Hugo Groult1,
2, Andrea Bianchi3, Moreno Zamai4, Jesus
Ruiz-Cabello1, Yannick Crmillieux3, Fernando
Herranz-Rabanal1
1Advanced
imaging unit, CNIC (centro nacional de investigaciones cardiovasculares),
Madrid, Spain; 2CIBERES (Centro de Investigacon biomedica en red
Enfermedades Respitorias), Bunyola,, Mallorca, Spain; 3Cardio-thoracic
Center of Bordeaux, University of Bordeaux Segalen, Bordeaux, Aquitaine,
France; 4Microscopy and Dynamic imaging Unit, CNIC (centro
nacional de investigaciones cardiovasculares), Madrid, Spain
One of the most attractive approaches in molecular imaging is the combination of fluorescence with MRI, providing high sensitivity and resolution together with structural and functional data. We present here the physicochemical characterization and the in vitro and in vivo multimodal study (MR and fluorescence imaging) of a new class of nanoparticles based on UpConverting NanoPhosphors albumin-coated. These nanoparticles present the unique feature of converting low energy near-infrared (NIR) light into higher visible light and/or NIR emission, which allow to overcome all the typical problems of fluorescent probes. At the same time they can be combined to MR imaging modality.