Gold Nanorod Enhanced Photoacoustic Microscopy and Optical Coherence Tomography of Choroidal Neovascularization

Abstract

Visualization and evaluation of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) are major challenges to improve treatment outcomes for patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Limitations of current imaging techniques include the limited penetration depth, spatial resolution, and sensitivity and difficulty visualizing CNV from the healthy microvasculature. In this study, a custom-built multimodal photoacoustic microscopy (PAM) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) system was developed to distinguish the margin of CNV in living rabbits with the assistance of functionalized gold nanorods conjugating with RGD ligands (GNR-RGD). Intravenous administration of GNR-RGD into rabbits in a CNV model resulted in signal enhancements of 27.2-fold in PAM and 171.4% in OCT. This molecular imaging technique of contrast-enhanced PAM and OCT is a promising tool for the precise imaging of CNV as well as the evaluation of the pathophysiology in vivo without destruction of tissue.

Anisotropic Plasmonic Gold Nanorod–Indocyanine Green@Reduced Graphene Oxide–Doxorubicin Nanohybrids for Image-Guided Enhanced Tumor Theranostics

“…The anisotropic GNRs among the several diverse gold nanostructures, have attracted much attention in cancer theragnosis owing to their exceptional optical, photothermal, and biocompatible properties. , In past few years, an extensive study has been made in various fields of applications, such as multiphoton imaging, , photoacoustic imaging, , biosensing, , hyperthermia therapy, , drug/gene delivery, , catalysis, , optical recording and data storage, , and image guided cancer therapy. , The most fascinating features for all these applications are based on the tunable localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) property, which is originated by the interactions of pacified light with the nanocrystals, which then induce powerful local field enrichment at the tips . The generated enhance field could be exploited to activate drug release for chemotherapy and/or creation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) for photodynamic therapy and/or to provide hyperthermal cancer therapy. , On the other hand, indocyanine green (ICG), which is a prototypical dye with solid absorption band at about 800 nm, is a FDA approved near-infrared (NIR) active amphipathic tricarbocyanine dye for clinical applications in cancer theranostic, has been chosen to encapsulate to overcome its intrinsic drawbacks , like low quantum yield, limited photostability, rapid blood clearance in physiological conditions, and restricted availability for functionalization, which otherwise limits its further applications .…”

“…5 The anisotropic GNRs among the several diverse gold nanostructures, have attracted much attention in cancer theragnosis owing to their exceptional optical, photothermal, and biocompatible properties. 6,7 In past few years, an extensive study has been made in various fields of applications, such as multiphoton imaging, 8,9 photoacoustic imaging, 10,11 biosensing, 12,13 hyperthermia therapy, 14,15 drug/gene delivery, 16,17 catalysis, 18,19 optical recording and data storage, 20,21 and image guided cancer therapy. 22,23 The most fascinating features for all these applications are based on the tunable localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) property, which is originated by the interactions of pacified light with the nanocrystals, which then induce powerful local field enrichment at the tips.…”

A lipid nanoparticle platform for mRNA delivery through repurposing of cationic amphiphilic drugs

“…Photographs of the cornea were imaged by a Canon EOS-5D (Canon, Tokyo, Japan). OCT evaluation was done using a spectral domain Ganymede-II-HR OCT imaging system with modification (Ganymede-II-HR; Thorlabs, Germany), as explained in detail in the following references[ [64] , [66] ].…”

Molecular Contrast Optical Coherence Tomography and Its Applications in Medicine

“…From then on, nanoparticles such as gold nanorods, gold nanocages, and TiO 2 nanoparticles have been reported for molecular contrast OCT [ 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 ]. For example, Chen et al, presented the first scattering-dominant gold nanoparticles, nanocages, for molecular contrast OCT imaging [ 37 ].…”