Visualization of platelet recruitment to tumor lesions using highly sensitive and stable radioiodine studded gold nanoprobes.

In vivo imaging of platelets will provide a better understanding of their critical roles in arterial cardiovascular disease, hemostasis, inflammation, and cancer. Here, we demonstrate the feasibility of using radioiodine studded gold nanoprobes (RIS-GNPs) as a platelet tracker for nuclear medicine imaging in tumor-bearing mice using positron emission tomography and computed tomography (PET/CT). Platelet labeling with RIS-GNPs did not alter the platelet functions, such as cellular proliferation and aggregation. PET/CT imaging clearly revealed the migration of platelets into tumor sites at 1 to 5 h post-transfer of RIS-GNP-labeled platelets, which was consistent with the biodistribution data. Our findings suggest that the imaging approach using RIS-GNPs makes it feasible to visualize the biological behavior of platelets in living organisms with cancer.