Volume 58, Issue 10 pp. 3067-3072
Communication

Molecular Scaffolds as Double-Targeting Agents For the Diagnosis and Treatment of Neuroblastoma

Dr. Gonzalo Villaverde

Dr. Gonzalo Villaverde

Dpto. Química en Ciencias Farmacéuticas., Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Plaza Ramon y Cajal s/n., Spain

Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre i+12, Spain

Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Madrid, Spain

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Dr. Arantzazu Alfranca

Dr. Arantzazu Alfranca

Servicio de Inmunología., Hospital Universitario de La Princesa, Spain

Instituto de Investigacion Sanitaria La Princesa, Diego de León, 62, 28006 Madrid, Spain

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Dr. África Gonzalez-Murillo

Dr. África Gonzalez-Murillo

Instituto de Investigacion Sanitaria La Princesa, Diego de León, 62, 28006 Madrid, Spain

Servicio de Hematología y Oncología Pediátrica, Hospital Infantil Universitario Niño Jesús, Madrid, Spain

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Dr. Gustavo J. Melen

Dr. Gustavo J. Melen

Instituto de Investigacion Sanitaria La Princesa, Diego de León, 62, 28006 Madrid, Spain

Servicio de Hematología y Oncología Pediátrica, Hospital Infantil Universitario Niño Jesús, Madrid, Spain

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Dr. Rafael R. Castillo

Dr. Rafael R. Castillo

Dpto. Química en Ciencias Farmacéuticas., Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Plaza Ramon y Cajal s/n., Spain

Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre i+12, Spain

Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Madrid, Spain

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Dr. Manuel Ramírez

Corresponding Author

Dr. Manuel Ramírez

Instituto de Investigacion Sanitaria La Princesa, Diego de León, 62, 28006 Madrid, Spain

Servicio de Hematología y Oncología Pediátrica, Hospital Infantil Universitario Niño Jesús, Madrid, Spain

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Dr. Alejandro Baeza

Corresponding Author

Dr. Alejandro Baeza

Dpto. Química en Ciencias Farmacéuticas., Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Plaza Ramon y Cajal s/n., Spain

Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre i+12, Spain

Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Madrid, Spain

Dpto. Materiales y Producción Aeroespacial, ETSI Aeronáutica y del Espacio, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain

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Prof. María Vallet-Regí

Corresponding Author

Prof. María Vallet-Regí

Dpto. Química en Ciencias Farmacéuticas., Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Plaza Ramon y Cajal s/n., Spain

Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre i+12, Spain

Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Madrid, Spain

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First published: 10 December 2018
Citations: 20

Graphical Abstract

Double trouble: Novel Y-shaped scaffolds have been synthesized, with meta-iodobenzilguanidine analogues covalently attached at each end of the Y-structure, to deliver diagnostic and therapeutic agents to neuroblastoma cells. These double-targeting agents have a strong affinity for the norepinephrine transporter, usually overexpressed on the neuroblastoma cell membrane, and accumulate in cells at a higher level than single-targeting agents.

Abstract

The selective delivery of therapeutic and imaging agents to tumoral cells has been postulated as one of the most important challenges in the nanomedicine field. Meta-iodobenzilguanidine (MIBG) is widely used for the diagnosis of neuroblastoma (NB) due to its strong affinity for the norepinephrine transporter (NET), usually overexpressed on the membrane of malignant cells. Herein, a family of novel Y-shaped scaffolds has been synthesized, which have structural analogues of MIBG covalently attached at each end of the Y-structure. The cellular uptake capacity of these double-targeting ligands has been evaluated in vitro and in vivo, yielding one specific Y-shaped structure that is able to be engulfed by the malignant cells, and accumulates in the tumoral tissue, at significantly higher levels than the structure containing only one single targeting agent. This Y-shaped ligand can provide a powerful tool for the current treatment and diagnosis of this disease.

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