Developing nano-particle resonance imaging for use in breast cancer
Year: 2008
Session type: Poster / e-Poster / Silent Theatre session
University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
Abstract
Particles in colloidal suspension usually carry electrical charges. By applying external energy, such as ultrasound, charged particles are forced to vibrate, which can generate an electric field. Insofar as tissue imaging is concerned, large differences in signal amplitudes between blood and muscle have been reported, which is greater than a factor of five hundred.
The aim of our study is to harness the unique features of particles in colloids to indirectly ‘image’ the characteristic distribution of nano-particles in breast tumours. In preliminary experiments, a pulsed ultrasound at a frequency of 1 MHz was applied to a range of different cell types (normal and tumour epithelial, endothelial and fibroblasts) and nano-particle suspension samples (silica) via a water vessel. Electrical signals were detected with needle electrodes. The electrical alternating signals have the same frequency and pulsation as those of ultrasound. For colloidal particles (silica), the measurements of vibration currents were typically, 1.32µA (8nm, 0.5%) and 14.1µA (8nm, 5%), demonstrating the signal is dependent on particle size and concentration, which gives ten times in their signal strength. Cell lines were diluted to 50,000 cells/ml and amplitude differences were as follows: benign breast epithelial cells (HB2), 19.5 µV, malignant breast epithelial cells (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231, respectively), 18 µV and 13.8µV, endothelial cells (Eahy926), 30.3 µV and breast fibroblasts, 27.1 µV.
Initial results are encouraging and confirm that that different cell types elicit specific signals. Thus, the methodology is feasible and could have the potential to lead to a new technology for earlier tumour detection.
Particles in colloidal suspension usually carry electrical charges. By applying external energy, such as ultrasound, charged particles are forced to vibrate, which can generate an electric field. Insofar as tissue imaging is concerned, large differences in signal amplitudes between blood and muscle have been reported, which is greater than a factor of five hundred.
The aim of our study is to harness the unique features of particles in colloids to indirectly ‘image’ the characteristic distribution of nano-particles in breast tumours. In preliminary experiments, a pulsed ultrasound at a frequency of 1 MHz was applied to a range of different cell types (normal and tumour epithelial, endothelial and fibroblasts) and nano-particle suspension samples (silica) via a water vessel. Electrical signals were detected with needle electrodes. The electrical alternating signals have the same frequency and pulsation as those of ultrasound. For colloidal particles (silica), the measurements of vibration currents were typically, 1.32µA (8nm, 0.5%) and 14.1µA (8nm, 5%), demonstrating the signal is dependent on particle size and concentration, which gives ten times in their signal strength. Cell lines were diluted to 50,000 cells/ml and amplitude differences were as follows: benign breast epithelial cells (HB2), 19.5 µV, malignant breast epithelial cells (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231, respectively), 18 µV and 13.8µV, endothelial cells (Eahy926), 30.3 µV and breast fibroblasts, 27.1 µV.
Initial results are encouraging and confirm that that different cell types elicit specific signals. Thus, the methodology is feasible and could have the potential to lead to a new technology for earlier tumour detection.
