Fundamental Research of Disease Imaging Taking Advantage of The Thermo-Responsive Molecules

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K07016
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 47020:Pharmaceutical analytical chemistry and physicochemistry-related
• Research Institution: Showa Pharmaceutical University
• Principal Investigator: KARASAWA SATORU 昭和薬科大学, 薬学部, 教授 (80315100)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 渕 靖史 徳島文理大学, 薬学部, 助教 (40748795)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: ナノ微粒子 / MRI造影剤 / 蛍光 / 温度応答性

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Thermal-responsive nanoparticles(TRNP) are of great significant because the TRNPs were expected to accumulate into tumors by controlling the temperature. Three NPs consisted of Gadolinium (Gd-NPs), radical(RA-NPs), and fluorophore (FL-NPs) were designed and their morphologies, sizes, and physical properties were investigated. The Gd-NPs function as MRI contrast agent and the resulting contrast ability was much larger than those of commercial available agents. In the case of RA-NPs, the spherical NPs with ~ 30 nm were observed by a transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In contrast, the FL-NPs exhibited intensive emission, and the presence of spaces in NPs was observed by TEM images. Accordingly, taking advantage of the spaces, the FL-NPs allows to contain the anti-cancer agents into the spaces.

Free Research Field

分析化学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

早期にがんを見つけること、がん細胞、がん組織を死滅させることは我々人類の願いである。本研究は、がんの高温性を利用したがんイメージングの研究であり、ナノ微粒子を使ってMRIや蛍光によるがん検出・診断を目的としている。MRI用の検出プローブでは、ナノ微粒子化することで高い造影効果が見出された。蛍光プローブでは、ナノ微粒子が中空であることを見出し、今後は中空の中に抗がん剤を導入することを予定している。本研究成果で得られたナノ微粒子型検出プローブは、早期がん検出・がん死滅に対して有効性が高いことが示唆された。