Photoacoustic signal enhancement in dual-contrast gastrin-releasing peptide receptor-targeted nanobubbles.

ABSTRACT: Translatable imaging agents are a crucial element of successful molecular imaging. Photoacoustic molecular imaging relies on optical absorbing materials to generate a sufficient signal. However, few materials approved for human use can generate adequate photoacoustic responses. Here we report a new nanoengineering approach to further improve photoacoustic response from biocompatible materials. Our study shows that when optical absorbers are incorporated into the shell of a gaseous nanobubble, their photoacoustic signal can be significantly enhanced compared to the original form. As an example, we constructed nanobubbles using biocompatible indocyanine green (ICG) and biodegradable poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA). We demonstrated that these ICG nanobubbles generate a strong ultrasound

SUBMITTER: Zhao S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9887164 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature