Photoactivated Gas-Generating Nanocontrast Agents for Long-Term Ultrasonic Imaging-Guided Combined Therapy of Tumors
Binbin Chu, Zhiming Chen, Xiaofeng Wu, Haoliang Shi, Xiangbowen Jin, Bin Song, Mingyue Cui, Yadan Zhao, Yingying Zhao, Yao He, Houyu Wang, Fenglin Dong
Abstract
To date, long-term and continuous ultrasonic imaging for guiding the puncture biopsy remains a challenge. In order to address this issue, a multimodality imaging and therapeutic method was developed in the present study to facilitate long-term ultrasonic and fluorescence imaging-guided precision diagnosis and combined therapy of tumors. In this regard, certain types of photoactivated gas-generating nanocontrast agents (PGNAs), capable of exhibiting both ultrasonic and fluorescence imaging ability along with photothermal and sonodynamic function, were designed and fabricated. The advantages of these fabricated PGNAs were then utilized against tumors in vivo, and high therapeutic efficacy was achieved through long-term ultrasonic imaging-guided treatment. In particular, the as-prepared multifunctional PGNAs were applied successfully for the fluorescence-based determination of patient tumor samples collected through puncture biopsy in clinics, and superior performance was observed compared to the clinically used SonoVue contrast agents that are incapable of specifically distinguishing the tumor in ex vivo tissues.