Summary
King’s Inventors have developed a robust method for the synthesis of water soluble, multicoloured fluorescent-magnetic nanoparticles which do not involve the use of quantum dots, with their associated potential toxicity issues. These lipid encapsulated nanoparticles are made from well characterised, widely available conjugated polymers (also known as light emitting polymers) and may include a magnetic component. If Iron Oxide is incorporated the nanoparticles respond to an external magnetic field. The particles maintain strong fluorescence and they remain magnetic and photostable over a significant period of time.
These nanoparticles have also been successfully imaged inside cells where they act as bright, stable and non-toxic fluorophores and they have been shown to provide contrast enhancement in MRI due to their affect on the transverse T2* relaxation times.
Applications
These highly stable particles can replace the labile fluorescent labels used in multiple applications; for example, medical and non-medical fluorescence microscopy, histology, flow cytometry, fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH), DNA sequencing, immunoassays and binding assays and separation.
End use markets include research by commercial and public R & D organisations, diagnostics manufacturers and pharma companies seeking to develop companion diagnostics.
Confocal image of SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells labelled with bifunctional nanoparticles showing cellular uptake of the particles
Benefits
Existing multimodal particle either consist of heavy metals or use organic dyes, which are not photostable. We have developed a metal free alternative with excellent stability. Having bi-modal particles should speed up diagnostic process, for example by allowing one sample to be used in more than one procedure.
Photographs of four different bimodal magnetic conjugated polymer nanoparticles, together with chemical structures of the relevant monomer
Patent Update
Priority date: 29 Sept 2009
PCT Patent Application published as WO 2011/039535 (7 April 2011)
Patent pending in Europe and USA:
US Application published as US 2012/0269736 on 25 Oct 2012
European application has received a Notice of Allowance is undergoing validation in DE, FR & GB.