Photoacoustic imaging of gold nanorods in the brain delivered via microbubble- assisted focused ultrasound: a tool for in vivo molecular neuroimaging

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Robin K. Hartman, Georgia Institute of Technology; Kristina A. Hallam, Georgia Institute of Technology; Eleanor M. Donnelly, Georgia Institute of Technology; Stanislav Emelianov, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2019-02-01
• Publisher: IOP Publishing & Astro Ltd.
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: © 2019 Astro Ltd.
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1612-202X/aaf89e
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Laser Physics Letters
• Volume: 16
• Issue: 2
• Start Page: 025603
• End Page: 025603
• Grant/Funding Information: Funding for this study was provided by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) (NS102860).
• Keywords: Physical Sciences; Models; nanoparticles; focused ultrasound; Physics; ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging; Optics; Physics, Applied; Barrier disruption; blood brain barrier opening; Science & Technology
• Research Categories: Engineering, Biomedical; Physics, Acoustics; Health Sciences, Radiology

Abstract

The protective barriers of the CNS present challenges during the treatment and monitoring of diseases. In particular, the blood brain barrier is a major hindrance to the delivery of imaging contrast agents and therapeutics to the brain. In this work, we use gas microbubble-assisted focused ultrasound to transiently open the blood brain barrier and locally deliver silica coated gold nanorods across the barrier. This particular nanoagent possesses a strong optical absorption which enables in vivo and ex vivo visualization of the delivered particles using ultrasound-guided photoacoustic imaging. The results of these studies demonstrate the potential of ultrasound-guided photoacoustics to image contrast agents delivered via microbubble-assisted focused ultrasound for longitudinal diagnostic imaging and for therapeutic monitoring of neurological diseases.