Gold nanoparticles conjugated with epidermal growth factor and gadolinium for precision delivery of contrast agents in magnetic resonance imaging

The utilization of contrast agents in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become increasingly important in clinical diagnosis. However, the low diagnostic specificity of this technique is a limiting factor for the early detection of tumors. To develop a new contrast agent with a specific target for early stage tumors, we present the synthesis and characterization of a nanocontrast composed of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), gadopentetic acid (Gd-DTPA), and epidermal growth factor (EGF). Carbodiimide-based chemistry was utilized to modify Gd-DTPA for functionalization with AuNPs. This resulted in the formation of the Au@Gd-EGF nanocontrast. The relaxation rate (1/T1) of the nanocontrast was analyzed using MRI, and cytotoxicity was determined based on cell viability and mitochondrial activity in a human breast adenocarcinoma cell line. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analysis confirmed the effectiveness of carbodiimide in the formation of the Gd-DTPA-cysteamine complex in the presence of bands at 930, 1042, 1232, 1588, and 1716 cm(-1). The complexes exhibited good interactions with the AuNPs. However, the signal intensity of the Au@Gd-EGF nanocontrast was lower than that of the commercial contrast agent because the r1/r2 relaxivities of the Gd-DTPA-based contrast agents were lower than those of the gadoversetamide-based molecules. The Au@Gd-EGF nanocontrast agent exhibited good biocompatibility, low cytotoxicity, and high signal intensity in MRI with active targeted delivery, suggesting significant potential for future applications in the early diagnosis of tumors.