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Tissue-simulating Phantoms for Assessing Potential Near-infrared Fluorescence Imaging Applications in Breast Cancer Surgery
Published on: September 19, 2014
FD-1050@NPs-cRGD: A novel NIR-II fluorophore for triple-negative breast cancer imaging
Hulin Fan1, Wei Wu2, Zhongjian Chen3
1School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China.
Abstract:
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a highly heterogeneous and aggressive disease that is prone to metastasis and recurrence. It accounts for 15-20% of all breast cancer cases. Surgical resection is effective in removing most of the malignant tissues for non-metastasized tumors; however, some residual tumor tissues would be left, leading to a poor prognosis. Thus, real-time monitoring of surgical resection would be beneficial for the surgical resection of tumors. Although NIR-II fluorescent probe-guided surgical resection has been widely used for other types of diseases, it is not currently used for TNBC in clinical practice. Here, we describe the design and synthesis of a novel NIR-II fluorescent probe, FD-1050@NPs-cRGD, that targets TNBC. We found that it has a high fluorescence quantum efficiency, good stability, and low cytotoxicity. In vivo imaging in mice demonstrated a high tumor signal/normal tissue signal ratio, indicating that FD-1050@NPs-cRGD has great potential to be applied in tumor imaging of TNBC.
Insights
A new near-infrared-II (NIR-II) fluorescent probe, FD-1050@NPs-cRGD, shows promise for real-time imaging during triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) surgery. This could improve surgical outcomes by detecting residual tumor tissue.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Oncology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive, heterogeneous cancer prone to metastasis and recurrence.
- Surgical resection is standard, but residual tumors after surgery lead to poor prognosis.
- Real-time monitoring during surgery could enhance tumor removal efficacy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and synthesize a novel near-infrared-II (NIR-II) fluorescent probe targeting TNBC.
- To evaluate the probe's properties for potential clinical application in TNBC surgical resection.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of a novel NIR-II fluorescent probe, FD-1050@NPs-cRGD, incorporating cRGD targeting.
- Assessment of the probe's fluorescence quantum efficiency, stability, and cytotoxicity.
- In vivo imaging studies in mice to evaluate tumor signal-to-normal tissue ratio.
Main Results:
- The synthesized probe FD-1050@NPs-cRGD exhibited high fluorescence quantum efficiency, good stability, and low cytotoxicity.
- In vivo imaging demonstrated a high tumor signal-to-normal tissue ratio in mice.
- These findings suggest effective tumor visualization and detection capabilities.
Conclusions:
- FD-1050@NPs-cRGD is a promising novel NIR-II fluorescent probe for TNBC.
- The probe shows potential for enhancing surgical resection by enabling real-time tumor imaging.
- Further clinical evaluation is warranted for TNBC surgical guidance.

