In Vitro Studies of Multifunctional Perfluorocarbon Nanoemulsions for Cancer Therapy and Imaging
Year: 2024
Type: other
Abstract: Nanoparticles are attractive agents for cancer therapy because of two unique properties. First is their ability to accumulate in tumor tissue. This is due in part to their unique pharmacokinetics allowing minimal renal filtration and evading uptake by the reticuloendothelial system. Second is their high surface-to-volume ratios for carrying various sensors, therapeutics and targeting species for passive or active targeting of cancer cells. Perfluorocarbon nanoemulsions are a unique class of theranostic agents which are able to solubilize a wide variety of therapeutic agents, at the same time have optical properties for tumor detection using various imaging modalities. Perfluorocarbon (PFC) nanoemulsions allow for a range of functions in vivo because of their biological inertness, high stability, and reduced cytotoxicity. Like many other nanoparticles, the nanoemulsions can be designed to have various targeting ligands on their surface to direct them to various biomarkers associated with cancer. It can at the same time carry a variety of extrinsic imaging agents such as chromophores for fluorescence imaging or use its intrinsic physical properties such as its density or ability to vaporize upon expansion for ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging. Its phase transition from a liquid droplet to a microbubble can be accomplished by either directly providing energy using acoustic waves or indirectly through the use of optical absorbers (i.e. gold nanoparticles) which can transfer energy as heat to PFC nanodroplets. This work will study the effect of perfluorocarbon nanoemulsions in breast cancer cell lines (i.e. MCF-7, MDA-MB 231) and will quantify nanodroplet and nanoparticle uptake and co-diffusion using various fluorescence techniques (i.e. dual color fluorescence correlation spectroscopy and total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy) to determine their efficacy as theranostic agents.
DOI: 10.32920/27912696
Language: English
Subfield: Biomedical Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
OpenAlex ID: W4404731956