Abstract
Targeting nanoparticles (NPs) loaded with drugs and probes to precise locations in the body may improve the treatment and detection of many diseases. Generally, to achieve targeting, affinity ligands are introduced on the surface of NPs that can bind to molecules present on the cell of interest. Optimization of ligand density is a critical parameter in controlling NP binding to target cells, and a higher ligand density is not always the most effective. In this study, we investigated how NP avidity affects targeting to the pulmonary vasculature, using NPs targeted to ICAM-1. This cell adhesion molecule is expressed by quiescent endothelium at modest levels and is upregulated in a variety of pathological settings. NP avidity was controlled by ligand density, with the expected result that higher avidity NPs demonstrated greater pulmonary uptake than lower avidity NPs in both naive and pathological mice. However, in comparison with high-avidity NPs, low-avidity NPs exhibited several-fold higher selectivity of targeting to pathological endothelium. This finding was translated into a PET imaging platform that was more effective in detecting pulmonary vascular inflammation using low-avidity NPs. Furthermore, computational modeling revealed that elevated expression of ICAM-1 on the endothelium is critical for multivalent anchoring of NPs with low avidity, while high-avidity NPs anchor effectively to both quiescent and activated endothelium. These results provide a paradigm that can be used to optimize NP targeting by manipulating ligand density and may find biomedical utility for increasing detection of pathological vasculature.