Multifunctional Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles Conjugated with Aβ Oligomer-Specific scFv Antibody and Class A Scavenger Receptor Activator Show Early Diagnostic Potentials for Alzheimer’s Disease

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder and the most common cause of dementia. Diagnosing AD before symptoms arise will facilitate earlier intervention. The early diagnostic approaches are thus urgently needed. Methods: The multifunctional nanoparticles W20/XD4-SPIONs were constructed by the conjugation of oligomer-specific scFv antibody W20 and class A scavenger receptor (SR-A) activator XD4 onto superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs). The SPIONs' stability and uniformity in size were measured by dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy. The ability of W20/XD4-SPIONs for recognizing A beta oligomers (A beta Os) and promoting A beta Os phagocytosis was assessed by immunocytochemistry and flow cytometry analysis. The blood-brain barrier permeability of W20/XD4-SPIONs was determined by a co-culture transwell model. The in vivo probe distribution of W20/XD4-SPIONs in AD mouse brains was detected by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Results: W20/XD4-SPIONs, as an A beta Os-targeted molecular MRI contrast probe, readily reached pathological A beta Os regions in brains and distinguished AD transgenic mice from WT controls. W20/XD4-SPIONs retained the property of XD4 for SR-A activation and significantly promoted microglial phagocytosis of A beta Os. Moreover, W20/XD4-SPIONs exhibited the properties of good biocompatibility, high stability and low cytotoxicity. Conclusion: Compared with W20-SPIONs or XD4-SPIONs, W20/XD4-SPIONs show the highest efficiency for A beta Os-targeting and significantly enhance A beta Os uptake by microglia. As a molecular probe, W20/XD4-SPIONs also specifically and sensitively bind to A beta Os in AD brains to provide an MRI signal, demonstrating that W20/XD4-SPIONs are promising diagnostic agents for early-stage AD. Due to the beneficial effect of W20 and XD4 on neuropathology, W20/XD4-SPIONs may also have therapeutic potential for AD.