Purpose: The objective of this study was to develop a multifunctional contrast agent for bioimaging and synergistic high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) therapy to achieve theranostic.
Materials and methods: A novel type of perfluorohexane-encapsulated fullerene (PFH-C₆₀) nanosphere was successfully developed via a vacuum ultrasonic emulsification and centrifugation method and subsequently used in ultrasound/computed tomography (CT) dual-modality and HIFU ablation of dissected bovine livers. In addition, transmission electron microscopic examination was employed to detect structural changes in the target tissue for HIFU ablation.
Results: The use of composite nanospheres effectively enhanced ultrasound and CT imaging. Moreover, the HIFU ablation of dissected bovine livers was also significantly enhanced.
Conclusion: Composite nanospheres demonstrate potential theranostic application as a multifunctional contrast agent for dual-modality biological imaging and highly efficient synergistic imaging-guided HIFU ablation.
Keywords: microbubble, noninvasive therapy, double modal imaging, sonodynamic effects, synergistic ablation efficiency