PEGylated polyethylenimine-entrapped gold nanoparticles modified with folic acid for targeted tumor CT imaging

• PEGylated PEI can be used as a template for the synthesis of AuNPs.
• The FA-Au PENPs are water soluble, stable, and cytocompatible in a given concentration range.
• The FA-Au PENPs are able to target cancer cells overexpressing FA receptors.
• The FA-Au PENPs can be used as a nanoprobe for targeted tumor CT imaging.

Development of various cost-effective contrast agents for targeted tumor computed tomography (CT) imaging still remains a great challenge. Herein, we present a facile approach to forming folic acid (FA)-targeted multifunctional gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) using cost-effective branched polyethylenimine (PEI) modified with polyethylene glycol (PEG) as a template for tumor CT imaging applications. In this work, PEI sequentially modified with PEG monomethyl ether, FA-linked PEG, and fluorescein isothiocyanate was used as a template to synthesize AuNPs, followed by transformation of the remaining PEI surface amines to acetamides. The formed FA-targeted PEI-entrapped AuNPs (FA-Au PENPs) were fully characterized. We show that the formed FA-Au PENPs with an Au core size of 2.1 nm are water soluble, colloidally stable, and non-cytotoxic in a given concentration range. Flow cytometry and confocal microscopy data reveal that the FA-Au PENPs are able to target cancer cells overexpressing FA receptors (FAR). Importantly, the developed FA-Au PENPs can be used as a nanoprobe for targeted CT imaging of FAR-expressing cancer cells in vitro and the xenografted tumor model in vivo. With the demonstrated biocompatibility by organ biodistribution and histological studies, the designed FA-Au PENPs may hold great promise to be used as a nanoprobe for CT imaging of different FAR-overexpressing tumors.

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