The effect of Gd-DOTA locations within PLGA- b-PEG micelle encapsulated IR-1061 on bimodal over-1000 nm near-infrared fluorescence and magnetic resonance imaging

Multimodal imaging is attractive in biomedical research because it can provide multidimensional information about objects that individual techniques cannot accomplish. In particular, combining over one-thousand-nanometer near-infrared (OTN-NIR) fluorescence and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is promising for detecting lesions with high sensitivity and structural information. Herein, we describe the development of a bimodal OTN-NIR/MRI probe from gadolinium-tetraazacyclododecanetetraacetic acid (Gd-DOTA) conjugated poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)-block-poly(ethylene glycol) copolymer (PLGA-b-PEG) micelle encapsulated IR-1061 at two different locations. One configuration contains Gd-DOTA at the end of the PEG of the hydrophilic shell and the Other contains Gd-DOTA at the border of PLGA/PEG. The two structures show remarkable differences in fluorescence and R₁ relaxation rates in biological environments; the structure with Gd-DOTA at the border of PLGA/PEG exhibits stable fluorescence and T₁ signal distribution in live mice. The introduction ratio of Gd-DOTA to PEG is significant for controlling the properties of both structures; a higher Gd-DOTA ratio is preferable for the contrast enhancement effect. We found that Gd-DOTA ratios higher than 10% degraded the fluorescence intensity when Gd-DOTA was bound to the end of PEG. In contrast, the introduction of 70% Gd-DOTA at the border of PLGA/PEG did not exhibit a degraded signal, and the structural stability was enhanced with higher ratios of Gd-DOTA. In conclusion, we confirmed that the location of Gd-DOTA is a crucial factor in designing high-performance probes. The overall properties improve when Gd-DOTA is set on the border of PLGA/PEG. These improvements in the properties by controlling the probe structures are promising for future biomedical applications.