International journal of nanomedicine
Folic Acid-Conjugated Albumin-Stabilized Gold-Terbium Nanoparticles for SPCCT/MRI Imaging: An in vitro Cellular and Phantom Study
By Ibrahim YO, Maalej N, Raja AY and 7 others.
Abstract
Introduction
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) remains challenging to image because of its biological heterogeneity and the limitations of single-modality imaging. Multifunctional nanoparticles may provide complementary contrast for spectral photon-counting CT (SPCCT) and MRI, potentially improving multimodal tumor imaging.
Methods
Folic acid-conjugated, albumin-stabilized gold-terbium nanoparticles (BSA@Au/Tb-FA) were synthesized and characterized using TEM, XRD, FTIR, XPS, and DLS. In vitro cellular uptake, cytotoxicity, and hemocompatibility were evaluated using MDA-MB-231 cells using confocal microscopy and flow cytometry. SPCCT and MRI performance were assessed in phantom models.