"Smart" gold nanoparticles for photoacoustic imaging: an imaging contrast agent responsive to the cancer microenvironment and signal amplification via pH-induced aggregation.
'Smart' gold nanoparticles can respond to mild acidic environments, rapidly form aggregates, and shift the absorption to red and near-infrared. They were used as a photoacoustic imaging agent responsive to the cancer microenvironment, and have demonstrated the cancer-specific accumulation at the cellular level and an amplified signal which is twice higher than the control in vivo.
School of Interdisciplinary Bioscience and Bioengineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), 77 Cheongam Ro, Nam Gu, Pohang, South Korea. sungjee@postech.ac.kr.
Jaejung
J
Song
Jeesu
J
Kim
Sekyu
S
Hwang
Mansik
M
Jeon
Sanghwa
S
Jeong
Chulhong
C
Kim
Sungjee
S
Kim
D000818:Animals; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000737:chemistry*; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry*; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D051379:Mice; D041681:NIH 3T3 Cells; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D061088:Photoacoustic Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D059016:Tumor Microenvironment
D003287:Contrast Media; D006046:Gold