Qin Huan, Zhao Yue, Zhang Jian, Pan Xiao, Yang Sihua, Xing Da
MOE Key Laboratory of Laser Life Science & Institute of Laser Life Science, College of Biophotonics, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.
MOE Key Laboratory of Laser Life Science & Institute of Laser Life Science, College of Biophotonics, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.
Nanomedicine. 2016 Oct;12(7):1765-1774. doi: 10.1016/j.nano.2016.02.016. Epub 2016 Mar 22.
Elevated expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP) is one of the clinical features of high-risk atherosclerotic plaques. Many methods such as fluorescence imaging methods have been used to detect MMP for evaluating plaque vulnerability. However, so far no imaging method has been able to resolve the expression of MMP with high fidelity and resolution beyond microscopic depths. In this study, gold nanorods conjugated with MMP antibody (AuNRs-Abs) were developed as a highly efficient photoacoustic imaging (PAI) probe for mapping MMP in atherosclerotic plaques. AuNRs-Abs could specifically target MMP as demonstrated by scanning electron microscope and immunofluorescence imaging. After labeling with AuNRs-Abs, area of distribution of MMP from the surface to the depths of the atherosclerotic plaques was revealed using intravascular PAI. AuNRs-Abs has the ability to enable quantitative detection of MMP in atherosclerotic plaques.
基质金属蛋白酶-2（MMP）的高表达是高危动脉粥样硬化斑块的临床特征之一。许多方法，如荧光成像方法，已被用于检测MMP以评估斑块易损性。然而，到目前为止，还没有一种成像方法能够在超出微观深度的情况下以高保真度和分辨率解析MMP的表达。在本研究中，开发了与MMP抗体偶联的金纳米棒（AuNRs-Abs）作为一种高效的光声成像（PAI）探针，用于绘制动脉粥样硬化斑块中的MMP。扫描电子显微镜和免疫荧光成像证明，AuNRs-Abs可以特异性靶向MMP。用AuNRs-Abs标记后，使用血管内PAI揭示了从动脉粥样硬化斑块表面到深度的MMP分布区域。AuNRs-Abs能够对动脉粥样硬化斑块中的MMP进行定量检测。
