Xu Yan-Neng, Bai Xiaopeng, Chen Jian-Li, Wu Xuan, Yin Dan, Yuan Gang, Dai Rongyang, Zhu Xiao-Ming, Wang Jianfang
State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicines, Macau Institute for Applied Research in Medicine and Health, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macau SAR, 999078, People's Republic of China.
Department of Physics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, People's Republic of China.
Int J Nanomedicine. 2024 Dec 19;19:13579-13592. doi: 10.2147/IJN.S488480. eCollection 2024.
The lymphatic system is the major route of cancer metastasis, and sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) are the first station for the spread of cancer cells. Accurate identification of SLNs by tracers during surgery is crucial for SLN biopsy and lymphadenectomy. However, conventional monomodal tracers such as blue dyes and carbon nanoparticles often induce a misjudgment of SLNs and thus are still unsatisfying for clinical applications. In addition, SLN imaging agents with therapeutic capabilities to achieve perfect theranostics have been less exploited.
Titanium nitride (TiN) nanostructures have the advantages of high stability and low cost and show superior plasmonic properties over both the visible and near-infrared (NIR) regions. Herein we report on the synthesis of TiN nanobipyramids (NBPs) with large sizes for multimodal SLN mapping.
A hydrothermal method and post nitridation treatment were used to prepare the TiN NBPs. Bright- and dark-field imaging of SLNs with TiN NBPs were performed. The effect of TiN NBP size on SLN tracing was studied. The effect of TiN NBP-based photothermal ablation of SLNs combined with removal of primary tumors on pulmonary metastasis was studied.
The TiN NBPs with dual bright- and dark-field imaging functions show high drainage in lymph nodes and thus can act as a potential substitute for SLN tracing. Moreover, owing to the superior plasmonic properties of TiN nanostructures, the produced TiN NBPs show a high photothermal conversion efficiency under 1064 nm laser irradiation. TiN NBP-based photothermal ablation of metastatic LNs in the second NIR window (NIR-II) combined with surgical removal of primary tumors shows remarkable inhibition of pulmonary metastasis.
This study not only demonstrates TiN NBPs as a new tracer for SLN mapping, but also presents a strategy for the photothermal ablation of lymph nodes in NIR-II for the inhibition of lymphatic metastasis.
淋巴系统是癌症转移的主要途径，前哨淋巴结（SLN）是癌细胞扩散的第一站。手术期间通过示踪剂准确识别SLN对于SLN活检和淋巴结清扫至关重要。然而，传统的单峰示踪剂，如蓝色染料和碳纳米颗粒，常常会导致对SLN的误判，因此在临床应用中仍不尽人意。此外，具有治疗能力以实现完美诊疗一体化的SLN成像剂尚未得到充分开发。
氮化钛（TiN）纳米结构具有高稳定性和低成本的优点，并且在可见光和近红外（NIR）区域均表现出优异的等离子体特性。在此，我们报道了用于多模态SLN定位的大尺寸TiN纳米双棱锥（NBP）的合成。
采用水热法和后氮化处理制备TiN NBP。对注射了TiN NBP的SLN进行明场和暗场成像。研究了TiN NBP尺寸对SLN示踪的影响。研究了基于TiN NBP的SLN光热消融联合原发性肿瘤切除对肺转移的影响。
具有明场和暗场成像双重功能的TiN NBP在淋巴结中显示出高引流性，因此可作为SLN示踪的潜在替代物。此外，由于TiN纳米结构优异的等离子体特性，所制备的TiN NBP在1064 nm激光照射下表现出高的光热转换效率。基于TiN NBP的第二近红外窗口（NIR-II）转移性淋巴结光热消融联合原发性肿瘤手术切除显示出对肺转移的显著抑制作用。
本研究不仅证明了TiN NBP作为一种用于SLN定位的新型示踪剂，还提出了一种在NIR-II中对淋巴结进行光热消融以抑制淋巴转移的策略。
