방사선의학 웹진

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Abstract

Although there is great versatility of ultrasound (US) technologies in the real clinical field, one main technical challenge is the compromising of high quality of echo properties and size engineering of ultrasound contrast agents (UCAs); a high echo property is offset by reducing particle size. Herein, a new strategy for overcoming the dilemma by devising chemical gas (CO2) generating carbonate copolymer nanoparticles (Gas-NPs), which are clearly distinguished from the conventional gas-encapsulated micro-sized UCAs. More importantly, Gas-NPs could be readily engineered to strengthen the desirable in vivo physicochemical properties for nano-sized drug carriers with higher tumor targeting ability, as well as the high quality of echo properties for tumor-targeted US imaging. In tumor-bearing mice, anticancer drug-loaded Gas-NPs showed the desirable theranostic functions for US-triggered drug delivery, even after i.v. injection. In this regard, and as demonstrated in the aforementioned study, our technology could serve a highly effective platform in building theranostic UCAs with great sophistication and therapeutic applicability in tumor-targeted US imaging and US-triggered drug delivery. 

Author information

Min HS1, Son S1, You DG2, Lee TW1, Lee J1, Lee S1, Yhee JY1, Lee J3, Han MH3, Park JH4, Kim SH1, Choi K1, Park K5, Kim K6, Kwon IC7.​

1Center for Theragnosis, Biomedical Research Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, 39-1 Hawolgok-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 136-791, Republic of Korea.

2Center for Theragnosis, Biomedical Research Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, 39-1 Hawolgok-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 136-791, Republic of Korea; School of Chemical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-746, Republic of Korea.

3Department of Radiology, Seoul National University Hospital, 101 Daehangno, Jongno-gu, Seoul 110-744, Republic of Korea.

4School of Chemical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-746, Republic of Korea.

5Department of Biomedical Engineering and Pharmaceutics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47960, USA.

6Center for Theragnosis, Biomedical Research Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, 39-1 Hawolgok-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 136-791, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: kim@kist.re.kr.

7Center for Theragnosis, Biomedical Research Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, 39-1 Hawolgok-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 136-791, Republic of Korea; KU-KIST School, Korea University, Anam-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 136-701, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: ikwon@kist.re.kr.