title: Preparation of Radiopaque Drug-Eluting Beads for Transcatheter Chemoembolization.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To develop a simple method to produce radiopaque drug-eluting microspheres (drug-eluting beads [DEBs]) that could be incorporated into the current clinical transcatheter arterial chemoembolization workflow and evaluate their performance in vitro and in vivo.
  
  
  METHODS
  An ethiodized oil (Lipiodol; Guerbet, Villepinte, France) and ethanol solution was added to a lyophilized 100-300 µm bead before loading with doxorubicin. These radiopaque drug-eluting beads (DEBs; Biocompatibles UK Ltd, Farnham, United Kingdom) were evaluated in vitro for x-ray attenuation, composition, size, drug loading and elution, and correlation between attenuation and doxorubicin concentration. In vivo conspicuity was evaluated in a VX2 tumor model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Lipiodol was loaded into lyophilized beads using two glass syringes and a three-way stopcock. Maximum bead attenuation was achieved within 30 minutes. X-ray attenuation of radiopaque beads increased linearly (21-867 HU) with the amount of beads (0.4-12.5 vol%; R(2) = 0.9989). Doxorubicin loading efficiency and total amount eluted were similar to DC Bead (Biocompatibles UK Ltd); however, the elution rate was slower for radiopaque DEBs (P < .05). Doxorubicin concentration linearly correlated with x-ray attenuation of radiopaque DEBs (R(2) = 0. 99). Radiopaque DEBs were seen in tumor feeding arteries after administration by fluoroscopy, computed tomography, and micro-computed tomography, and their location was confirmed by histology.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A simple, rapid method to produce radiopaque DEBs was developed. These radiopaque DEBs provided sufficient conspicuity to be visualized with x-ray imaging techniques.
authors.affiliation: Center for Interventional Oncology, Radiology, and Imaging Sciences, Clinical Center and National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
authors.forename: Carmen Gacchina
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: Biocompatibles UK Ltd, a BTG International group company, Farnham, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Yiqing
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Center for Interventional Oncology, Radiology, and Imaging Sciences, Clinical Center and National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
authors.forename: Avi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Beck
authors.affiliation: Biocompatibles UK Ltd, a BTG International group company, Farnham, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Matthew R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Dreher
authors.affiliation: Center for Interventional Oncology, Radiology, and Imaging Sciences, Clinical Center and National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Woods
authors.affiliation: Center for Interventional Oncology, Radiology, and Imaging Sciences, Clinical Center and National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
authors.forename: Ayele H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Negussie
authors.affiliation: Mouse Imaging Facility, National Institute of Neurologic Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
authors.forename: Danielle
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Donahue
authors.affiliation: Center for Interventional Oncology, Radiology, and Imaging Sciences, Clinical Center and National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
authors.forename: Elliot B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Levy
authors.affiliation: Biocompatibles UK Ltd, a BTG International group company, Farnham, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Sean L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Willis
authors.affiliation: Biocompatibles UK Ltd, a BTG International group company, Farnham, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Andrew L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.affiliation: Center for Interventional Oncology, Radiology, and Imaging Sciences, Clinical Center and National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
authors.forename: Bradford J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.affiliation: Center for Interventional Oncology, Radiology, and Imaging Sciences, Clinical Center and National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland; Department of Radiology, Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC; Department of Radiology and Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC. Electronic address: kvsharma@cnmc.org.
authors.forename: Karun V
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Sharma
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016461:Chemoembolization, Therapeutic / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004337:Drug Carriers; D004998:Ethiodized Oil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008114:Liver Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D008863:Microspheres; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011817:Rabbits; D055114:X-Ray Microtomography
chemical_list: D004337:Drug Carriers; D004998:Ethiodized Oil; D004317:Doxorubicin