Molecular photoacoustic imaging of breast cancer using an actively targeted conjugated polymer
Balasundaram G, Ho CJH, Li K, Driessen W, Dinish US, Wong CL, Ntziachristos V, Liu B, Olivo M (2015)
Publication Type: Journal article
Publication year: 2015
Journal
Book Volume: 10
Pages Range: 387-397
DOI: 10.2147/IJN.S73558
Abstract
Conjugated polymers (CPs) are upcoming optical contrast agents in view of their unique optical properties and versatile synthetic chemistry. Biofunctionalization of these polymer-based nanoparticles enables molecular imaging of biological processes. In this work, we propose the concept of using a biofunctionalized CP for noninvasive photoacoustic (PA) molecular imaging of breast cancer. In particular, after verifying the PA activity of a CP nanoparticle (CP dots) in phantoms and the targeting efficacy of a folate-functionalized version of the same (folate-CP dots) in vitro, we systemically administered the probe into a folate receptor-positive (FR+ve) MCF-7 breast cancer xenograft model to demonstrate the possible application of folate-CP dots for imaging FR+ve breast cancers in comparison to CP dots with no folate moieties. We observed a strong PA signal at the tumor site of folate-CP dots-administered mice as early as 1 hour after administration as a result of the active targeting of the folate-CP dots to the FR+ve tumor cells but a weak PA signal at the tumor site of CP-dots-administered mice as a result of the passive accumulation of the probe by enhanced permeability and retention effect. We also observed that folate-CP dots produced ∼4-fold enhancement in the PA signal in the tumor, when compared to CP dots. These observations demonstrate the great potential of this active-targeting CP to be used as a contrast agent for molecular PA diagnostic imaging in various biomedical applications.
Involved external institutions
Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
Singapore (SG)
Helmholtz Zentrum München - Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Gesundheit und Umwelt (HMGU) / Helmholtz Munich
Germany (DE)
Singapore (SG)
Helmholtz Zentrum München - Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Gesundheit und Umwelt (HMGU) / Helmholtz Munich
Germany (DE)
How to cite
APA:
Balasundaram, G., Ho, C.J.H., Li, K., Driessen, W., Dinish, U.S., Wong, C.L.,... Olivo, M. (2015). Molecular photoacoustic imaging of breast cancer using an actively targeted conjugated polymer. International Journal of Nanomedicine, 10, 387-397. https://dx.doi.org/10.2147/IJN.S73558
MLA:
Balasundaram, Ghayathri, et al. "Molecular photoacoustic imaging of breast cancer using an actively targeted conjugated polymer." International Journal of Nanomedicine 10 (2015): 387-397.
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