Gold nanoparticles as a contrast agent for in vivo tumor imaging with photoacoustic tomography.
Photoacoustic tomography (PAT) is a rapidly emerging non-invasive imaging technology that integrates the merits of high optical contrast with high ultrasound resolution. The ability to quantitatively and non-invasively image nanoparticles has important implications for the development of nanoparticles as in vivo cancer diagnostic and therapeutic agents. In this study, the ability of systemically administered poly(ethylene glycol)-coated (PEGylated) gold nanoparticles as a contrast agent for in vivo tumor imaging with PAT has been evaluated. We demonstrate that gold nanoparticles (20 and 50 nm) have high photoacoustic contrast as compared to mouse tissue ex vivo. Gold nanoparticles can be visualized in mice in vivo following subcutaneous administration using PAT. Following intravenous administration of PEGylated gold nanoparticles to tumor-bearing mice, accumulation of gold nanoparticles in tumors can be effectively imaged with PAT. With gold nanoparticles as a contrast agent, PAT has important potential applications in the image guided therapy of superficial tumors such as breast cancer, melanoma and Merkel cell carcinoma.
Zhang
Q
Q
Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Florida, 130 BME building, Gainesville Florida 32611-3161, USA. qzhang@bme.ufl.edu
Iwakuma
N
N
Sharma
P
P
Moudgil
B M
BM
Wu
C
C
McNeill
J
J
Jiang
H
H
Grobmyer
S R
SR
D000162:Acoustics; D000818:Animals; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000737:chemistry; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry; D055103:Hypodermoclysis; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D010316:Particle Size; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D014054:Tomography / Q000379:methods*
D003287:Contrast Media; D006046:Gold