Clinical translation of an ultrasmall inorganic optical-PET imaging nanoparticle probe

A first-in-human clinical trial of ultrasmall inorganic hybrid nanoparticles, "C dots" (Cornell dots), in patients with metastatic melanoma is described for the imaging of cancer. These renally excreted silica particles were labeled with (124)I for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging and modified with cRGDY peptides for molecular targeting. (124)I-cRGDY-PEG-C dot particles are inherently fluorescent, containing the dye, Cy5, so they may be used as hybrid PET-optical imaging agents for lesion detection, cancer staging, and treatment management in humans. However, the clinical translation of nanoparticle probes, including quantum dots, has not kept pace with the accelerated growth in minimally invasive…