes to tumor vasculature, and simultaneous monitoring of the stability of the carrier. Unique MR contrast enhancement patterns can reliably report the delivery of intact carriers to the target site and the release of the therapeutic cargo.