As a natural polysaccharide polymer, glycogen possesses suitable properties for use as a nanoparticle carrier in cancer theranostics. Not only it is inherently biocompatible, it can also be easily chemically modified with various moieties. Synthetic glycogen conjugates can passively accumulate in tumours due to enhanced permeability of tumour vessels and limited lymphatic drainage (the EPR effect). For this study, we developed and examined a glycogen-based carrier containing a gadolinium chelate and near-infrared fluorescent dye. Our aim was to monitor biodistribution and accumulation in tumour-bearing rats using magnetic resonance and fluorescence imaging. Our data clearly show that these conjugates possess suitable imaging and tumour-targeting properties, and are safe under both in vitro and in vivo conditions. Additional modification of glycogen polymers with poly(2-alkyl-2-oxazolines) led to a reduction in the elimination rate and lower uptake in internal organs (lower whole-body background: 45% and 27% lower MRI signals of oxazoline-based conjugates in the liver and kidneys, respectively compared to the unmodified version). Our results highlight the potential of multimodal glycogen-based nanopolymers as a carrier for drug delivery systems in tumour diagnosis and treatment.

• MeSH
• Glycogen administration & dosage   MeSH
• Rats MeSH
• Drug Delivery Systems * MeSH
• Cell Line, Tumor MeSH
• Neoplasms drug therapy   MeSH
• Antineoplastic Agents administration & dosage   MeSH
• Theranostic Nanomedicine * MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Rats MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Glycogen MeSH
• Antineoplastic Agents MeSH

Over the last few years, the development and relevance of 19F magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for use in clinical practice has emerged. MRI using fluorinated probes enables the achievement of a specific signal with high contrast in MRI images. However, to ensure sufficient sensitivity of 19F MRI, fluorine probes with a high content of chemically equivalent fluorine atoms are required. The majority of 19F MRI agents are perfluorocarbon emulsions, which have a broad range of applications in molecular imaging, although the content of fluorine atoms in these molecules is limited. In this review, we focus mainly on polymer probes that allow higher fluorine content and represent versatile platforms with properties tailorable to a plethora of biomedical in vivo applications. We discuss the chemical development, up to the first imaging applications, of these promising fluorine probes, including injectable polymers that form depots that are intended for possible use in cancer therapy.

• Keywords
• 19F MRI probe, Fluorine, Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), Molecular imaging, Polymer,
• MeSH
• Fluorine chemistry   MeSH
• Fluorocarbons chemistry   MeSH
• Hydrogen-Ion Concentration MeSH
• Contrast Media chemistry   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Molecular Probes chemistry   MeSH
• Molecular Imaging instrumentation   methods   MeSH
• Mice MeSH
• Polymers chemistry   MeSH
• Scattering, Radiation MeSH
• Reactive Oxygen Species metabolism   MeSH
• Light MeSH
• Temperature MeSH
• Fluorine-19 Magnetic Resonance Imaging methods   trends   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Mice MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Review MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Fluorine MeSH
• Fluorocarbons MeSH
• Contrast Media MeSH
• Molecular Probes MeSH
• Polymers MeSH
• Reactive Oxygen Species MeSH