title: Molecular photoacoustic tomography of breast cancer using receptor targeted magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles as contrast agents.
abstract: In this report, we present a breast imaging technique combining high-resolution near-infrared (NIR) light induced photoacoustic tomography (PAT) with NIR dye-labeled amino-terminal fragments of urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) targeted magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (NIR830-ATF-IONP) for breast cancer imaging using an orthotopic mouse mammary tumor model. We show that accumulation of the targeted nanoparticles in the tumor led to photoacoustic contrast enhancement due to the high absorption of iron oxide nanoparticles (IONP). NIR fluorescence images were used to validate specific delivery of NIR830-ATF-IONP to mouse mammary tumors. We found that systemic delivery of the targeted IONP produced 4- and 10-fold enhancement in photoacoustic signals in the tumor, compared to the tumor of the mice that received non-targeted IONP or control mice. The use of targeted nanoparticles allowed imaging of tumors located as deep as 3.1 cm beneath the normal tissues. Our study indicates the potential of the combination of photoacoustic tomography and receptor-targeted NIR830-ATF-IONP as a clinical tool that can provide improved specificity and sensitivity for breast cancer detection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, College of Engineering JG56 BMS Bldg., Gainesville, FL 32611-6131, USA.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xi
authors.forename: Stephen R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Grobmyer
authors.forename: Guangyin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Weiping
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.forename: Lily
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Huabei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jiang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004396:Coloring Agents / Q000378:metabolism; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000737:chemistry; D005290:Ferric Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D007259:Infrared Rays; D059346:Magnets; D008301:Maleimides / Q000378:metabolism; D008325:Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D053758:Nanoparticles; D061088:Photoacoustic Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D055293:Receptors, Urokinase Plasminogen Activator / Q000378:metabolism*; D014054:Tomography / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents; D003287:Contrast Media; D005290:Ferric Compounds; D008301:Maleimides; D055293:Receptors, Urokinase Plasminogen Activator; C000499:ferric oxide; C043592:maleimide
keywords: breast cancer; fluorescence imaging; molecular imaging; nanoparticles; photoacoustic tomography; receptor-targeted magnetic iron oxide