Endometriosis is a painful disorder where endometrium‐like tissue forms lesions outside of the uterine cavity. Intraoperative identification and removal of these lesions are difficult. This study presents a nanoplatform that concurrently delineates and ablates endometriosis tissues using real‐time near‐infrared (NIR) fluorescence and photothermal therapy (PTT). The nanoplatform consists of a dye, silicon naphthalocyanine (SiNc), capable of both NIR fluorescence imaging and PTT, and a polymeric nanoparticle as a SiNc carrier to endometriosis tissue following systemic administration. To achieve high contrast during fluorescence imaging of endometriotic lesions, nanoparticles are constructed to be non‐fluorescent prior to internalization by endometriosis cells. In vitro studies confirm that these nanoparticles activate the fluorescence signal following internalization in macaque endometrial stromal cells and ablate them by increasing cellular temperature to 53 °C upon interaction with NIR light. To demonstrate in vivo efficiency of the nanoparticles, biopsies of endometrium and endometriosis from rhesus macaques are transplanted into immunodeficient mice. Imaging with the intraoperative Fluobeam 800 system reveals that 24 h following intravenous injection, nanoparticles efficiently accumulate in, and demarcate, endometriotic grafts with fluorescence. Finally, the nanoparticles increase the temperature of endometriotic grafts up to 47 °C upon exposure to NIR light, completely eradicating them after a single treatment.
Ectopic pregnancy (EP) is the leading cause of maternity‐related death in the first trimester of pregnancy. Approximately 98% of ectopic implantations occur in the fallopian tube, and expedient management is crucial for preventing hemorrhage and maternal death in the event of tubal rupture. Current ultrasound strategies misdiagnose EP in up to 40% of cases, and the failure rate of methotrexate treatment for confirmed EP exceeds 10%. Here the first theranostic strategy for potential management of EP is reported using a near‐infrared naphthalocyanine dye encapsulated within polymeric nanoparticles. These nanoparticles preferentially accumulate in the developing murine placenta within 24 h following systemic administration, and enable visualization of implantation sites at various gestational stages via fluorescence and photoacoustic imaging. These nanoparticles do not traverse the placental barrier to the fetus or impact fetal development. However, excitation of nanoparticles localized in specific placentas with focused NIR light generates heat (>43 °C) sufficient for disruption of placental function, resulting in the demise of targeted fetuses with no effect on adjacent fetuses. This novel approach would enable diagnostic confirmation of EP when current imaging strategies are unsuccessful, and elimination of EP could subsequently be achieved using the same nano‐agent to generate localized hyperthermia resulting in targeted placental impairment.
In article number 1906936, Ov D. Slayden, Oleh Taratula, and co‐workers present a nanomedicine approach for endometriosis treatment. Photo‐responsive nanoparticles concurrently delineate and ablate endometriosis tissue xenografts in mice employing real‐time fluorescence imaging and photothermal therapy. Following intravenous injection, nanoparticles activate their fluorescence in endometriotic lesions. Excitation by near‐infrared light produces heat within endometriotic tissues, resulting in their complete eradication. This approach could aid surgeons in identifying and eliminating endometriosis.
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