title: Size-Tuning Ionization To Optimize Gold Nanoparticles for Simultaneous Enhanced CT Imaging and Radiotherapy.
abstract: Computed tomography (CT) contrast and radiosensitization usually increase with particle sizes of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), but there is a huge challenge to improve both by adjusting sizes under the requirements of in vivo application. Here, we report that AuNPs have great size-dependent enhancements on CT imaging as well as radiotherapy (RT) in the size range of 3-50 nm. It is demonstrated that AuNPs with a size of ∼13 nm could simultaneously possess superior CT contrast ability and significant radioactive disruption. The Monte Carlo method is further used to evaluate this phenomenon and indicates that the inhomogeneity of gold atom distributions caused by sizes may influence secondary ionization in whole X-ray interactions. In vivo studies further indicate that this optimally sized AuNP improves real-time CT imaging and radiotherapeutic inhibition of tumors in living mice by effective accumulation at tumors with prolonged in vivo circulation times compared to clinically used small-molecule agents. These results suggest that ∼13 nm AuNPs may serve as multifunctional adjuvants for clinical X-ray theranostic application.
authors.affiliation: School of Material Science and Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, Tianjin Engineering Center of Micro-Nano Biomaterials and Detection-Treatment Technology, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering , Tianjin 300072, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Dou
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology and Department of Radiology, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University , Tianjin 300211, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yanyan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology and Department of Radiology, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University , Tianjin 300211, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xiaodong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology and Department of Radiology, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University , Tianjin 300211, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xue
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: School of Material Science and Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, Tianjin Engineering Center of Micro-Nano Biomaterials and Detection-Treatment Technology, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering , Tianjin 300072, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Sheng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology and Department of Radiology, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University , Tianjin 300211, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: School of Material Science and Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, Tianjin Engineering Center of Micro-Nano Biomaterials and Detection-Treatment Technology, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering , Tianjin 300072, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Guoxian
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology and Department of Radiology, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University , Tianjin 300211, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xuening
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: School of Material Science and Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, Tianjin Engineering Center of Micro-Nano Biomaterials and Detection-Treatment Technology, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering , Tianjin 300072, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Hanjie
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: School of Material Science and Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, Tianjin Engineering Center of Micro-Nano Biomaterials and Detection-Treatment Technology, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering , Tianjin 300072, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xiaoqun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.affiliation: School of Material Science and Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, Tianjin Engineering Center of Micro-Nano Biomaterials and Detection-Treatment Technology, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering , Tianjin 300072, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry / Q000528:radiation effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014964:X-Ray Therapy
chemical_list: D006046:Gold
keywords: AuNPs; CT imaging; Monte Carlo simulations; X-ray theranostics; radiosensitization; size-tuning ionization