abstract
- Organ transplantation is a life-saving procedure and the preferred method of treatment for a growing number of disease states. The advent of new immunosuppressants and improved care has led to great advances in both patient and graft survival. However, acute T-cell mediated graft rejection occurs in a significant quantity of recipients and remains a life threatening condition. Acute rejection is associated with decrease in long term graft survival, demonstrating a need to carefully monitor transplant patients. Current diagnostic criteria for transplant rejection rely on invasive tissue biopsies or relatively non-specific clinical features. A non-invasive way is needed to detect, localize and monitor transplant rejection. Capitalizing on advances in targeted contrast agents and magnetic-based detection technology, we developed anti-CD3 antibody-tagged nanoparticles. T cells were found to bind preferentially to antibody-tagged nanoparticles, as identified through light microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and confocal microscopy. Using mouse skin graft models, we were also able to demonstrate in vivo vascular delivery of T-cell targeted nanoparticles. We conclude that targeting lymphocytes with magnetic nanoparticles is conducive to developing a novel, noninvasive strategy for identifying transplant rejection.