To take advantage of each modality during multimodality imaging and provide complementary information of diseases, we have designed and tested multifunctional gold nanotripods (Au-tripods) for positron emission tomography (PET)/photoacoustic imaging (PAI)/Raman triple-modality imaging of tumors in living subjects. The Affibody modification on the PEGylated surface of Au-tripods was used to specifically target the epidermal growth factor receptor EGFR-positive tumor. The resultant Au-tripod-Affibody probes showed significantly enhanced PA and Raman contrast effects in both phantom and small animal imaging experiments. Compared to the Affibody blocking controls, the tumor accumulation was significantly high (more than 8% ID/g after 24 hr). The PA images correlated well with the corresponding PET quantification. Such plasmonic gold nanostructures as multimodal contrast agents were successfully prepared, and it could allow us to specifically image tumors in an accurate and quantitative manner.

Construction of hybrid nanostructures as multimodal contrast agents for cancer imaging

247th National Meeting (2014)

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