Tuning and Targeting Semiconducting Polymer Nanoparticles to Enhance In Vivo Photoacoustic Imaging

调节和靶向半导体聚合物纳米颗粒以增强体内光声成像

• 批准号: 1754844
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: University College London
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2016 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-1754844
• 关键词: Tuning; Targeting; Semiconducting; Polymer; Nanoparticles

Photoacoustic (PA) imaging is a novel imaging technique that combines the high spatial resolution of ultrasound imaging and the specificity of optical imaging techniques. To achieve good contrast in vivo, PA imaging relies on the optical properties of endogenous molecules. However, many clinically relevant biological species are optically silent, and would require an imaging agent to target them with good specificity while remaining photostable and retaining good bioavailability. Recently, the Tabor group has succeeded in specifically targeting a pDNA delivery nanoparticle to EGFR receptors, overexpressed on the surface of cancer cells, by introducing pendant targeting peptides into the nanoparticle scaffold. Coformulated with lipids and amphiphilic moieties such as PEG and DPPC, these coated nanoparticles have good retention times and their functionalised core remains protected from degradation. Based on the recent synthesis by the Bronstein group of indigo-derived semiconducting polymers (INDT-X) with excellent PA potential, the aim of this project is to formulate EGFR-targeting INDT species within a semiconducting polymer nanoparticle (SPN) scaffold, to produce a safe and performant PA contrast agent for the clinical and pre-clinical imaging of a variety of cancers.

光声成像是一种新型的成像技术，它结合了超声成像的高空间分辨率和光学成像技术的特异性。为了在体内实现良好的对比度，PA成像依赖于内源性分子的光学性质。然而，许多临床相关的生物物种是光学沉默的，并且需要成像剂以良好的特异性靶向它们，同时保持光稳定性并保持良好的生物利用度。最近，塔博尔小组已经成功地将pDNA递送纳米颗粒特异性地靶向EGFR受体，该EGFR受体在癌细胞表面上过表达，通过将悬垂靶向肽引入纳米颗粒支架中。与脂质和两亲性部分（如PEG和DPPC）共配制，这些包覆的纳米颗粒具有良好的保留时间，并且其官能化的核心保持免受降解。基于Bronstein小组最近合成的具有出色PA潜力的靛蓝衍生半导体聚合物（INDT-X），该项目的目的是在半导体聚合物纳米颗粒（SPN）支架内配制靶向EGFR的INDT物质，以生产安全和性能PA造影剂用于多种癌症的临床和临床前成像。