Stimuli-Responsive Biodegradable Hyperbranched Polymer–Gadolinium Conjugates as Efficient and Biocompatible Nanoscale Magnetic Resonance Imaging Contrast Agents

The efficacy and biocompatibility of nanoscale magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents depend on optimal molecular structures and compositions. Gadolinium [Gd(III)] based dendritic macromolecules with well-defined and tunable nanoscale sizes are excellent candidates as multivalent MRI contrast agents. Here, we propose a novel alternate preparation of biodegradable hyperbranched polymer-gadolinium conjugates via a simple strategy and report potentially efficient and biocompatible nanoscale MRI contrast agents for cancer diagnosis. The enzyme-responsive hyperbranched poly(oligo-(ethylene glycol) methacrylate)-gadolinium conjugate (HB-POEGMA-Gd) was prepared via one-step reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization and Gd(III) chelating, and the cRGDyK functionalized polymer (HB-POEGMA-cRGD-Gd) was obtained via click chemistry. By using an enzyme similar to lysosomal cathepsin B, hyperbranched conjugates of high molecular weights (MW) (180 and 210 kDa) and nanoscale sizes (38 and 42 nm) were degraded into low MW (25 and 30 kDa) and smaller products (4.8 and 5.2 nm) below the renal threshold. Conjugate-based nanoscale systems had three-fold more T1 relaxivity compared to clinical agent diethylenediaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA)-Gd. Animal studies with the nanoscale system offered greater tumor accumulation and enhanced signal intensity (SI) in mouse U87 tumors of which the greatest activity was conferred by the cRGDyK moiety functionalized hyperbranched conjugate. In vitro cytotoxicity, hemocompatibility and in vivo toxicity studies confirmed no adverse events. This design strategy for multifunctional Gd(III)-labeled biodegradable dendritic macromolecules may have significant potential as future efficient, biocompatible polymeric nanoscale MRI diagnostic contrast agents for cancer.