Development of in vivo animal imaging instrumentations and methods contributes to the early diagnosis of cancer. Of variable imaging modalities, in vivo optical imaging such as bioluminescence and fluorescence is one of the best methods to measure molecular change of cancer cells. High sensitivity and relatively low cost of optical method gives benefits to apply for translational research in the field of cancer. Nano-probes to label and detect early cancer cells have been developed by nano-chemists and molecular imaging researchers. Quantum dots made from fluorescent semi-conductors show good advantages in term of imaging probes; high quantum yields, large molar extinction coefficients, size-dependent tunable emission and high photostability. To detect a gastrointestinal (GI) cancer, newly developed endoscopes have been used. Among them, near infrared fluorescence endoscope and confocal endomicroscope are good candidates for clinical application. In animal studies, successful results to detect cancer in gastrointestinal tract have been obtained. Prospect of nanoparticles as optical imaging moiety is promising to detect GI cancers if their toxicity is minimized. Future fluorescence confocal endoscope with safe cancer targeting nanoparticles will be useful for the detection and treatment of GI cancers.
Diagnostic Imaging ; Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal/*methods ; Fluorescent Dyes/*diagnostic use ; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms/*diagnosis ; Humans ; Molecular Diagnostic Techniques ; Nanoparticles/*diagnostic use

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in human, and among various cancers, gastrointestinal cancers occupy more than 55%. Gastric cancer is the first leading cause of cancer-related mortality in the world and the number of pancreas and colon cancers are increasing remarkably during last two decades which will continue to increase in the future. Even though the clinical importance of gastrointestinal cancers is very high and endless efforts has been made to develop novel diagnostic and therapeutic methods to improve the patient's quality of life and survival, the realistic advance in the actual survival benefit of the cancer patients are still strongly required. Nanotechnology has the power to radically change the way of cancer diagnosis and treatment. Currently, there is a lot of researches on novel nanodevices capable of detecting cancer at its earliest stage, pinpointing its location within the body, and delivering anticancer drugs specifically to the malignant cells. Nanoscale devices can readily interact with biomolecules both on the cell surface and within the cell. In addition, nanoscale devices are already proven that they can deliver therapeutic agents to target cells even within specific organelles. Major areas in which nanomedicine is being developed in cancer include early detection and proteomics, imaging diagnostics and multifunctional therapeutics. Because nanotechnology would provide a technical power and tool that enable new diagnostics, therapeutics, and preventives to keep pace with today's explosion in knowledge in the future, it would be very useful to know the perspectives in the direction of nanotechnology as a major clinician responsible for the patients with gastrointestinal malignancies.
Drug Delivery Systems ; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms/*diagnosis/*drug therapy ; Humans ; Nanocapsules/therapeutic use ; *Nanomedicine ; Nanoparticles/diagnostic use/therapeutic use ; Nanotechnology

BACKGROUND: Sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping of the stomach cancer using available techniques is limited by unpredictable lymphatic drainage patterns and skip metastasis. The aim of this study was to test the feasibility of gastric SLN mapping using fluorescent magnetic nanoparticles (FMNP) of uniform nano-size. METHODS: Biocompatible silica-overcoated magnetic nanoparticles containing rhodamine B isothiocyanate (RITC) within a silica shell of controllable thickness with 60 nm thickness were used as model nanomaterials. Gastric lymphatic mapping was performed by injecting 100 microliter of either FMNP or isosulafan blue subserosally. Gastric injections (n=7) were made into the body, approximately 5 cm from the lesser curvature of rabbits. Sentinel lymph nodes were visualized using fluorescent nanoparticle detection system. RESULTS: In 7 rabbits, it was demonstrated that FMNP quickly and accurately detected sentinel lymph nodes. Injection into the stomach resulted in identification of a retrogastric lymph node. Histological analysis in all cases confirmed the presence of nodal tissue. CONCLUSIONS: FMNP can be a potential alternative to existing tracers in the detection of SLN in this animal experiment.
Animals ; Coloring Agents/diagnostic use ; Female ; Fluorescent Dyes/*diagnostic use ; Lymph Nodes/pathology ; Male ; Models, Animal ; Nanoparticles/*diagnostic use ; Rabbits ; Rhodamines/diagnostic use ; Rosaniline Dyes/diagnostic use ; Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy/*methods ; Stomach/*pathology ; Time Factors

Quantum dots (QDs) are nanometer-sized luminescent semiconductor nanocrystals. Their unique optical properties, such as high brightness, long-term stability, simultaneous detection of multiple signals and tunable emission spectra, make them appealing as potential diagnostic and therapeutic systems in oncology. Preparing the functional QDs by modifying bio-molecules such as antibody will have potential value for cancer diagnosis and treatment. This paper summarized the recent progress of promising application of QDs in cancer diagnosis and therapy, from identifying molecular targets, to drug delivery and therapy; from limitations of toxicity issues related to QDs in living organisms to multifunctional design and development. Finally, the promising applications of QDs are also discussed.
Animals ; Diagnostic Imaging ; trends ; Drug Delivery Systems ; trends ; Humans ; Nanomedicine ; methods ; Nanoparticles ; therapeutic use ; Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Quantum Dots

This study established superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO)-labeled nerve growth factor-beta (NGF-beta) gene-modified spinal cord-derived neural stem cells (NSCs). The E14 rat embryonic spinal cord-derived NSCs were isolated and cultured. The cells of the third passage were transfected with plasmid pcDNA3-hNGFbeta by using FuGENE HD transfection reagent. The expression of NGF-beta was measured by immunocytochemistry and Western blotting. The positive clones were selected, allowed to proliferate and then labeled with SPIO, which was mediated by FuGENE HD transfection reagent. Prussian blue staining and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to identify the SPIO particles in the cells. The distinctive markers for stem cells (nestin), neuron (beta-III-tubulin), oligodendrocyte (CNPase) and astrocyte (GFAP) were employed to evaluate the differentiation ability of the labeled cells. The immunocytochemistry and western blotting showed that NGF-beta was expressed in spinal cord-derived NSCs. Prussian blue staining indicated that numerous blue-stained particles appeared in the cytoplasma of the labeled cells. TEM showed that SPIO particles were found in vacuolar structures of different sizes and the cytoplasma. The immunocytochemistry demonstrated that the labeled cells were nestin-positive. After differentiation, the cells expressed beta-III-tubulin, CNPase and GFAP. It was concluded that the SPIO-labeled NGF-beta gene-modified spinal cord-derived NSC were successfully established, which are multipotent and capable of self-renewal.
Cells, Cultured ; Dextrans/*diagnostic use ; Embryo, Mammalian ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Magnetics ; Magnetite Nanoparticles/*diagnostic use ; Nerve Growth Factor/*genetics ; Nerve Growth Factor/pharmacology ; Neural Stem Cells/*cytology ; Spinal Cord/*cytology ; Transfection

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the potential and correlation between near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging using cyanine 5.5 conjugated with hydrophobically modified glycol chitosan nanoparticles (HGC-Cy5.5) and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (18F-FDG-PET) imaging of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used 10 CIA and 3 normal mice. Nine days after the injecting collagen twice, microPET imaging was performed 40 minutes after the intravenous injection of 9.3 MBq 18F-FDG in 200 microL PBS. One day later, NIRF imaging was performed two hours after the intravenous injection of HGC-cy5.5 (5 mg/kg). We assessed the correlation between these two modalities in the knees and ankles of CIA mice. RESULTS: The mean standardized uptake values of 18F-FDG for knees and ankles were 1.68 +/- 0.76 and 0.79 +/- 0.71, respectively, for CIA mice; and 0.57 +/- 0.17 and 0.54 +/- 0.20 respectively for control mice. From the NIRF images, the total photon counts per 30 mm2 for knees and ankles were 2.32 +/- 1.54 x 10(5) and 2.75 +/- 1.51 x 10(5), respectively, for CIA mice, and 1.22 +/- 0.27 x 10(5) and 0.88 +/- 0.24 x 10(5), respectively, for control mice. These two modalities showed a moderate correlation for knees (r = 0.604, p = 0.005) and ankles (r = 0.464, p = 0.039). Moreover, both HGC-Cy5.5 (p = 0.002) and 18F-FDG-PET (p = 0.005) imaging also showed statistically significant differences between CIA and normal mice. CONCLUSION: NIRF imaging using HGC-Cy5.5 was moderately correlated with 18F-FDG-PET imaging in the CIA model. As such, HGC-Cy5.5 imaging can be used for the early detection of rheumatoid arthritis.
Animals ; Ankle Joint/radionuclide imaging ; Arthritis, Experimental/*radionuclide imaging ; Carbocyanines/administration & dosage/*diagnostic use ; Chitosan/administration & dosage/*diagnostic use ; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18/administration & dosage/diagnostic use ; Injections, Intravenous ; Knee Joint/radionuclide imaging ; Male ; Mice ; Microscopy, Confocal ; Nanoparticles ; Positron-Emission Tomography/*methods ; Radiopharmaceuticals/administration & dosage/diagnostic use ; Statistics, Nonparametric

OBJECTIVE: We wanted to identify the geographic differences in hepatic fibrosis and their associations with the atrophy-hypertrophy complex in patients with chronic viral hepatitis using the dual-contrast material-enhanced MRI (DC-MRI) with gadopentetate dimeglumine and ferucarbotran. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with chronic C (n = 22) and B-viral hepatitis (n = 35) were enrolled for determining the subjective grade of fibrosis (the extent and thickness of fibrotic reticulations) in the right lobe (RL), the caudate lobe (CL), the medial segment (MS) and the lateral segment (LS) of the liver, with using a 5-grade scale, on the gradient echo T2*-weighted images of DC-MRI. The fibrosis grades of different segments were compared using the Kruskal-Wallis test followed by post-hoc analysis to establish the segment-by-segment differences. The incidences of two pre-established morphologic signs of cirrhosis were also compared with each other between the two groups of patients. RESULTS: There were significant intersegmental differences in fibrosis grades of the C-viral group (p = 0.005), and the CL showed lower fibrosis grades as compared with the grades of the RL and MS, whereas all lobes were similarly affected in the B-viral group (p = 0.221). The presence of a right posterior hepatic notch was significantly higher in the patients with intersegmental differences of fibrosis between the RL and the CL (19 out of 25, 76%) than those without such differences (6 out of 32, 19%) (p < 0.001). An expanded gallbladder fossa showed no significant relationship (p = 0.327) with the segmental difference of the fibrosis grades between the LS and the MS. CONCLUSION: The relative lack of fibrosis in the CL with more advanced fibrosis in the RL can be a distinguishing feature to differentiate chronic C-viral hepatitis from chronic B-viral hepatitis and this is closely related to the presence of a right posterior hepatic notch.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Chi-Square Distribution ; Contrast Media/*diagnostic use ; Dextrans/*diagnostic use ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Gadolinium DTPA/*diagnostic use ; Hepatitis B, Chronic/*diagnosis ; Hepatitis C, Chronic/*diagnosis ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis/*diagnosis/*virology ; Magnetite Nanoparticles/*diagnostic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Statistics, Nonparametric