Click-Ready Perfluorocarbon Nanoemulsion for 19F MRI and Multimodal Cellular Detection

We describe an in vivo imaging probe platformthat is readily modifiable to accommodate binding of different moleculartargeting moieties and payloads for multimodal image generation. Inthis work, we demonstrate the utility of perfluorocarbon (PFC) nanoemulsionsincorporating dibenzocyclooctyne (DBCO) by enabling postemulsificationfunctionalization via a click reaction with azide-containing ligands.The addition of DBCO-lipid to the surfactant in PFC nanoemulsionsdid not affect nanoemulsion size or nanoemulsion stability. As proof-of-concept,fluorescent dye-azides were conjugated to PFC nanoemulsions, demonstratingthe feasibility of functionalization the by click reaction. Uptakeof the fluorescent PFC by macrophages was demonstrated both in vitro in cultured macrophages and in situ in an acute inflammation mouse model, where fluorescence imagingand H-1/F-19 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)were used for in vivo detection. Overall, these datademonstrate the potential of PFC nanoemulsions incorporating DBCOas a versatile platform for generating functionalized probes.