1 research outputs found
Noninvasively Imaging Subcutaneous Tumor Xenograft by a Handheld Raman Detector, with the Assistance of an Optical Clearing Agent
A handheld Raman
detector with operational convenience, high portability, and rapid
acquisition rate has been applied in clinics for diagnostic purposes.
However, the inherent weakness of Raman scattering and strong scattering
of the turbid tissue restricts its utilization to superficial locations.
To extend the applications of a handheld Raman detector to deep tissues,
a gold nanostar-based surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) nanoprobe
with robust colloidal stability, a fingerprint-like spectrum, and
extremely high sensitivity (5.0 fM) was developed. With the assistance
of FPT, a multicomponent optical clearing agent (OCA) efficiently
suppressing light scattering from the turbid dermal tissues, the handheld
Raman detector noninvasively visualized the subcutaneous tumor xenograft
with a high target-to-background ratio after intravenous injection
of the gold nanostar-based SERS nanoprobe. To the best of our knowledge,
this work is the first example to introduce the optical clearing technique
in assisting SERS imaging in vivo. The combination of optical clearing
technology and SERS is a promising strategy for the extension of the
clinical applications of the handheld Raman detector from superficial
tissues to subcutaneous or even deeper lesions that are usually “concealed”
by the turbid dermal tissue