Gold-based nanomaterial boosts resolution and sensitivity of imaging cartilage damage
Gold-based nanomaterial boosts resolution and sensitivity of imaging cartilage damage lead image
Assessing damage to cartilage, often implicated in osteoarthritis, continues to pose sensitivity and resolution challenges for modern medical imaging. Gold-based nanomaterials offer several advantages in this space, from their ability to carry drugs to sensitizing to imaging radiation.
Lu et al. created a new nanomaterial for imaging cartilage injuries. By modifying the structure of bovine serum albumin, they produced an iodinated gadolinium-gold nanomaterial, AuNC@BSA-Gd-I, that could potentially be an environmentally stable contrast agent multiple imaging modalities.
“This paper broadens the horizon of imaging technologies for diagnosing joint diseases and highlights a new nano-drug delivery option for avascular tissue,” said author Feng-Shang Wang. “It also conveys an innovative multi-modal tool for material science communities, which use CT, MRI, optical imaging, and nuclear approaches to evaluate material features.”
After reducing and stabilizing the bovine serum albumin, a readily available protein from cows, the group introduced the gold nanoclusters, ready for the modified proteins to protect the gold.
Gadolinium and iodine, the common bases of contrast agents for MRI and CT respectively, were then introduced.
The particles effectively imaged the cartilage on MRI, CT, and optical imaging – no small feat for their sample of razor-thin mouse cartilage.
“Keeping the nanomaterial down to 20 nm was the most challenging job we faced because a big size may limit its penetration into cartilage tissue,” Wang said. “We were surprised that particles seem to be highly incorporated into cartilage, which is usually considered to be an avascular tissue.”
The authors hope their work stimulates more research in theranostic nanomaterials. They next look to expand the uses of AuNC@BSA-Gd-I beyond cartilage imaging to examine other tissues and deliver treatments.
Source: “Iodinated gadolinium-gold nanomaterial as a multimodal contrast agent for cartilage tissue imaging,” by Cheng-Hsiu Lu, Wei-Shiung Lian, Re-Wen Wu, Yu-Han Lin, Chia-Hao Su, Chuan-Lin Chen, Ming-Hong Tai, Yu-Shan Chen, Shao-Yu Wang, Chao-Cheng Chen, and Feng-Shang Wang, APL Bioengineering (2024). The article can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0215273 .
