# Self-assembled iron(III) hosts for MRI-guided delivery of chemotherapeutics

> **NIH NIH R21** · STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT BUFFALO · 2022 · $221,344

## Abstract

Abstract
Image-guided drug delivery is a promising approach to improve tumor uptake and to prevent the accumulation
of toxic chemotherapeutic agents in healthy tissue. The imaging agent serves to provide information about
biodistribution and drug delivery to better inform treatment. Most examples of image guided drug delivery have
liposomes or nanoparticles as drug and imaging carriers. Our approach involves innovative Fe(III) self-
assembled cages that are effective T1 MRI contrast agents. The four Fe(III) ions are tightly connected in a
tetrahedral shape to form a robust complex that is highly soluble in water and has an interior cavity for
encapsulation of metal ion complexes. One of our Fe(III) cages binds to serum albumin and accumulates in
murine tumor models as shown by MRI studies. Such tumor uptake and accumulation suggests that the cage
will be an effective agent for MRI guided drug delivery. Our overall goals are to develop methods for the
delivery of Pt(II) and Pt(IV) anti-cancer agents to murine tumor models to determine the feasibility of this
approach. Specific aims include the preparation of different Fe(III) cage derivatives that have varying overall
charge and binding affinity to serum albumin. This aim will test our hypothesis that albumin binding is key to
tumor uptake of the cages. The Fe(III) cage biodistribution and pharmacokinetic clearance will be studied in
healthy mice and, subsequently in mice containing subcutaneous tumors from patient derived xenografts
(PDX). The second aim involves the encapsulation of Pt(II) or Pt(IV) drugs, primarily carboplatin derivatives, in
the Fe(III) cages. Release of the Pt drugs from the cages will be studied in solution and will be tested for
cytotoxicity in cancer cell lines in order to gain insight into cellular uptake and release of the Pt drug. The third
aim entails study of the uptake of the Fe(III) caged Pt drugs in NSG (NOD scid gamma) mice with
subcutaneous PDX models. A PDX from squamous non-small cell lung cancer that is carboplatin responsive is
chosen for study. Tumor size will be monitored with a three-week dosing schedule, and the amount of Pt and
Fe in tumors will be measured by mass spectrometry. Fe(III) cage carriers of Pt will be compared to the Pt
drug administered without cage.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10405656
- **Project number:** 5R21CA256602-02
- **Recipient organization:** STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT BUFFALO
- **Principal Investigator:** Janet Ruth Morrow
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $221,344
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-06-01 → 2024-10-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10405656

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10405656, Self-assembled iron(III) hosts for MRI-guided delivery of chemotherapeutics (5R21CA256602-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10405656. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*