Kang Moon Sung, Lee Haeni, Jeong Seung Jo, Eom Tae Joong, Kim Jeesu, Han Dong-Wook
Department of Cogno-Mechatronics Engineering, College of Nanoscience & Nanotechnology, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Korea.
Bio-IT Fusion Technology Research Institute, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Korea.
Biomedicines. 2022 Jun 10;10(6):1374. doi: 10.3390/biomedicines10061374.
Photoacoustic imaging using energy conversion from light to ultrasound waves has been developed as a powerful tool to investigate in vivo phenomena due to their complex characteristics. In photoacoustic imaging, endogenous chromophores such as oxygenated hemoglobin, deoxygenated hemoglobin, melanin, and lipid provide useful biomedical information at the molecular level. However, these intrinsic absorbers show strong absorbance only in visible or infrared optical windows and have limited light transmission, making them difficult to apply for clinical translation. Therefore, the development of novel exogenous contrast agents capable of increasing imaging depth while ensuring strong light absorption is required. We report here the application of carbon nanomaterials that exhibit unique physical, mechanical, and electrochemical properties as imaging probes in photoacoustic imaging. Classified into specific structures, carbon nanomaterials are synthesized with different substances according to the imaging purposes to modulate the absorption spectra and highly enhance photoacoustic signals. In addition, functional drugs can be loaded into the carbon nanomaterials composite, and effective in vivo monitoring and photothermal therapy can be performed with cell-specific targeting. Diverse applied cases suggest the high potential of carbon nanomaterial-based photoacoustic imaging in in vivo monitoring for clinical research.
利用从光到超声波的能量转换的光声成像，由于其复杂的特性，已发展成为一种研究体内现象的强大工具。在光声成像中，诸如氧合血红蛋白、脱氧血红蛋白、黑色素和脂质等内源性发色团在分子水平上提供了有用的生物医学信息。然而，这些固有吸收剂仅在可见光或红外光学窗口中显示出强吸收，并且光传输有限，这使得它们难以应用于临床转化。因此，需要开发能够在确保强光吸收的同时增加成像深度的新型外源性造影剂。我们在此报告碳纳米材料作为光声成像中的成像探针的应用，碳纳米材料具有独特的物理、机械和电化学性质。根据成像目的，将碳纳米材料分类为特定结构，与不同物质合成以调节吸收光谱并高度增强光声信号。此外，可以将功能药物加载到碳纳米材料复合物中，并通过细胞特异性靶向进行有效的体内监测和光热治疗。各种应用案例表明基于碳纳米材料的光声成像在临床研究的体内监测中具有很高的潜力。
