Aptamer-Functionalized Microbubbles Targeted to P-selectin for Ultrasound Molecular Imaging of Murine Bowel Inflammation

Purpose Our objectives were to develop a targeted microbubble with an anti-P-selectin aptamer and assess its ability to detect bowel inflammation in two murine models of acute colitis. Procedures. Lipid-shelled microbubbles were prepared using mechanical agitation. A rapid copper-free click chemistry approach (azide-DBCO) was used to conjugate the fluorescent anti-P-selectin aptamer (Fluor-P-Ap) to the microbubble surface. Bowel inflammation was chemically induced using 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS) in both Balb/C and interleukin-10-deficient (IL-10 KO) mice. Mouse bowels were imaged using non-linear contrast mode following an i.v. bolus of 1 × 10 8 microbubbles. Each mouse received a bolus of aptamer-functionalized and non-targeted microbubbles. Mouse phenotypes and the presence of P-selectin were validated using histology and immunostaining, respectively. Results Microbubble labelling of Fluor-P-Ap was complete after 20 min at 37 ̊C. We estimate approximately 300,000 Fluor-P-Ap per microbubble and confirmed fluorescence using confocal microscopy. There was a significant increase in ultrasound molecular imaging signal from both Balb/C ( p = 0.003) and IL-10 KO ( p = 0.02) mice with inflamed bowels using aptamer-functionalized microbubbles in comparison to non-targeted microbubbles. There was no signal in healthy mice ( p = 0.4051) using either microbubble. Conclusions We constructed an aptamer-functionalized microbubble specific for P-selectin using a clinically relevant azide-DBCO click reaction, which could detect bowel inflammation in vivo. Aptamers have potential as a next generation targeting agent for developing cost-efficient and clinically translatable targeted microbubbles.