Photonic Nanosonophores for Functional and Structural Imaging

描述(申请人提供)：建议将肿瘤靶向、生物相容、支持对比度的纳米颗粒与光声成像(PAI)相结合。PAI是一种新兴的、简单、低成本、非电离、非侵入性的治疗方法。这种结合的目的是实现结构和化学/功能成像的同时进行。最近，新兴的PAI技术引起了相当大的关注，并因其在多种疾病中的潜在应用而被探索，包括乳腺癌、前列腺癌、黑色素瘤和炎症性关节炎。建议的基于纳米声学载体的PAI方法能够实现安全成像，仅使用光和超声波，以及生物兼容、水凝胶为基础、可生物降解和生物可消除的纳米颗粒造影剂和传感器。由此产生的非侵入性和非电离性的PAI将能够对整个肿瘤进行高空间和高时间分辨率的形态和功能评估，而不会对组织造成任何损害。目前，这种功能成像还不存在黄金标准。所提出的成像方法可用于肿瘤的早期检测和诊断，并可用于监测疾病和治疗的进展。它还可以在体内观察分子水平的现象，并允许更好地了解疾病的病理生理学以及疾病的发生、发展和治疗反应。同时使用能够实现多种化学和结构成像功能的纳米颗粒造影剂，将使医疗从业者不必使用各种造影剂进行一系列检查，从而生成完整的诊断评估。具体目标是：1.优化靶向多功能声光纳米颗粒(NPs)作为体内结构和功能光声成像的造影剂。2.以肿瘤为靶点的纳米颗粒的结构成像3.氧和pH值在肿瘤中体内分布的功能成像。4.结合结构成像和功能成像监测肿瘤治疗。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Proposed is the combining of tumor-targeted, biocompatible, contrast enabling nanoparticles with photoacoustic imaging (PAI). PAI is an emerging, simple, low cost, non-ionizing and non-invasive method. The aim of this combination is to achieve simultaneous structural and chemical/functional imaging. Recently, the emerging PAI technique has drawn considerable attention and has been explored for its potential application to a variety of diseases, including breast cancer, prostate cancer, melanoma and inflammatory arthritis. The proposed nanosonophore-based PAI method enables safe imaging, using only light and ultrasound, together with biocompatible, hydrogel-based, biodegradable and bio-eliminable nanoparticle contrast agents and sensors. The resultant non-invasive and non-ionizing PAI will enable morphological and functional evaluation, across the tumor, with both high spatial and high temporal resolution, but without any damage to the tissues. Currently no gold standard exists for such functional imaging. The proposed imaging method can be used for early detection and diagnosis of tumors, and for monitoring the progression of disease and of therapy. It could also observe phenomena at the molecular level in vivo and allow a better understanding of the pathophysiology of diseases as well as of disease onset, progression, and response to therapy. Using a nanoparticle contrast agent that enables multiple chemical and structural imaging functions, simultaneously, will free healthcare practitioners from having to perform a series of examinations with a diverse set of contrast agents so as to generate a complete diagnostic assessment. The Specific Aims are: 1. Optimization of Targeted Multi-functional Sonophoric Nanoparticles (NPs) as Contrast Agents for in-vivo Structural and Functional Photoacoustic Imaging. 2. Structural Imaging using Nanoparticles Targeted at the Tumor 3. Functional Imaging of the In-Vivo Distribution of Oxygen and pH Across Tumors. 4. Monitoring Tumor Therapy by a Combination of Structural and Functional Imaging.