Quantum dots (qdots) have emerged as new fluorescent, non-isotopic labels that are thought to have unmatched potentials as novel intravascular probes for both diagnostic (e.g., biological imaging) and therapeutic purposes (e.g., drug delivery). This application capitalizes on the progress we have made in the first 5 years of BRP funding, aiming to bring qdots one step closer to routine use in pre-clinical and clinical models. Towards this goal, we will perform detailed validation studies of targeted qdots in living mice models that are already impacting clinical management of cancer patients by using small animal imaging technologies including multiphoton microscopy and fluorescence tomography. During the next 5 years of this project, we will (1) develop and bioconjugate new multimodal contrasting qdot agents;(2) develop new optical instruments for near infrared (NIR) qdot detection and (3) perform validation studies of targeted qdots in cells and animals. We will focus on cancer where no single imaging agent can provide adequate information for diagnosis, prognosis and treatment decisions. Rather, a better understanding of the biological behavior and potential of malignant cells is inherent to new instrumentations and probes that will allow multiplex imaging of panels of targets/markers. The availability of NIR qdots with several output wavelengths, coupled with tumor marker-specific engineered antibodies, peptides or nucleic acids, will streamline multicolor/ marker imaging of cells and tumors. We will develop panels of qdot probes useful for karyotyping cancerous cells and for gene expression profiling towards a combination of genes that would be diagnostic or prognostic markers for cancer progression. Using cancer models, we will visualize the bio-distribution of qdots at all scales, from the level of the whole animal body down to nanometer resolution using a single probe by combining the micro-PET and optical modalities of antibody-functionalized NIR qdots. We will also asses toxicity and size effects on biodistribution of these probes. Our multidisciplinary team of 5 investigators with expertise in physics, chemistry, materials sciences, bioengineering, pharmacology, imaging and cancer biology should help to more rapidly validate this new exciting class of imaging probes for eventual clinical applications. Lay abstract: Physicians can now monitor tumors and malignant cells deep within our body.
Our research aims at validating new sensitive probes (known as Quantum Dots, or qdots) for non-invasive tumor imaging in animal models. The unique properties of qdots might afford in the future earlier diagnosis and better management of disease in humans.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01EB000312-09
Application #
7686130
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-SBIB-S (50))
Program Officer
Conroy, Richard
Project Start
2000-07-01
Project End
2011-07-31
Budget Start
2009-08-01
Budget End
2010-07-31
Support Year
9
Fiscal Year
2009
Total Cost
$853,641
Indirect Cost
Name
University of California Los Angeles
Department
Physiology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
092530369
City
Los Angeles
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
90095
Park, Kyoungwon; Weiss, Shimon (2017) Design Rules for Membrane-Embedded Voltage-Sensing Nanoparticles. Biophys J 112:703-713
Boutelle, Robert Charles; Neuhauser, Daniel; Weiss, Shimon (2016) Far-Field Super-resolution Detection of Plasmonic Near-Fields. ACS Nano 10:7955-62
Kisley, Lydia; Brunetti, Rachel; Tauzin, Lawrence J et al. (2015) Characterization of Porous Materials by Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy Super-resolution Optical Fluctuation Imaging. ACS Nano 9:9158-66
Levy-Sakin, Michal; Grunwald, Assaf; Kim, Soohong et al. (2014) Toward single-molecule optical mapping of the epigenome. ACS Nano 8:14-26
Jung, Michael E; Trzoss, Michael; Tsay, James M et al. (2013) A Bis(phosphine)-Modified Peptide Ligand for Stable and Luminescent Quantum Dots in Aqueous Media. Synthesis (Stuttg) 45:2426-2430
Gallina, Maria Elena; Xu, Jianmin; Dertinger, Thomas et al. (2013) Resolving the spatial relationship between intracellular components by dual color super resolution optical fluctuations imaging (SOFI). Opt Nanoscopy 2:
Aberle, C; Li, J J; Weiss, S et al. (2013) Optical properties of quantum-dot-doped liquid scintillators. J Instrum 8:
Dertinger, Thomas; Pallaoro, Alessia; Braun, Gary et al. (2013) Advances in superresolution optical fluctuation imaging (SOFI). Q Rev Biophys 46:210-21
Xu, Jianmin; Chang, Jason; Yan, Qi et al. (2013) Labeling Cytosolic Targets in Live Cells with Blinking Probes. J Phys Chem Lett 4:2138-2146
Feng, Zhiping; Zhang, Weiting; Xu, Jianmin et al. (2013) Optical control and study of biological processes at the single-cell level in a live organism. Rep Prog Phys 76:072601

Showing the most recent 10 out of 48 publications