Abstract #1810

Li H, Chen J, Glickson J, Zheng G, Corbin I

Synopsis. Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) are a naturally occurring endogenous nanoplatform in mammals. Lipophilic Gd-DTPA chelates have been incorporated into LDL to produce novel LDL receptor-targeted MRI contrast agents. In vitro studies demonstrated that Gd-labeled LDL retained the physical and functional properties of the native LDL particle. In vivo studies show that 24 hrs following iv injection of Gd-labeled LDL into nude mice with HepG2 tumor xenografts that significant contrast enhancement was evident within the tumor. Thus, Gd-labeled LDL demonstrates potential utility as a receptor targeted MRI contrast agent for in vivo tumor detection.