In vivo characterization of tumor vasculature using iodine and gold nanoparticles and dual energy micro-CT.

ABSTRACT: Tumor blood volume and vascular permeability are well established indicators of tumor angiogenesis and important predictors in cancer diagnosis, planning and treatment. In this work, we establish a novel preclinical imaging protocol which allows quantitative measurement of both metrics simultaneously. First, gold nanoparticles are injected and allowed to extravasate into the tumor, and then liposomal iodine nanoparticles are injected. Combining a previously optimized dual energy micro-CT scan using high-flux polychromatic x-ray sources (energies: 40 kVp, 80 kVp) with a novel post-reconstruction spectral filtration scheme, we are able to decompose the results into 3D iodine and gold maps, allowing simultaneous measurement of extravasated gold and intravascular iodine concentrations. Using a

SUBMITTER: Clark DP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3746324 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature