Improvement of Localization of Oxygenation Levels within Cancer Tumors through Mesoporous Silicon Nanotube Nanoparticles
Session Number
1
Advisor(s)
Dr. Jeffrey S. Souris, Dr. Chin-Tu Chen, University of Chicago
Location
B116
Discipline
Medical and Health Sciences
Start Date
15-4-2026 10:15 AM
End Date
15-4-2026 11:00 AM
Abstract
Hypoxia tumors are areas in the tissue that have reduced oxygen levels due to insufficient blood flow or poor vascularization. As a result, the tumor becomes more aggressive, attacking other parts of the body and becoming harder to treat with chemotherapy or radiation. By determining the oxygenation at the time of diagnosis will beneficially aid effective treatment planning and therapeutic effect. The electron paramagnetic resonance imaging (EPRI) with a sensor to measure oxygen was used to assess tumor oxygenation in vivo. The triarylmethyl (trityl) radical was good for measuring oxygen. However, it faced challenges from high dosage requirements, a short half-life, and poor intracellular permeability. The goal of this study is to develop mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) as carriers, which allow for an effective targeted delivery of trityl radicals without being destroyed by dilution or the surrounding environment. The synthesis of such a nanoplatform was performed without losing oxygen-sensing capacity due to self-relaxation or broadening effects. The results indicated a high sensitivity to oxygen within the partial oxygen pressure range between 0 and 155 mmHg. MSN-trityl showed the best intracellular oxygen mapping in both in-vitro and in-vivo studies, meaning MSN-trityl provides high-value oxygenation information for diagnostic imaging in potential future clinical applications.
Improvement of Localization of Oxygenation Levels within Cancer Tumors through Mesoporous Silicon Nanotube Nanoparticles
B116
Hypoxia tumors are areas in the tissue that have reduced oxygen levels due to insufficient blood flow or poor vascularization. As a result, the tumor becomes more aggressive, attacking other parts of the body and becoming harder to treat with chemotherapy or radiation. By determining the oxygenation at the time of diagnosis will beneficially aid effective treatment planning and therapeutic effect. The electron paramagnetic resonance imaging (EPRI) with a sensor to measure oxygen was used to assess tumor oxygenation in vivo. The triarylmethyl (trityl) radical was good for measuring oxygen. However, it faced challenges from high dosage requirements, a short half-life, and poor intracellular permeability. The goal of this study is to develop mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) as carriers, which allow for an effective targeted delivery of trityl radicals without being destroyed by dilution or the surrounding environment. The synthesis of such a nanoplatform was performed without losing oxygen-sensing capacity due to self-relaxation or broadening effects. The results indicated a high sensitivity to oxygen within the partial oxygen pressure range between 0 and 155 mmHg. MSN-trityl showed the best intracellular oxygen mapping in both in-vitro and in-vivo studies, meaning MSN-trityl provides high-value oxygenation information for diagnostic imaging in potential future clinical applications.