The Thomsen-Friedenreich (
TF) antigen is a
tumor-associated
antigen consistently expressed on the apical surface of epithelial-based
cancer cells, including
pancreatic cancer. In this work, we report the development of multimodal imaging probe, the tripolymer fluorescent
nanospheres, whose surface was fabricated with
peanut agglutinin (PNA) moieties as TF molecular recognition molecules. Here, we demonstrate that the probe is able to detect
TF antigen in human
pancreatic cancer tissues and differentiate from normal tissue. What is most noteworthy regarding the probe is its ability to visualize
tumor margins defined by epithelial
TF antigen expression. Further, in vivo preclinical studies using an orthotopic mouse model of
pancreatic cancer suggest the potential use of the
nanospheres for laparoscopic imaging of
pancreatic cancer tumor margins to enhance surgical resection and improve clinical outcomes.