In this study QDs were encapsulated in carboxylated PluronicF127 (F127COOH) triblock polymeric
micelles and conjugated with anti-
mesothelin antibody for the purpose of alleviating potential toxicity, enhancing the stability and improving targeting efficiency of CdTe/ZnS
quantum dots (QDs) in
tumors. The amphiphilic triblock
polymer of F127COOH contains hydrophilic carboxylated poly(
ethylene oxide) (PEO) and hydrophobic
poly(propylene oxide) (PPO) units. After encapsulating QDs into carboxylated
F127 (F127COOH-QD)
micelles, the particles were conjugated with anti-
mesothelin antibodies to allow targeting of cancerous areas. The size of the monodispersed spherical QD-containing
micelles was determined to be ∼120 nm by dynamic light scattering (DLS). The critical
micelle concentration (CMC) was estimated to be 4.7 × 10(-7) M. In an in vitro study, the anti-methoselin antibody conjugated F127COOH (Me-F127COOH-QD) nanomicelles showed negligible cytotoxicity to
pancreatic cancer cells (Panc-1). Confocal microscopy demonstrated that the Me-F127COOH-QD nanomicelles were taken up more efficiently by Panc-1 cells, due to antibody mediated targeting. An in vivo imaging study showed that Me-F127COOH-QD nanomicelles accumulated at the pancreatic
tumor site 15 min after
intravenous injection. In addition, the low in vivo toxicity of the nanomicellar formulation was evaluated by pathological assays. These results suggest that anti-mesothein antibody conjugated carboxylated
F127 nanomicelles may serve as a promising nanoscale platform for early human
pancreatic cancer detection and targeted drug delivery.