Molecular Imaging of Ovarian Follicles and Tumors With Near-Infrared II Bioconjugates

Yicong Wang; Wenhan Lu; Zi-Han Chen; Yan Xiao; Yu Wang; Wenhao Gao; Zhiming Wang; Ruihu Song; Zhao Fang; Wei Hu; Xiaoyu Tong; Kuinyu Lee; Zhenle Pei; Minzhen Xu; Fan Zhang; Hao Chen; Yi Feng

doi:10.1002/adma.202414129

Molecular Imaging of Ovarian Follicles and Tumors With Near-Infrared II Bioconjugates

Adv Mater. 2024 Dec 18:e2414129. doi: 10.1002/adma.202414129. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Yicong Wang^{1

2

3}, Wenhan Lu⁴, Zi-Han Chen⁵, Yan Xiao^{1

2

3}, Yu Wang^{1

2

3}, Wenhao Gao^{1

2

3}, Zhiming Wang⁶, Ruihu Song⁶, Zhao Fang⁶, Wei Hu^{1

2

3}, Xiaoyu Tong^{1

2

3}, Kuinyu Lee^{1

2

3}, Zhenle Pei⁷, Minzhen Xu⁸, Fan Zhang⁵, Hao Chen⁶, Yi Feng^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Integrative Medicine and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Brain Science Collaborative Innovation Center, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
² Shanghai Key Laboratory of Acupuncture Mechanism and Acupoint Function, Shanghai Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Shanghai, 200433, China.
³ Fudan Zhangjiang Institute, Shanghai, 201203, China.
⁴ Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Science, Eye & ENT Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, 83 Fenyang Road, Shanghai, 200031, China.
⁵ Department of Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers and iChem, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China.
⁶ State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Molecular Imaging Center, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China.
⁷ Shanghai Ji Ai Genetics & IVF Institute, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, 200011, China.
⁸ Department of Nuclear Medicine, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, 200032, China.

PMID: 39696888
DOI: 10.1002/adma.202414129

Abstract

Follicular tracking is typically conducted using ultrasound technology, but its effectiveness is constrained by limited resolution. High-resolution imaging of deep tissues can be accomplished using luminescence imaging in the near-infrared II window (NIR-II, 1000-1700 nm); however, the contrast agents that are used lack specificity. Here, it is reported that the FDA-approved indocyanine green (ICG)-conjugated recombinant human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) protein can target early follicles with long-term effectiveness. A novel high-resolution NIR-II imaging approach is developed for monitoring follicular development as well as ovulation using multi-color imaging of ovarian vessels with a combination of non-overlapping downconversion nanoparticles (DCNPs). The results showed that the ability to monitor early follicles of around 50 µm in diameter exceeded the spatial and temporal resolution of ultrasound or MRI without the reproductive damage associated with computed tomography radiation, and this enabled the clinical identification of the follicular reserve in patients with infertility diseases such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). In addition, NIR-II imaging clearly targeted ovarian tumors and showed micro-metastatic lesions, thus providing a new tool for monitoring tumors in vivo and guiding surgical resection.

Keywords: biomaterials; follicular tracking; multi‐color imaging; near‐infrared II bioconjugates; near‐infrared II in vivo imaging.

Abstract

Grants and funding