Coprecipitation and Hydrothermal Synthesis of Doped Hydroxyapatite Nanoparticles

Our goal is to create a nanoparticle scaffold that has multimodal imaging capabilities. We are using hydroxyapatite as the basis of the scaffold due to its stability in biological conditions and lack of toxicity. Following coprecipitation and hydrothermal techniques from the literature, we have synthesized hydroxyapatite nanoparticles doped with europium, gadolinium and terbium. The nanoparticles have been characterized with SEM/ EDS, P-XRD, and DLS. In another approach to make MRI active scaffolds, we are currently working towards modifying the surface of the particles with iron oxide, and building nanoparticles with iron oxide cores. Further, we have modified the surface of these hydroxyapatite nanoparticles using alendronate, a bisphosphonate with the goal of attaching targeting peptides and zirconium ions to the nanoparticles. In collaboration with the Lapi research team at University of Alabama, these particles will be labeled with peptides targeting somatostatin receptors and radioactive 89Zr for PET/SPECT imaging of tumors