Dataset Information

Molecular photoacoustic imaging of breast cancer using an actively targeted conjugated polymer.

ABSTRACT: Conjugated polymers (CPs) are upcoming optical contrast agents in view of their unique optical properties and versatile synthetic chemistry. Biofunctionalization of these polymer-based nanoparticles enables molecular imaging of biological processes. In this work, we propose the concept of using a biofunctionalized CP for noninvasive photoacoustic (PA) molecular imaging of breast cancer. In particular, after verifying the PA activity of a CP nanoparticle (CP dots) in phantoms and the targeting efficacy of a folate-functionalized version of the same (folate-CP dots) in vitro, we systemically administered the probe into a folate receptor-positive (FR+ve) MCF-7 breast cancer xenograft model to demonstrate the possible application of folate-CP dots for imaging FR+ve breast cancers in comparison to CP dots with no folate moieties. We observed a strong PA signal at the tumor site of folate-CP dots-administered mice as early as 1 hour after administration as a result of the active targeting of the folate-CP dots to the FR+ve tumor cells but a weak PA signal at the tumor site of CP-dots-administered mice as a result of the passive accumulation of the probe by enhanced permeability and retention effect. We also observed that folate-CP dots produced ~4-fold enhancement in the PA signal in the tumor, when compared to CP dots. These observations demonstrate the great potential of this active-targeting CP to be used as a contrast agent for molecular PA diagnostic imaging in various biomedical applications.

SUBMITTER: Balasundaram G

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4294657 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Molecular photoacoustic imaging of breast cancer using an actively targeted conjugated polymer.

Balasundaram Ghayathri G Ho Chris Jun Hui CJ Li Kai K Driessen Wouter W Dinish U S US Wong Chi Lok CL Ntziachristos Vasilis V Liu Bin B Olivo Malini M

International journal of nanomedicine 20150108

Conjugated polymers (CPs) are upcoming optical contrast agents in view of their unique optical properties and versatile synthetic chemistry. Biofunctionalization of these polymer-based nanoparticles enables molecular imaging of biological processes. In this work, we propose the concept of using a biofunctionalized CP for noninvasive photoacoustic (PA) molecular imaging of breast cancer. In particular, after verifying the PA activity of a CP nanoparticle (CP dots) in phantoms and the targeting ef ...[more]

PMID: 25609951

Similar Datasets

Project description:Photoacoustic tomography (PAT) combines optical and acoustic imaging to generate high-resolution images of microvasculature. Inherent sensitivity to hemoglobin permits PAT to image blood vessels but precludes discriminating neovascular from maturing microvasculature. ?(v)?(3)-Gold nanobeacons (?(v)?(3)-GNBs) for neovascular molecular PAT were developed, characterized, and demonstrated in vivo using a mouse Matrigel-plug model of angiogenesis. PAT results were microscopically corroborated with fluorescent ?(v)?(3)-GNB localization and supporting immunohistology in Rag1(tm1Mom) Tg(Tie-2-lacZ)182-Sato mice. ?(v)?(3)-GNBs (154 nm) had 10-fold greater contrast than blood on an equivolume basis when imaged at 740 nm to 810 nm in blood. The lowest detectable concentration in buffer was 290 nM at 780 nm. Noninvasive PAT of angiogenesis using a 10-MHz ultrasound receiver with ?(v)?(3)-GNBs produced a 600% increase in signal in a Matrigel-plug mouse model relative to the inherent hemoglobin contrast pretreatment. In addition to increasing the contrast of neovessels detected at baseline, ?(v)?(3)-GNBs allowed visualization of numerous angiogenic sprouts and bridges that were undetectable before contrast injection. Competitive inhibition of ?(v)?(3)-GNBs with ?(v)?(3)-NBs (no gold particles) almost completely blocked contrast enhancement to pretreatment levels, similar to the signal from animals receiving saline only. Consistent with other studies, nontargeted GNBs passively accumulated in the tortuous neovascular but provided less than half of the contrast enhancement of the targeted agent. Microscopic studies revealed that the vascular constrained, rhodamine-labeled ?(v)?(3)-GNBs homed specifically to immature neovasculature (PECAM(+), Tie-2(-)) along the immediate tumor periphery, but not to nearby mature microvasculature (PECAM(+), Tie-2(+)). The combination of PAT and ?(v)?(3)-GNBs offered sensitive and specific discrimination and quantification of angiogenesis in vivo, which may be clinically applicable to a variety of highly prevalent diseases, including cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Dataset Information

Molecular photoacoustic imaging of breast cancer using an actively targeted conjugated polymer.

Publications

Molecular photoacoustic imaging of breast cancer using an actively targeted conjugated polymer.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets