Research Question 1
Q: Is it possible to selectively eliminate Hyperplastic hepatocytes with Near-Infrared (NIR) laser emission directed towards Gold Nanorods (GNRs) without damaging host cells?
A: Current research is dedicated to conjugating nanoparticles to antibodies, enzymes, receptors and various proteins throughout the body. With their unique optical ability to absorb and scatter light, noble metals, such as gold, makes a perfect contrast candidate to photo-actively increase the temperature of nanoparticles. Conjugating the nanoparticles to an enzyme structure, you assure anti-Hexokinase II antibodies will directly attach to tissues with increased utilization of the enzyme (e.g. hyperplastic changes); this will lead to pinpoint precision of hyperthermic activity to the target tissue. Furthermore, NIR passes easily through physiologic tissue [14] and when applied to GNRs, it reduces the amount of heat required to apoptose a cell by half, preserving non-targeted tissue. .
Research Question 2
Q: When advanced stages of Hepatocellular Carcinoma is present, will you be able to photothermally ablate the cancer cells?
A: Yes; photothermic ablation is achieved through biophotonic application. The region of the electromagnetic spectrum being utilized is NIR; …show more content…
With the photothermic properties of the GNRs, you can achieve hyperthermic ablation of cells attached to nanoparticles without damaging non-targeted tissues. Also, with the level of focused radiation emitted from the CT scan, GNRs are ideal contrast agents for hyperplastic tissue/cancer
Q: Is it possible to selectively eliminate Hyperplastic hepatocytes with Near-Infrared (NIR) laser emission directed towards Gold Nanorods (GNRs) without damaging host cells?
A: Current research is dedicated to conjugating nanoparticles to antibodies, enzymes, receptors and various proteins throughout the body. With their unique optical ability to absorb and scatter light, noble metals, such as gold, makes a perfect contrast candidate to photo-actively increase the temperature of nanoparticles. Conjugating the nanoparticles to an enzyme structure, you assure anti-Hexokinase II antibodies will directly attach to tissues with increased utilization of the enzyme (e.g. hyperplastic changes); this will lead to pinpoint precision of hyperthermic activity to the target tissue. Furthermore, NIR passes easily through physiologic tissue [14] and when applied to GNRs, it reduces the amount of heat required to apoptose a cell by half, preserving non-targeted tissue. .
Research Question 2
Q: When advanced stages of Hepatocellular Carcinoma is present, will you be able to photothermally ablate the cancer cells?
A: Yes; photothermic ablation is achieved through biophotonic application. The region of the electromagnetic spectrum being utilized is NIR; …show more content…
With the photothermic properties of the GNRs, you can achieve hyperthermic ablation of cells attached to nanoparticles without damaging non-targeted tissues. Also, with the level of focused radiation emitted from the CT scan, GNRs are ideal contrast agents for hyperplastic tissue/cancer