Near-infrared fluorescent imaging of metastatic ovarian cancer using folate receptor-targeted high-density lipoprotein nanocarriers

Aim: The targeting efficiency of folate receptor-alpha (FR-alpha)-targeted high-density lipoprotein nanoparticles (HDL NPs) was evaluated in a syngeneic mouse model of ovarian cancer. Materials & methods: Folic acid was conjugated to the surface of fluorescent-labeled HDL NPs. In vivo tumor targeting of folic acid-HDL NPs and HDL NPs were evaluated in mice with metastatic ovarian cancer following intravenous or intraperitoneal (ip.) administration. Results & discussion: Intravenous FR-alpha-targeted HDL resulted in high uptake of the fluorescent nanoparticle in host liver and spleen. The ip. injection of fluorescent HDL produced moderate fluorescence throughout the abdomen. Conversely, animals receiving the ip. FR-alpha-targeted HDL showed a high fluorescence signal in ovarian tumors, surpassing that seen in all of the host tissues. Conclusion: The authors' findings demonstrate that the combination of local-regional ip. administration and FR-alpha-directed nanoparticles provides an enhanced approach to selectively targeting ovarian cancer cells for drug treatment.