Why researchers believe silver nanoparticles could 'revolutionize' medical imaging
Researchers at Oregon State University are developing a way to make contrast agents more targeted.
The team is learning how to adjust the size of silver nanoparticles to make them more uniform—something that could revolutionize the way cancer is visualized on CT imaging in the future.
“We can use them to track where cancer cells are in the body using X-ray CT imaging in the future,” explained study leader Marilyn Mackiewicz, PhD, an associate professor of chemistry at OSU. “So, this is what we're trying to do. We're trying to design them in such a way that we can replace the current contrast agents that are used for X-ray by making them more targeted so they only go to cancer cells.”
Silver nanoparticles, which vary widely in size and shape, are incorporated in dozens of everyday products—everything from hand sanitizers to laundry detergents, food packaging, sports, imaging equipment and more. They also are routinely used as catalysts for chemical reactions in industrial settings.
The properties and abilities of silver nanoparticles depend on how big they are and the form they take. They also can degrade when in certain environments. In medical settings, this presents challenges, as their varied forms create issues with consistency and reliability.
However, Mackiewicz and colleagues believe there is a way to harness the power of ultraviolet light to adjust the size and shape of the nanoparticles, thus stabilizing them and enabling scientists to more easily manipulate them. By pairing ultraviolet light with oxygen and positively charged silver ions, the team has been able to convert the nanoparticles into triangles that are uniform in size. What’s more, covering them in a hybrid lipid-coated membrane makes the nanoparticles much more stable and predictable.
“Having silver nanoparticles of the same shape and size ensures they work effectively and reliably, making them more useful and efficient,” Mackiewicz said. “And the longer they can maintain that size and shape, the more valuable they are.”
In CT settings, the team hopes that stable nanoparticles could be safely incorporated into contrast agents to give radiologists better visualization of cancerous tissue.
“What that allows us to do is allow us to use these nanoparticles in vevo, meaning inside of a human person or an animal, where we can image them without worrying about the materials becoming oxidized and causing toxicity,” Mackiewicz explained.
The team is optimistic that their findings could improve synthesis methods in the future, making silver nanoparticles even more beneficial in medical imaging and other settings.
In addition to her background in journalism, Hannah also has patient-facing experience in clinical settings, having spent more than 12 years working as a registered rad tech. She began covering the medical imaging industry for Innovate Healthcare in 2021.