Nanoparticle-enhanced x-ray therapy for cancer

Renat R. Letfullin; Colin E. W. Rice; Thomas F. George

doi:10.1117/12.2206002

Translator Disclaimer

22 April 2016 Nanoparticle-enhanced x-ray therapy for cancer

Renat R. Letfullin, Colin E. W. Rice, Thomas F. George

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 9723, Reporters, Markers, Dyes, Nanoparticles, and Molecular Probes for Biomedical Applications VIII; 97230S (2016) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2206002
Event: SPIE BiOS, 2016, San Francisco, California, United States

Abstract

Photothermal therapies of nanophotohyperthermia and nanophotothermolysis utilize the light absorptive properties of nanoparticles to create heat and free radicals in a small localized region. Conjugating nanoparticles with various biomolecules allows for targeted delivery to specific tissues or even specific cells, cancerous cells being of particular interest. Previous studies have investigated nanoparticles at visible and infrared wavelengths where surface plasmon resonance leads to unique absorption characteristics. However, issues such as poor penetration depth of the visible light through biological tissues limits the effectiveness of delivery by noninvasive means. In other news, various nanoparticles have been investigated as contrast agents for traditional X-ray procedures, utilizing the strong absorption characteristics of the nanoparticles to enhance contrast of the detected X-ray image. Using X-rays to power photothermal therapies has three main advantages over visiblespectra wavelengths: the high penetration depth of X-rays through biological media makes noninvasive treatments very feasible; the high energy of individual photons means nanoparticles can be heated to desired temperatures with lower beam intensities, or activated to produce the free radicals; and X-ray sources are already common throughout the medical industry, making future implementation on existing equipment possible. This paper uses Lorenz-Mie theory to investigate the light absorption properties of various size gold nanoparticles over photon energies in the 1-100 keV range. These absorption values are then plugged into a thermal model to determine the temperatures reached by the nanoparticles for X-ray exposures of differing time and intensity. The results of these simulations are discussed in relation to the effective implementation of nanophotohyperthermia and nanophotothermolysis treatments.

Conference Presentation

Citation Download Citation

Renat R. Letfullin, Colin E. W. Rice, and Thomas F. George "Nanoparticle-enhanced x-ray therapy for cancer", Proc. SPIE 9723, Reporters, Markers, Dyes, Nanoparticles, and Molecular Probes for Biomedical Applications VIII, 97230S (22 April 2016); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2206002

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE