Perfluorohexane-encapsulated fullerene nanospheres for dual-modality US/CT imaging and synergistic high-intensity focused ultrasound ablation

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to develop a multifunctional contrast agent for bioimaging and synergistic high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) therapy to achieve theranostic. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A novel type of perfluorohexane-encapsulated fullerene (PFH-C(60)) nanosphere was successfully developed via a vacuum ultrasonic emulsification and centrifugation method and subsequently used in ultrasound/computed tomography (CT) dual-modality and HIFU ablation of dissected bovine livers. In addition, transmission electron microscopic examination was employed to detect structural changes in the target tissue for HIFU ablation. RESULTS: The use of composite nanospheres effectively enhanced ultrasound and CT imaging. Moreover, the HIFU ablation of dissected bovine livers was also significantly enhanced. CONCLUSION: Composite nanospheres demonstrate potential theranostic application as a multifunctional contrast agent for dual-modality biological imaging and highly efficient synergistic imaging-guided HIFU ablation.