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Biomolecular Imaging of Cellular Uptake of Nanoparticles using Multimodal Nonlinear Optical Microscopy
Published on: May 16, 2022
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Biocompatible Upconverting Nanoprobes for Dual-Modal Imaging and Temperature Sensing
Egle Ezerskyte1,2, Augustas Morkvenas2,3, Jonas Venius2
1Institute of Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Geosciences, Vilnius University, Naugarduko 24, LT-03225 Vilnius, Lithuania.
ACS Applied Nano Materials
|March 28, 2024
Summary
Researchers developed advanced upconverting nanoparticles for bioimaging and temperature sensing. These novel nanomaterials show excellent MRI contrast and low toxicity, outperforming existing agents.
Area of Science:
- Nanotechnology
- Biomedical Engineering
- Materials Science
Background:
- Growing demand for multimodal nanomaterials in bioimaging and temperature monitoring.
- Upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs) are promising candidates due to their unique optical properties.
- Need for UCNPs with enhanced functionalities and improved safety profiles.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and characterize novel core-shell upconverting nanoparticles.
- To evaluate their potential as multimodal probes for bioimaging and temperature sensing.
- To assess their colloidal stability, MRI response, and in vitro cytotoxicity.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of core-shell upconverting nanoparticles with specific compositions.
- Excitation using 808 or 980 nm laser irradiation.
- Evaluation of MRI response, colloidal stability in aqueous and biological media, and temperature-sensing capabilities.
- Cytotoxicity assessment using HEK293T cells and comparison with Gd-DTPA.
Main Results:
- Successful synthesis of core-shell UCNPs with dual excitation capabilities (808/980 nm).
- Demonstrated good magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) response.
- Exhibited high colloidal stability and accurate temperature-sensing in the physiological range.
- Showed significantly lower cytotoxicity compared to the commercial MRI contrast agent Gd-DTPA.
Conclusions:
- The synthesized core-shell UCNPs offer a promising multimodal platform for bioimaging and temperature sensing.
- These UCNPs possess favorable properties including stability, sensitivity, and reduced cytotoxicity.
- They represent a potential advancement over existing contrast agents for biomedical applications.
