Gold nanoparticles conjugated with DNA aptamer for photoacoustic detection of human matrix metalloproteinase-9

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Jinhwan Kim, Georgia Institute of Technology; Anthony M Yu, Georgia Institute of Technology; Kelsey P Kubelick, Georgia Institute of Technology; Stanislav Emelianov, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2021-10-15
• Publisher: ELSEVIER GMBH
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2021 Published by Elsevier GmbH.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pacs.2021.100307
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: PHOTOACOUSTICS
• Volume: 25
• Start Page: 100307
• End Page: 100307
• Grant/Funding Information: This work was supported by the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF-20-043) and the National Institute of Health (EB015007, EY030071, NS102860, NS117613).
• Keywords: Gold nanoparticles; Science & Technology; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; Nanosensors; DNA aptamers; Instruments & Instrumentation; Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging; Matrix metalloproteinase-9; Technology; PLASMON RESONANCE; Engineering; Engineering, Biomedical; MMP-2; Acoustics; MATRIX METALLOPROTEINASES; Photoacoustic imaging
• Research Categories: Engineering, Biomedical

Abstract

Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) plays major roles in extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling and membrane protein cleavage, suggesting a high correlation with cancer cell invasion and tumor metastasis. Here, we present a contrast agent based on a DNA aptamer that can selectively target human MMP-9 in the tumor microenvironment (TME) with high affinity and sensitivity. Surface modification of plasmonic gold nanospheres with the MMP-9 aptamer and its complementary sequences allows the nanospheres to aggregate in the presence of human MMP-9 through DNA displacement and hybridization. Aggregation of gold nanospheres enhances the optical absorption in the first near-infrared window (NIR-I) due to the plasmon coupling effect, thereby allowing us to detect the aggregated gold nanospheres within the TME via ultrasound-guided photoacoustic (US/PA) imaging. Selective and sensitive detection of human MMP-9 via US/PA imaging is demonstrated in solution of nanosensors with the pre-treatment of human MMP-9, in vitro in cell culture, and in vivo in a xenograft murine model of human breast cancer.