Aptamer-conjugated magnetic nanoparticles enable efficient targeted detection of integrin αvβ3 via magnetic resonance imaging.

An understanding of neovascularization and/or angiogenesis in cancer is acutely required for effective cancer therapy due to concerns about tumor growth and metastasis. In particular, integrin αvβ3 is closely associated with cell migration and invasion during angiogenesis. Hence, we developed aptamer(αvβ3)-conjugated magnetic nanoparticles (Apt(αvβ3)-MNPs) to enable precise detection of integrin-expressing cancer cells using magnetic resonance imaging.