Targeted labeling of an early-stage tumor spheroid in a chorioallantoic membrane model with upconversion nanoparticles.

In vivo detection of cancer at an early-stage, i.e. smaller than 2 mm, is a challenge in biomedicine. In this work target labeling of an early-stage tumor spheroid (∼500 μm) is realized for the first time in a chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model with monoclonal antibody functionalized upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs-mAb).