Engineering Anti-MMP-9 Peptide-Modified Nanoparticles for Precision MRI Diagnosis of Endometriosis

Endometriosis diagnosis is often limited by the resolution of conventional imaging techniques (ultrasound/non-targeted MRI) as well as the invasiveness and recurrence risks associated with laparoscopy. To overcome these challenges, we developed anti-MMP-9 peptide-conjugated [email protected] nanoparticles (NPPCNs), which integrate NaGdF4 cores to enhance T1 relaxivity and biocompatibility for MMP-9-targeted molecular imaging. In vitro studies confirmed both cytocompatibility and high-affinity MMP-9 binding. In vivo biodistribution, assessed through T1-weighted MRI and fluorescence imaging within 48 h post-injection, revealed significant nanoparticle accumulation in endometriotic lesions, with elevated signal intensity compared to controls. This MMP-9-targeted theranostic platform offers a non-invasive method for lesion detection, providing a novel approach for precise diagnosis and surgical navigation in endometriosis. Similar content being viewed by others Data Availability The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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This work was supported by Shanghai Municipal Health Commission (Grant No.20224Y0382), Huashan Hospital, Fudan University (Grant No.200201, Grant No.046), National Natural Science Fund for Young Scientists Program C (No.82502300) and 2023 SKY Imaging Research Fund of the Chinese International Medical Foundation (z-2014-07-2301). Author information Authors and Affiliations Contributions Qi Zhang, Haicheng Li and Linghui Xu contributed equally to this work. Qi Zhang and Haicheng Li designed the experiments, performed data analysis, and drafted the manuscript. Linghui Xu, Shiman Wu, Yujia Shen, Yiting Wang, Xiongrui Guo, and Qianwen Zhu conducted the experimental work and data collection. Xiaohong Ruan and Junhai Zhang supervised the study, provided critical revisions, and secured funding. All authors reviewed and approved the final manuscript. Corresponding authors Ethics declarations Ethical Approval This study was performed in line with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of Jiangmen Hospital and the Animal (2025185A) Ethics Committee of Fudan University (202308001S). A waiver of informed consent was formally granted for this retrospective analysis in accordance with institutional ethical regulations and national guidelines for non-interventional studies. Conflict of Interest The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose. Additional information Publisher's Note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Supplementary Information Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material. Rights and permissions Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law. About this article Cite this article Zhang, Q., Li, H., Xu, L. et al. Engineering Anti-MMP-9 Peptide-Modified Nanoparticles for Precision MRI Diagnosis of Endometriosis. Mol Imaging Biol 28, 334–346 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11307-026-02086-9 Received: Revised: Accepted: Published: Version of record: Issue date: DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11307-026-02086-9