SYNTHESIS AND CONJUGATION OF IRON OXIDE NANOPARTICLES TO ANTIBODIES FOR TARGETING SPECIFIC CELLS USING FLUORESCENCE AND MR IMAGING TECHNIQUES

摘要

The invention provides for methods for producing water-soluble iron oxide nanoparticles comprising encapsulating the nanoparticles in phospholipids micelles. Also provided are methods for conjugating the inventive nanoparticles via functionalized phospholipids to a target molecule, such as an antibody. The invention further provides methods for using the nanoparticle-antibody conjugate of the invention as a contrast agent to image specific cells or proteins in a subject using fluorescent and magnetic imaging techniques.