Customized nanoprobes for simultaneous prostate cancer imaging and therapy with magnetomotive ultrasound

Prostate cancer is the most common and deadly cancer for men in Sweden. Proper diagnosis and therapy are unfortunately hampered by today’s unspecific imaging methods.

Magnetomotive ultrasound (MMUS) is a novel imaging technique that may provide a paradigm shift in the management of these patients, by enabling magnetic nanoparticles as a contrast agent for standard diagnostic ultrasound, and in addition may serve as a non-ionizing treatment option. Today, subcutaneous injections are used to locate lymph node metastases.

But for primary tumors, blood is normally the only inflow, necessitating intravenous injections. Then tumor particle uptake relies on active molecular markers, or tumor vessels being more permeable for nanoparticles. The result is a lower particle concentration, and thus a need to boost sensitivity.

One option we have noted is that the nanoparticle shape can largely affect the detected signal.

The aims with this project are twofold: (1) to develop novel nanoparticles that can reliably detect primary prostate tumors using MMUS; (2) to investigate a hypothesis that the particle shape may also provide a therapeutic effect.

For the first aim, computer modelling will be used to develop optimal nanoparticle designs, combined with phantom studies. Cell studies will show the potential therapeutic effect. A concluding animal study will show the real signal increase in an in vivo situation. The project motto can thus be stated “curing cancer while imaging it”.