Preoperative Detection and Intraoperative Visualization of Brain Tumors for More Precise Surgery: A New Dual-Modality MRI and NIR Nanoprobe

• Published in: Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany) Vol. 11; no. 35; pp. 4517 - 4525
• Main Authors: Li, Chunyan, Cao, Limin, Zhang, Yejun, Yi, Peiwei, Wang, Mao, Tan, Bo, Deng, Zongwu, Wu, Dongmin, Wang, Qiangbin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.09.2015; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Ag2S QDs; Animals; Brain; Brain Neoplasms - diagnosis; Brain Neoplasms - surgery; Cell Line, Tumor; dual modality nanoprobes; Fluorescence; Humans; image-guided surgery; Imaging; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Mice, Nude; Molecular Probes - chemistry; Monitoring, Intraoperative; nanoprobes; nanoprobes, image‐guided surgery; Nanostructure; Nanotechnology; near-infrared fluorescence; Penetration; Preoperative Care; Quantum dots; Signal to noise ratio; Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared; Surgery; Tumors; near-infrared fluorescence; magnetic resonance imaging; dual modality nanoprobes; nanoprobes, image-guided surgery; Ag2S QDs
• ISSN: 1613-6810; 1613-6829
• DOI: 10.1002/smll.201500997

In clinical practice, it is difficult to identify tumor margins during brain surgery due to its inherent infiltrative character. Herein, a unique dual‐modality nanoprobe (Gd‐DOTA‐Ag2S QDs, referred as Gd‐Ag2S nanoprobe) is reported, which integrates advantages of the deep tissue penetration of enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of Gd and the high signal‐to‐noise ratio and high spatiotemporal resolution of fluorescence imaging in the second near‐infrared window (NIR‐II) of Ag2S quantum dots (QDs). Due to the abundant tumor angiogenesis and the enhanced permeability and retention effect in the tumor, a brain tumor (U87MG) in a mouse model is clearly delineated in situ with the help of the Gd assisted T1 MR imaging and the intraoperative resection of the tumor is precisely accomplished under the guidance of NIR‐II fluorescence imaging of Ag2S QDs after intravenous injection of Gd‐Ag2S nanoprobe. Additionally, no histologic changes are observed in the main organs of the mouse after administration of Gd‐Ag2S nanoprobe for 1 month, indicating the high biocompatibility of the nanoprobe. We expect that such a novel “Detection and Operation” strategy based on Gd‐Ag2S nanoprobe is promising in future clinical applications. Gd‐Ag2S nanoprobes, which integrate advantages of the deep tissue penetration of enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of Gd and the high signal‐to‐noise ratio and high spatiotemporal resolution of fluorescence imaging in the second near‐infrared window (NIR‐II) of Ag2S quantum dots, acts as a new dual‐modality nanoprobe for profiling and imaging‐guided surgery of brain tumor by a “detection and operation” approach.