Skeleton labeled 13C-carbon nanoparticles for the imaging and quantification in tumor drainage lymph nodes

Temperature-Sensitive Nanocarbon Hydrogel for Photothermal Therapy of Tumors

Background

Intelligent hydrogels continue to encounter formidable obstacles in the field of cancer treatment. A wide variety of hydrogel materials have been designed for diverse purposes, but materials with satisfactory therapeutic effects are still urgently needed.

Methods

Here, we prepared an injectable hydrogel by means of physical crosslinking. Carbon nanoparticle suspension injection (CNSI), a sentinel lymph node imaging agent that has been widely used in the clinic, with sodium β-glycerophosphate (β-GP) were added to a temperature-sensitive chitosan (CS) hydrogel (CS/GP@CN) as an agent for photothermal therapy (PTT). After evaluating the rheological, morphological, and structural properties of the hydrogel, we used 4T1 mouse breast cancer cells and B16 melanoma cells to assess its in vitro properties. Then, we intratumorally injected the hydrogel into BALB/c tumor-bearing mice to assess the in vivo PTT effect, antitumor immune response and the number of lung metastases.

Results

Surprisingly, this nanocarbon hydrogel called CS/GP@CN hydrogel not only had good biocompatibility and a great PTT effect under 808nm laser irradiation but also facilitated the maturation of dendritic cells to stimulate the antitumor immune response and had an extraordinary antimetastatic effect in the lungs.

Discussion

Overall, this innovative temperature-sensitive nanocarbon hydrogel, which exists in a liquid state at room temperature and transforms to a gel at 37 °C, is an outstanding local delivery platform with tremendous PTT potential and broad clinical application prospects.

Ultrasound-assisted carbon nanoparticle labeling of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast-conserving surgery in breast cancer

Background

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy has gradually become an important means of breast cancer treatment; however, tumor regression following chemotherapy remains a concern. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of ultrasound-assisted carbon nanoparticle labeling in neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast-conserving surgery in breast cancer.

Methods

This was a prospective clinical trial study (clinical registration number: ChiCTR-OOC-15006844). Sixty-eight breast cancer patients confirmed by biopsy between July 2015 and January 2017 were randomly selected from the clinical data. Of these, 32 patients were screened for neoadjuvant chemotherapy, forming a consecutive, random series. An ultrasound-guided carbon nanotube was used to mark the original tumor, and sentinel lymph node biopsies were performed. After 4-6 cycles of standard neoadjuvant chemotherapy, 26 patients were selected for breast-conserving surgery. The feasibility and validity of carbon nanoparticle labeling were analyzed through the negative rate of incision margin, the volume of resected tumors, the detection rate of black-stained sentinel lymph nodes, the recurrence rate of ipsilateral breast, and postoperative survival.

Results

In all, 32 patients underwent sentinel lymph node biopsy, 29 cases were detected (90.6%), the false-negative rate was 3.8% (1/26), and 0-4 sentinel lymph nodes (mean 1.8±1.1) were detected. A total of 26 patients underwent breast-conserving surgery, 5 underwent secondary excision, and 1 underwent subcutaneous adenectomy due to a positive margin. The minimum margin between the resected site and the infiltrated part was 1.0-2.1 cm (1.3±0.3 cm). The diameter of resected tumors ranged from 2.2 to 4.5 cm (3.1±0.6 cm). No recurrence or distant metastasis of ipsilateral breast tumors was observed during follow-up (the median follow-up time was 9 months).

Conclusions

Ultrasound-assisted carbon nanoparticle labeling is effective for sentinel lymph node tracing before neoadjuvant chemotherapy and has a high detection rate for metastatic lymph nodes. During breast-conserving surgery, it can determine the extent of tumor resection to achieve precision surgical treatment.

Study on naked eye tracing of inguinal sentinel lymph nodes in penile cancer patients with carbon nanoparticle suspension injection

Objective

Exploratory study of the effect and clinical value of carbon nanoparticle suspension injection (CNSI) as a tracer for inguinal sentinel lymph nodes in penile cancer.

Method

We selected 29 patients with penile cancer in our department from January 2019 to October 2022. According to whether the CNSI tracer was injected during the pathological biopsy of the inguinal lymph nodes, the enrolled patients were assigned to the control group, the group in which CNSI was injected 12 h before the surgery (12HBS group) and the group in which CNSI was injected 0.5 h before the surgery (0.5HBS group). Evaluating the effectiveness of CNSI as a lymphatic tracer involves analyzing the following: its safety, the statistical analysis of the detection rate (DR) of different groups, the number of lymph nodes sent for each case (NOLNSFEC), the difference of positive rate of lymphatic metastasis (PROLM), and operation time (OT).

Results

The lymph nodes in the 12HBS group and 0.5HBS group had an obvious black staining appearance, and no adverse reactions or surgical complications were found. Most of the black-stained areas caused by CNSI injection were removed with penile excision, which did not affect the postoperative appearance. This did not affect the pathological analysis. The DR of lymph nodes in the 12HBS group was higher (p < 0.05) than that in the control group. More lymph nodes were removed for examination (p < 0.05), which improved the efficiency of surgery. Compared with the 12HBS group, the number of lymph nodes removed in the 0.5HBS group decreased (p < 0.05). The OT was shortened (p < 0.05), but there was no significant difference in the DR and PROLM.

Conclusion

CNSI was applied to the naked-eye tracing of inguinal sentinel lymph nodes in penile cancer, which is safe and efficient. Injection of CNSI 0.5 h before surgery can help identify the "foremost position" of sentinel lymph nodes and reduce surgical trauma.

The Application of Carbon Nanomaterials in Sensing, Imaging, Drug Delivery and Therapy for Gynecologic Cancers: An Overview

Gynecologic cancers are one of the main health concerns of women throughout the world, and the early diagnosis and effective therapy of gynecologic cancers will be particularly important for the survival of female patients. As a current hotspot, carbon nanomaterials have attracted tremendous interest in tumor theranostics, and their application in gynecologic cancers has also been developed rapidly with great achievements in recent years. This Overview Article summarizes the latest progress in the application of diverse carbon nanomaterials (e.g., graphenes, carbon nanotubes, mesoporous carbon, carbon dots, etc.) and their derivatives in the sensing, imaging, drug delivery, and therapy of different gynecologic cancers. Important research contributions are highlighted in terms of the relationships among the fabrication strategies, architectural features, and action mechanisms for the diagnosis and therapy of gynecologic cancers. The current challenges and future strategies are discussed from the viewpoint of the real clinical application of carbon-based nanomedicines in gynecologic cancers. It is anticipated that this review will attract more attention toward the development and application of carbon nanomaterials for the theranostics of gynecologic cancers.

A novel targeted multifunctional nanoplatform for visual chemo-hyperthermia synergy therapy on metastatic lymph nodes via lymphatic delivery

Background

Distant metastasis to vital organs is the major contributor to breast cancer mortality, and regional lymph node metastasis is an important facilitator of distant metastasis and recurrence in this cancer. The early diagnosis and precise treatment of lymph node metastasis are crucial for staging and prognosis in breast cancer. Herein, we report a visualized precision medicine nanoplatform of metastatic lymph nodes for ultrasonic/photoacoustic (US/PA) dual modal imaging-guided in situ targeted hyperthermia-combined chemotherapy.

Results

Carbon nanoparticles (CNs), approved by the China Food and Drug Administration, were loaded with docetaxel and rationally combined with anti-hypoxia-inducible factor 1α antibody-modified poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles to achieve the combination of passive targeting at the lymph nodes and intracellular targeting at HIF 1α factor. The accumulation and retention of nanoparticles in metastatic lymph nodes via lymphatic delivery were enhanced. Docetaxel could be effectively offloaded by CNs that have active carbon nanoparticles, and the PLGA membrane prevented drug leakage. The nanoparticles exhibited excellent photothermal performance with a photothermal conversion efficiency of 28.9%, killing tumor cells in metastatic lymph nodes through hyperthermia. In vitro and in vivo systematic evaluations revealed that hyperpyrexia triggered the rupture of nanoparticles caused by the phase transition of perfluorohexane, resulting in docetaxel release for achieving in situ hyperthermia-combined chemotherapy.

Conclusions

The laser-triggered highly efficient in situ chemotherapy nanosystem achieves targeted synergistic chemo-hyperthermia treatment of metastatic lymph nodes, and lymphatic delivery represents a strategy to avoid additional injury caused by drugs entering the blood circulation.

Graphical Abstract

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12951-021-01186-8.

Biocompatible zinc gallogermanate persistent luminescent nanoparticles for fast tumor drainage lymph node imaging in vivo

Tumor drainage lymph node identification and dissection are crucial for the oncological surgery to prevent/delay the recurrence. However, commercial imaging reagents distinguish the lymph nodes by staining them dark, which would be seriously interfered by blood and surrounding tissues. In this study, we reported the Cr³⁺/Pr³⁺-doped zinc gallogermanate persistent luminescent nanoparticles (PLNPs) for fast tumor drainage lymph node imaging with high contrast. PLNPs were synthesized by citrate sol-gel method and dispersed in Tween 80 for in vivo applications. PLNPs were well dispersed in water with hydrodynamic radii of 5 nm and emitted strong persistent luminescence at 696 nm upon the irradiation of UV light. The advantage of afterglow imaging over fluorescent imaging of PLNPs was first established after subcutaneous injection to mice with much higher contrast and less interference of autofluorescence. PLNPs quickly migrated to sentinel lymph nodes after the interdermal injection to extremity of mice. The tumor drainage lymph node imaging was achieved within 5 min upon the intratumoral injection to H460 tumor bearing mice and the signal to noise ratio was 462. Due to the lack of targeting moieties, the intravenous injected PLNPs mainly accumulated in liver. There were no statistical changes in serum biochemistry and abnormal histopathological characteristic, indicating the low toxicity of PLNPs. These findings highlighted the great potential of PLNPs as high-performance imaging reagent for lymph node identification.

Synergic effects of nanoparticles-mediated hyperthermia in radiotherapy/chemotherapy of cancer

The conventional cancer treatment modalities such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy suffer from several limitations; hence, their efficiency needs to be improved with other complementary modalities. Hyperthermia, as an adjuvant therapeutic modality for cancer, can result in a synergistic effect on radiotherapy (radiosensitizer) and chemotherapy (chemosensitizer). Conventional hyperthermia methods affect both tumoral and healthy tissues and have low specificity. In addition, a temperature gradient generates in the tissues situated along the path of the heat source, which is a more serious for deep-seated tumors. Nanoparticles (NPs)-induced hyperthermia can resolve these drawbacks through localization around/within tumoral tissue and generating local hyperthermia. Although there are several review articles dealing with NPs-induced hyperthermia, lack of a paper discussing the combination of NPs-induced hyperthermia with the conventional chemotherapy or radiotherapy is tangible. Accordingly, the main focus of the current paper is to summarize the principles of NPs-induced hyperthermia and more importantly its synergic effects on the conventional chemotherapy or radiotherapy. The heat-producing nanostructures such as gold NPs, iron oxide NPs, and carbon NPs, as well as the non-heat-producing nanostructures, such as lipid-based, polymeric, and silica-based NPs, as the carrier for heat-producing NPs, are discussed and their pros and cons highlighted.

Carbon nanoparticles suspension injection for photothermal therapy of xenografted human thyroid carcinoma in vivo

Due to the unique structure, carbon nanomaterials could convert near‐infrared (NIR) light into heat efficiently in tumor ablation using photothermal therapy (PTT). Carbon nanoparticles suspension injection (CNSI) is a commercial imaging reagent for lymph node mapping. CNSI has similar structural characteristics to other carbon nanomaterials, and thus, might be applied as photothermal agent. Herein, we evaluated the photothermal conversion ability and therapeutic effects of CNSI on thyroid carcinoma. CNSI was composed by carbon nanoparticle cores and polyvinylpyrrolidone K30 as the dispersion reagent. CNSI absorbed NIR light efficiently following the Lambert‐Beer law. The temperature of CNSI dispersion increased quickly under the NIR irradiation. CNSI killed the TCP‐1 thyroid carcinoma cells under 808 nm laser irradiation at 0.5 W/cm², while CNSI or NIR irradiation treatment alone did not demonstrate this effect. Temperature increases were observed in tumor injected with CNSI under NIR irradiation. After three irradiation treatments, the tumor growth was completely blocked and the disruption of cellular structure was observed. When the tumor temperatures reached 53^°C during treatment, the tumors did not recur within the observation period of 3 months. Our results suggested that CNSI might be used for PTT through “off label” use to benefit the patients immediately.

Carbon Nanoparticles-Fe(II) Complex for Efficient Tumor Inhibition with Low Toxicity by Amplifying Oxidative Stress

The Fe element is essential for human beings, but overdose of Fe leads to unwanted toxicity. However, overwhelming Fe accumulation in tumor cells could arouse strong oxidative stress for cancer therapy. Therefore, the fast and specific accumulation of Fe in tumor cells without systemic toxicity is critical for this purpose. Herein, we report that a carbon nanoparticles-Fe(II) complex (CNSI-Fe) could efficiently load Fe into tumor cells and inhibit tumor growth with low toxicity in H22 tumor-bearing mice. Upon intratumoral injection, CNSI-Fe only induced meaningful Fe increase in the tumor to significantly inhibit tumor growth with competitive efficiency to cis-dichlorodiammineplatinum(II). Fe accumulation stimulated the hydroxyl radical generation and serious oxidative stress in the tumor. Due to the lack of Fe accumulation in other tissues, CNSI-Fe was of low systemic toxicity to tumor-bearing mice. With the clinical success of CNSI for decades, CNSI-Fe might be used for cancer therapy through "off label" use to benefit patients immediately.

Nanomaterials and nanocomposite applications in veterinary medicine

Nowadays, nanotechnology has made huge, significant advancements in biotechnology and biomedicine related to human and animal science, including increasing health safety, production, and the elevation of national income. There are various fields of nanomaterial applications in veterinary medicine such as efficient diagnostic and therapeutic tools, drug delivery, animal nutrition, breeding and reproduction, and valuable additives. Additional benefits include the detection of pathogens, protein, biological molecules, antimicrobial agents, feeding additives, nutrient delivery, and reproductive aids. There are many nanomaterials and nanocomposites that can be used in nanomedicine such as metal nanoparticles, liposomes, carbon nanotubes, and quantum dots. In the near future, nanotechnology research will have the ability to produce novel tools for improving animal health and production. Therefore, this chapter was undertaken to spotlight novel methods created by nanotechnology for application in the improvement of animal health and production. In addition, the toxicity of nanomaterials is fully discussed to avoid the suspected health hazards of toxicity for animal health safety.

Advanced Nanotechnology Leading the Way to Multimodal Imaging-Guided Precision Surgical Therapy

Surgical resection is the primary and most effective treatment for most patients with solid tumors. However, patients suffer from postoperative recurrence and metastasis. In the past years, emerging nanotechnology has led the way to minimally invasive, precision and intelligent oncological surgery after the rapid development of minimally invasive surgical technology. Advanced nanotechnology in the construction of nanomaterials (NMs) for precision imaging-guided surgery (IGS) as well as surgery-assisted synergistic therapy is summarized, thereby unlocking the advantages of nanotechnology in multimodal IGS-assisted precision synergistic cancer therapy. First, mechanisms and principles of NMs to surgical targets are briefly introduced. Multimodal imaging based on molecular imaging technologies provides a practical method to achieve intraoperative visualization with high resolution and deep tissue penetration. Moreover, multifunctional NMs synergize surgery with adjuvant therapy (e.g., chemotherapy, immunotherapy, phototherapy) to eliminate residual lesions. Finally, key issues in the development of ideal theranostic NMs associated with surgical applications and challenges of clinical transformation are discussed to push forward further development of NMs for multimodal IGS-assisted precision synergistic cancer therapy.

Carbon nanoparticles suspension injection for the delivery of doxorubicin: Comparable efficacy and reduced toxicity

Drug delivery systems for doxorubicin (DOX) have attracted tremendous interest nowadays for the improved efficacy and/or reduced toxicity. Due to the aromatic structures and hydrophobic domains, carbon nanoparticle suspension injection (CNSI), a clinical applied reagent for lymph node mapping, strongly adsorbs DOX and holds great potential in cancer therapy. Herein, we evaluated the therapeutic effects of CNSI-DOX to establish its delivery applications for cancer drugs. CNSI adsorbed DOX from solution quickly after the mixing, and the release of DOX from CNSI followed a pH-dependent way. CNSI-DOX and free DOX had nearly identical inhibitive effects on cancer cells, while the vehicle CNSI was nontoxic. CNSI-DOX largely prolonged the life span of ascites tumor bearing mice after the intraperitoneally injection and the ascites weights showed significant decreases. CNSI-DOX also inhibited the growth of subcutaneous xenografts following the same administration route. The therapeutic efficacy of CNSI-DOX was similar to that of free DOX in ascites tumor model, but slightly lower in subcutaneous xenografts model. The advantage of using CNSI was majorly reflected by the reduced toxicity of DOX according to the bodyweight changes, serum biochemical indicators and histopathological observations. The LD₅₀ (median lethal dose) value of CNSI-DOX was 43.8 mg/kg bodyweight, nearly three times of that of free DOX (15.2 mg/kg bodyweight). Our results suggested that CNSI might be used for DOX delivery through "off label" use to benefit the patients immediately.

Indocyanine green nanoparticles undergo selective lymphatic uptake, distribution and retention and enable detailed mapping of lymph vessels, nodes and abnormalities

The distributed network of lymph vessels and nodes in the body, with its complex architecture and physiology, presents a major challenge for whole-body lymphatic-targeted drug delivery. To gather physiological and pathological information of the lymphatics, near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging of NIR fluorophores is used in clinical practice due to its tissue-penetrating optical radiation (700-900 nm) that safely provides real-time high-resolution in vivo images. However, indocyanine green (ICG), a common clinical NIR fluorophore, is unstable in aqueous environments and under light exposure, and its poor lymphatic distribution and retention limits its use as a NIR lymphatic tracer. To address this, we investigated in mice the distribution pathways of a novel nanoparticle formulation that stabilises ICG and is optimised for lymphatic drug delivery. From the subcutaneous space, ICG particles provided selective lymphatic uptake, lymph vessel and node retention, and extensive first-pass lymphatic distribution of ICG, enabling 0.2 mm and 5-10 cell resolution of lymph vessels, and high signal-to-background ratios for lymphatic vessel and node networks. Soluble (free) ICG readily dissipated from lymph vessels local to the injection site and absorbed into the blood. These unique characteristics of ICG particles could enable mechanistic studies of the lymphatics and diagnosis of lymphatic abnormalities.

Influence of reduced graphene oxide on the growth, structure and decomposition activity of white-rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium

Graphene materials have attracted great interest nowadays due to their large-scale production and wide applications. It is urgent to evaluate the ecological and environmental risk of graphene materials for the healthy development of the graphene industry. Herein, we evaluated the influence of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) on the growth, structure and decomposition activity of white-rot fungus, whose decomposition function is vital for carbon cycle. RGO slightly stimulated the fresh weight and dry weight gains of Phanerochaete chrysosporium. A larger number of fibrous structures were observed at low RGO concentrations in P. chrysosporium, which was consistent with the elongation of cells observed under a transmission electron microscope. RGO did not affect the chemical composition of P. chrysosporium. Moreover, the laccase production of P. chrysosporium was not influenced by RGO. The degradation activities of P. chrysosporium for dye and wood appeared to be promoted slightly, but the differences were insignificant compared to the control. Therefore, RGO had low toxicity to white-rot fungus and was relatively safe for the carbon cycle.

RGO stimulated the growth of white-rot fungus and did not influence its degradation activity.

Bioaccumulation and Toxicity of Carbon Nanoparticles Suspension Injection in Intravenously Exposed Mice

Carbon nanoparticles suspension injection (CNSI) has been widely used in tumor drainage lymph node mapping, and its new applications in drug delivery, photothermal therapy, and so on have been extensively investigated. To develop new clinical applications, the toxicity of CNSI after intravenous exposure should be thoroughly investigated to ensure its safe use. Herein, we studied the bioaccumulation of CNSI in reticuloendothelial system (RES) organs and the corresponding toxicity to mice. After the intravenous injection of CNSI, no abnormal behavior of mice was observed during the 28-day observation period. The body weight increases were similar among the exposed groups and the control group. The parameters of hematology and serum biochemistry remained nearly unchanged, with very few of them showing significant changes. The low toxicity of CNSI was also reflected by the unchanged histopathological characteristics of these organs. The injection of CNSI did not induce higher apoptosis levels either. The slight oxidative stress was observed in RES organs at high dosages at day 7 post-exposure. The implication to the clinical applications and toxicological evaluations of carbon nanomaterials is discussed.

Different toxicity of cadmium telluride, silicon, and carbon nanomaterials against hemocytes in silkworm, Bombyx mori

Exposure to CdTe QDs, SiNPs, or C–NCDs exerted different toxic effects on silkworm hemocytes via the induction of different PCD processes.