Radiolabeled Molecular Imaging Probes for the in Vivo Evaluation of Cellulose Nanocrystals for Biomedical Applications

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) have remarkable potential to improve the delivery of diagnostic and therapeutic agents to tumors, however, the in vivo studies on CNC biodistribution are still limited. We developed CNC-based imaging probes for the in vitro and in vivo evaluation using two labeling strategies: site-specific hydrazone linkage to the terminal aldehyde of the CNC and non-site-specific activation using 1,1’-carbonyldiimidazole (CDI). The in vivo behavior of unmodified CNC, DOTA-CNC (ald.), and DOTA-CNC (OH) was investigated in healthy and 4T1 breast cancer mouse models. They displayed good biocompatibility in cell models. Moreover, the biodistribution profile and SPECT/CT imaging confirmed that the accumulation of 111In-labeled DOTA-CNC (ald.) and 111In-DOTA-CNC (OH) was primarily in hepatic, splenic, and pulmonary ducts in accordance with the clearance of nontargeted nanoparticles. The developed CNC imaging probes can be used to obtain information with non-invasive imaging on the behavior in vivo to guide structural optimization for targeted delivery.