H-chain ferritin-based magnetic nanoparticles targeting CD71 for magnetic resonance imaging diagnosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and its precancerous lesions

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) represents a globally prevalent malignancy characterized by a poor prognosis, largely due to the challenges that patients face in tolerating invasive diagnostic procedures. Therefore, it is imperative to explore strategies to enhance the early diagnostic rate for patients with ESCC. Based on the property of H-chain ferritin-based magnetic ferritin nanoparticles (M-HFn) as contrast agents that can target cluster of differentiation 71 (CD71), this study provides a comprehensive evaluation of the expression levels and diagnostic potential of CD71 to investigate the feasibility of utilizing M-HFn for non-invasive diagnosis. Following the synthesis and the characterization of M-HFn, an orthotopic mouse model is developed to simulate the progression of ESCC. Subsequently, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans are conducted after administering M-HFn to the mice. The results indicate a progressive increase of CD71 expression in tissues, transitioning from normal epithelium to esophageal squamous precancerous lesions (ESPL) and ultimately to ESCC. M-HFn injected into the mice selectively target cells with heightened CD71 expression, resulting in accumulation at the lesion sites. Consistent with pathological diagnoses, MRI images demonstrate a reduction in signal intensity at the lesion site in T 2 -weighted sequences, thereby facilitating the visualization of ESCC and ESPL. CD71 demonstrates high accuracy and specificity as a diagnostic target, positioning M-HFn-mediated targeted diagnostic strategy as a promising approach for the early detection of ESCC, with the potential to significantly improve patient prognosis.