Zhao Yiming, Shaffer Travis M, Das Sudeep, Pérez-Medina Carlos, Mulder Willem J M, Grimm Jan
Translational and Molecular Imaging Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , New York, New York 10029, United States.
Department of Chemistry, Hunter College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York , New York, New York 10065, United States.
Bioconjug Chem. 2017 Feb 15;28(2):600-608. doi: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.6b00687. Epub 2017 Jan 12.
Cerenkov luminescence (CL) is an emerging imaging modality that utilizes the light generated during the radioactive decay of many clinical used isotopes. Although it is increasingly used for background-free imaging and deep tissue photodynamic therapy, in vivo applications of CL suffer from limited tissue penetration. Here, we propose to use quantum dots (QDs) as spectral converters that can transfer the CL UV-blue emissions to near-infrared light that is less scattered or absorbed in vivo. Experiments on tissue phantoms showed enhanced penetration depth and increased transmitted intensity for CL in the presence of near-infrared (NIR) QDs. To realize this concept for in vivo imaging applications, we developed three types of NIR QDs and Zr dual-labeled nanoparticles based on lipid micelles, nanoemulsions, and polymeric nanoplatforms, which enable codelivery of the radionuclide and the QDs for maximized spectral conversion efficiency. We finally demonstrated the application of these self-illuminating nanoparticles for imaging of lymph nodes and tumors in a prostate cancer mouse model.
切伦科夫发光（CL）是一种新兴的成像方式，它利用许多临床使用的同位素在放射性衰变过程中产生的光。尽管它越来越多地用于无背景成像和深部组织光动力疗法，但CL的体内应用存在组织穿透有限的问题。在此，我们提议使用量子点（QD）作为光谱转换器，其可将CL的紫外-蓝光发射转换为在体内散射或吸收较少的近红外光。在组织模型上进行的实验表明，在存在近红外（NIR）量子点的情况下，CL的穿透深度增加且透射强度提高。为了在体内成像应用中实现这一概念，我们基于脂质微团、纳米乳剂和聚合物纳米平台开发了三种类型的近红外量子点和锆双标记纳米颗粒，其能够实现放射性核素和量子点的共递送，以实现最大化的光谱转换效率。我们最终在前列腺癌小鼠模型中证明了这些自发光纳米颗粒在淋巴结和肿瘤成像中的应用。
