Perfusion Changes Following EGFR Targeted Hollow Gold-Nanoshell Mediated Heating of Tumors

Anil Shetty¹, Marites P. Melancon¹, Andrew Elliott¹, Qian Huang¹, Xiaoxia Wen¹, Chun Li¹, John D. Hazle¹, R Jason Stafford¹

The study goal was to investigate effects of EGFR targeted hollow-gold nanoshell(C225-HGNSs) heating, as monitored with MR temperature imaging, on tumor perfusion, as observed by dynamic contrast MRI (DCE-MRI) and Doppler microultrasound(dUS) and evaluate subsequent tumor drug uptake. 24 hours post-injection of C225-HGNSs, mice were irradiated with 808 nm laser at 4W/sq.cm for 3min. Dual MR/optical imaging agent used as surrogate drug, was injected intravenously at 5 min and 24 h post-heating. DCE-MRI and dUS of C225-HGNSs group demonstrated a multifold increase in vascular perfusion compared with the control, and subsequent enhanced delivery of surrogate agent to the tumors.