Despite the widespread use of nanotechnology in radio-imaging applications, lipoprotein based delivery
systems have received only limited attention so far. These studies involve the synthesis of a novel hydrophobic
radio-imaging tracer consisting of a hydrazinonicotinic acid (HYNIC)-N-dodecylamide and 99mTc
conjugate that can be encapsulated into rHDL nanoparticles (NPs). These rHDL NPs can selectively target
the Scavenger Receptor type B1 (SR-B1) that is overexpressed on most cancer cells due to excess
demand for cholesterol for membrane biogenesis and thus can target tumors in vivo. We provide details
of the tracer synthesis, characterization of the rHDL/tracer complex, in vitro uptake, stability studies and
in vivo application of this new radio-imaging approachThis work was supported by the Universidad Autónoma del
Estado de México (UAEMex) and the University of North Texas
Health Science Center (UNTHSC) through the joined “Seed-
Grant” 3889/2015FS, Wheels for Wellness, Fort Worth, and the
Robert A. Welch Foundation (endowment BK-0031 to L. P.).
The authors thank Samantha M. Brewer and Professor Kayla
N. Green (Texas Christian University, Fort Worth) for their help
in the interpretation of the NMR spectra. This research was
carried out as a part of the activities of the “Laboratorio
Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo de Radiofármacos”,
CONACYT-Mexico and it was also supported by the Research
Sectoral Fund for Education SEP-CONACYT-Mexico through
the grant number CB-2016-287217. This work was supported
in part by grants from Leukemia Texas and Texas Alzheimer’s
Research Care and Consortium (2018-48-51-JI) to Sangram Raut
