Phase-change nanodroplets for ultrasound based theranostics

超声在诊断医学中无处不在，对组织进行非侵入性成像。为了提高图像质量，微小的气体微泡被用作安全无毒的造影剂。微泡比周围组织更有效地散布声音，以提供更好的图像，但也可用于增强组织和细胞的孔隙度，以安全和非侵入性地靶向药物和基因输送。然而，尽管现在已经进行了一些人内研究，但交付效率仍然很低。由于肿瘤的微环境，让这些微泡进入实体肿瘤也是一件具有挑战性的事情。一种新的创新--相变纳米液滴可以提供解决方案。它们较小的尺寸意味着它们可以避开血管系统，更好地穿透组织。它们可以比充满气体的微泡更稳定，从而使它们在体内停留的时间更长。它们也可以被激活，在感兴趣的位置变成微泡，因此保留了诱人的微泡特性。就像微泡一样，它们也可以被功能化，以携带治疗货物或附着在疾病的特定蛋白质标记物上。该项目的目的是研究相变纳米液滴作为结直肠癌综合治疗(治疗和诊断)平台的治疗和诊断潜力。该学生将加入已经在这一领域工作的现有团队，负责纳米液滴制造和表征技术的优化。他们将研究这些纳米液滴的潜力，既可以改善难以询问的肿瘤的超声成像，又可以作为超声刺激的载体来传递治疗剂。在第二年，学生将有机会借调到滑铁卢大学，进入一个新的体外研究平台。

Ultrasound is ubiquitous in diagnostic medicine to image tissue non-invasively. To improve image quality, tiny microbubbles of gas are used as a safe and non-toxic contrast agent. The microbubbles scatter sound more efficiently than the surrounding tissues to provide better images, but can also be used to enhance tissue and cellular porosity, for safe and non-invasive targeted drug and gene delivery. However, despite a number of in-man studies now having taken place, delivery efficiencies remain low. It is also challenging to get these microbubbles into solid tumours where they are needed because of the tumour micro-environment. A new innovation, phase-change nanodroplets could provide the solution. Their smaller size means they can escape the vasculature and better penetrate tissues. They can be more stable than gas-filled microbubbles allowing them to stay in the body for longer. They can also still be activated to become a microbubble at the location of interest, therefore retaining the attractive microbubble properties. Just like microbubbles they can also be functionalized to carry a therapeutic cargo or attach to specific protein markers of diseaseThe aim of the project is to investigate the therapeutic and diagnostic potential of phase-change nanodroplets as a combined theranostic (therapy and diagnosis) platform in colorectal cancer. The student will join an existing team already working in this area and will be responsible for the optimisation of nanodroplet fabrication and characterisationtechniques. They will investigate the potential of these nanodroplets to deliver both improved ultrasound imaging of hard to interrogate tumours, and to act as an ultrasound stimulated vector to deliver therapeutic agents. In the second year, the student will have the opportunity to undertake secondment to the University of Waterloo to access a novel in vitro research platform.