title: Plasmon resonance coupling of metal nanoparticles for molecular imaging of carcinogenesis in vivo.
abstract: An effective cancer control strategy requires improved early detection methods, patient-specific drug selection, and the ability to assess response to targeted therapeutics. Recently, plasmon resonance coupling between closely spaced metal nanoparticles has been used to develop ultrasensitive bioanalytical assays in vitro. We demonstrate the first in vivo application of plasmon coupling for molecular imaging of carcinogenesis. We describe molecular-specific gold bioconjugates to image epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR); these conjugates can be delivered topically and imaged noninvasively in real time. We show that labeling with gold bioconjugates gives information on the overexpression and nanoscale spatial relationship of EGF receptors in cell membranes, both of which are altered in neoplasia. EGFR-mediated aggregation of gold nanoparticles in neoplastic cells results in more than a 100-nm color shift and a contrast ratio of more than tenfold in images of normal and precancerous epithelium in vivo, dramatically increasing contrast beyond values reported previously for antibody-targeted fluorescent dyes.
authors.affiliation: University of Texas at Austin, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Austin, Texas 78712, USA.
authors.forename: Jesse
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Aaron
authors.forename: Nitin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nitin
authors.forename: Kort
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Travis
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Collier
authors.forename: Sun Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: José-Yacamán
authors.forename: Lezlee
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Coghlan
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Follen
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Richards-Kortum
authors.forename: Konstantin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sokolov
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D006224:Cricetinae; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D008647:Mesocricetus; D015336:Molecular Probe Techniques; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D020349:Surface Plasmon Resonance / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D006046:Gold; D066246:ErbB Receptors