αvβ3-MnOL-Gd NC

αvβ3-MnOL-Gd NC is a multifunctional nanoparticle drug designed for targeted delivery and molecular imaging of tumors that overexpress the integrin αvβ3 receptor. The construct is based on a nanocarrier (NC) that incorporates a gadolinium (Gd) chelate for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast, and is functionalized with a cyclic RGD (arginine-glycine-aspartic acid) peptide motif (such as MnOL, a metallopeptide) which confers high affinity and specificity for integrin αvβ3. This design enables both therapeutic and diagnostic (theranostic) utility, permitting direct delivery of drugs to tumor neovasculature or tumor cells expressing αvβ3, as well as enhanced imaging via MRI. The targeted mechanism is through integrin αvβ3 binding, which mediates cellular uptake and retention in the tumor microenvironment. The system’s use of gadolinium allows for real-time imaging, and the RGD motif exploits the overexpression of αvβ3 on angiogenic endothelial cells and certain tumor cells. Indication focus is typically for solid tumors such as glioblastoma and other cancers characterized by high angiogenesis and integrin αvβ3 expression[3][6][7].