Fig. 4

Selective tumor targeting of Cy7@PNPs-CL4 compared to Cy7@PNPs-SCR and Cy7@PNPs. (a) Nude mice bearing subcutaneous MDA-MB-231 xenografts (three animals/group) were i.v. injected with Cy7@PNPs-CL4, Cy7@PNPs or Cy7@PNPs-SCR (5 nmol Cy7/100 µl) and analyzed by in vivo FRI imaging at the indicated time points (i.e., Pre: before injection, 30 min, 1 h, 3 and 24 h acquisitions). Representative images for Cy7@PNPs-CL4, Cy7@PNPs-SCR and Cy7@PNPs injected mice are shown. The scale bar is in arbitrary units and is a colorimetric representation of the minimum and maximum signals; all the depicted images are reconstructed with the same scale. (b) Graphical representation of in vivo corrected Signal Intensity (SI) at the selected time points in the three groups. ^****P < 0.0001, ^**P < 0.01, ^*P < 0.05, relative to 24 h acquisition if not differently indicated by connecting lanes