In this study, the lipid targeted nanobubble carrying the A10-3.2 aptamer against prostate specific membrane antigen was fabricated, and its effect in the ultrasound imaging of prostate cancer was investigated. Materials including 2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidic acid, 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine, 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycer...

To target taxanes to castration-resistant prostate cancer cells, glycol-chitosan nanobubbles loaded with paclitaxel and docetaxel were constructed. The loaded nanobubbles were then combined with Extracorporeal Shock Waves, acoustic waves widely used in urology and orthopedics, with no side effects. Nanobubbles, with an average diameter of 353.3 ± 15.5 nm, entered two different castration-resist...

Nanobubbles and microbubbles are non-invasive ultrasound imaging contrast agents that may potentially enhance diagnosis of tumors. However, to date, both nanobubbles and microbubbles display poor in vivo tumor-selectivity over non-targeted organs such as liver. We report here cyanine 5.5 conjugated nanobubbles (cy5.5-nanobubbles) of a biocompatible chitosan-vitamin C lipid system as a dual ultr...

Using molecular dynamics, we study the nucleation and stability of bulk nanobubble clusters. We study the formation, growth, and final size of bulk nanobubbles. We find that, as long as the bubble-bubble interspacing is small enough, bulk nanobubbles are stable against dissolution. Simple diffusion calculations provide an excellent match with the simulation results, giving insight into the reas...

To facilitate prostate cancer imaging using targeted molecules, we constructed ultrasonic nanobubbles coupled with specific anti-PSMA (prostate specific membrane antigen) nanobodies, and evaluated their in vitro binding capacity and in vivo imaging efficacy. The "targeted" nanobubbles, which were constructed via a biotin-streptavidin system, had an average diameter of 487.60 ± 33.55 nm and carr...

Fluorescence dye DiR and superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) embedded in PEG-PLGA nanobubbles (DiR-SPIO-NBs) were produced using double emulsion method on a membrane of Shirasu porous glass (SPG). The nanobubbles encapsulated with DiR and SPIONs had a liquid core (perfluoropentane) and a PEG-PLGA shell. DiR-SPIO-NBs showed biocompatibility based on MTT cytotoxicity and hemolysis...

The evidence for nanobubbles as the origin of the long-ranged attractions measured between hydrophobic surfaces immersed in water is reviewed by focusing upon several unique features of the force curves. Also covered is the morphology of nanobubbles as revealed by direct imaging with tapping mode atomic force microscopy. A discussion of the origin, thermodynamic stability and practical implicat...

Past research has confirmed the existence of surface nanobubbles on various hydrophobic substrates (static contact angle >90°) when imaged in air-equilibrated water. Additionally, the use of solvent exchange techniques (based on the difference in saturation levels of air in various solvents) also introduced surface nanobubbles on hydrophilic substrates (static contact angle <90°). In this work,...

BACKGROUND Ultrasound molecular imaging is a novel diagnostic approach for tumors, whose key link is the construction of targeted ultrasound contrast agents. However, available targeted ultrasound contrast agents for molecular imaging of tumors are only achieving imaging in blood pool or one type tumor. No targeted ultrasound contrast agents have realized targeted ultrasound molecular imaging o...

Nanobubbles, which have the potential for ultrasonic targeted imaging and treatment in tumors, have been a research focus in recent years. With the current methods, however, the prepared uniformly sized nanobubbles either undergo post-formulation manipulation, such as centrifugation, after the mixture of microbubbles and nanobubbles, or require the addition of amphiphilic surfactants. These pro...