Multi-functional Nanodroplets Encapsulating Naphthalocyanine and Perfluorohexane for Bimodal Image-Guided Therapy.

Multi-functional Nanodroplets Encapsulating Naphthalocyanine and Perfluorohexane for Bimodal Image-Guided Therapy. Biomacromolecules. 2019 Sep 04;: Authors: Choi H, Choi W, Kim J, Kong WH, Kim KS, Kim C, Hahn SK Abstract Although nanocarriers containing perfluorocarbon (PFC) have been widely investigated as an ultrasound (US) imaging agent and a high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) agent, these carriers have suffered from low stability and biocompatibility limiting their further biomedical applications. Here, we developed surface crosslinked polymer nanodroplets as a HIFU therapeutic agent guided by bimodal photoacoustic (PA) and US imaging. Pluronic F127 was reacted with 4-nitrophenyl chloroformate (NPC) and mixed with naphthalocyanine (Nc) in dichloromethane, which was added into the aqueous solution of amine-functionalized six-arm-branched poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) to form an oil-in-water emulsion for the crosslinking reaction between the terminal NPC of Pluronic F127 and the primary amine of six-arm PEG. The resulting solution was sonicated with liquid perfluorohexane (PFH) to prepare PEG crosslinked Pluronic F127 nanoparticles encapsulating Nc and PFH (Nc/PFH@PCPN). Nc/PFH@PCPN appeared to be stable without any coalescence or vaporization in the physiological condition. Upon the application of HIFU, Nc/PFH@PCPN was vaporized and showed increased US intensity for 180 min. The Nc dye in the nanodroplets enabled the stable en...
Source: Biomacromolecules - Category: Biochemistry Authors: Tags: Biomacromolecules Source Type: research