Session M5.4

Engineering Molecular Imaging Probes for Nanocardiology

G Bao*

Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA, USA

The integration of biomolecular engineering, nanotechnology and biology is expected to produce major breakthroughs in diagnostics and therapeutics of cardiovascular disease. Due to the size-compatibility of nano-scale structures with proteins and nucleic acids, the understanding, creation and use of biomolecular complexes provides unprecedented opportunities for achieving a better control of biological processes, and drastic improvements in disease detection, therapy, and prevention. Recent advances include the development of functional nanoparticles, activatable molecular probes, nano-structured materials and devices, and engineered nanomachines for biological and biomedical applications. We have developed molecular imaging probes, including molecular beacons, magnetic nanoparticle probes, and quantum-dot bio-conjugates for cardiovascular applications. We found that the molecular beacons could detect specific stress-sensitive genes in living cells with high specificity, and can be applied to stem cell research. We also found that fluorescent protein (FP) and quantum dot (QD) form excellent fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) pairs in that FPs are efficient acceptors for QD donors with up to 90% quenching of QD fluorescence. We have systematically tuned superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) nanoparticles as an MR contract agent and applied the SPIO probes for molecular imaging of atherosclerotic plaques. The research activities in the NIH-funded Program of Excellence in Nanotechnology at Emory University and Georgia Tech are also discussed.

(Abstract Control Number: 225)