Ultrasound-assisted carbon ion dosimetry and range measurement using injectable polymer-shelled phase-change nanodroplets: in vitro study
Abstract Methods allowing for in situ dosimetry and range verification are essential in radiotherapy to reduce the safety margins required to account for uncertainties introduced in the entire treatment workflow. This study suggests a non-invasive dosimetry concept for carbon ion radiotherapy based...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2022-05-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-11524-x |
| _version_ | 1811253220635312128 |
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| author | Yosra Toumia Marco Pullia Fabio Domenici Angelica Facoetti Michele Ferrarini Sophie V. Heymans Bram Carlier Koen Van Den Abeele Edmond Sterpin Jan D’hooge Emiliano D’Agostino Gaio Paradossi |
| author_facet | Yosra Toumia Marco Pullia Fabio Domenici Angelica Facoetti Michele Ferrarini Sophie V. Heymans Bram Carlier Koen Van Den Abeele Edmond Sterpin Jan D’hooge Emiliano D’Agostino Gaio Paradossi |
| author_sort | Yosra Toumia |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Methods allowing for in situ dosimetry and range verification are essential in radiotherapy to reduce the safety margins required to account for uncertainties introduced in the entire treatment workflow. This study suggests a non-invasive dosimetry concept for carbon ion radiotherapy based on phase-change ultrasound contrast agents. Injectable nanodroplets made of a metastable perfluorobutane (PFB) liquid core, stabilized with a crosslinked poly(vinylalcohol) shell, are vaporized at physiological temperature when exposed to carbon ion radiation (C-ions), converting them into echogenic microbubbles. Nanodroplets, embedded in tissue-mimicking phantoms, are exposed at 37 °C to a 312 MeV/u clinical C-ions beam at different doses between 0.1 and 4 Gy. The evaluation of the contrast enhancement from ultrasound imaging of the phantoms, pre- and post-irradiation, reveals a significant radiation-triggered nanodroplets vaporization occurring at the C-ions Bragg peak with sub-millimeter shift reproducibility and dose dependency. The specific response of the nanodroplets to C-ions is further confirmed by varying the phantom position, the beam range, and by performing spread-out Bragg peak irradiation. The nanodroplets’ response to C-ions is influenced by their concentration and is dose rate independent. These early findings show the ground-breaking potential of polymer-shelled PFB nanodroplets to enable in vivo carbon ion dosimetry and range verification. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T16:47:34Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f250efeb526c4b05af8b8000cff4c8c6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T16:47:34Z |
| publishDate | 2022-05-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-f250efeb526c4b05af8b8000cff4c8c62022-12-22T03:24:32ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222022-05-0112111310.1038/s41598-022-11524-xUltrasound-assisted carbon ion dosimetry and range measurement using injectable polymer-shelled phase-change nanodroplets: in vitro studyYosra Toumia0Marco Pullia1Fabio Domenici2Angelica Facoetti3Michele Ferrarini4Sophie V. Heymans5Bram Carlier6Koen Van Den Abeele7Edmond Sterpin8Jan D’hooge9Emiliano D’Agostino10Gaio Paradossi11Department of Chemical Science and Technologies, University of Rome Tor VergataFondazione CNAO, The National Center of Oncological HadrontherapyDepartment of Chemical Science and Technologies, University of Rome Tor VergataFondazione CNAO, The National Center of Oncological HadrontherapyFondazione CNAO, The National Center of Oncological HadrontherapyDepartment of Physics, KU Leuven Campus KulakDepartment of Oncology, KU LeuvenDepartment of Physics, KU Leuven Campus KulakDepartment of Oncology, KU LeuvenDepartment of Cardiovascular Sciences, KU LeuvenDoseVueDepartment of Chemical Science and Technologies, University of Rome Tor VergataAbstract Methods allowing for in situ dosimetry and range verification are essential in radiotherapy to reduce the safety margins required to account for uncertainties introduced in the entire treatment workflow. This study suggests a non-invasive dosimetry concept for carbon ion radiotherapy based on phase-change ultrasound contrast agents. Injectable nanodroplets made of a metastable perfluorobutane (PFB) liquid core, stabilized with a crosslinked poly(vinylalcohol) shell, are vaporized at physiological temperature when exposed to carbon ion radiation (C-ions), converting them into echogenic microbubbles. Nanodroplets, embedded in tissue-mimicking phantoms, are exposed at 37 °C to a 312 MeV/u clinical C-ions beam at different doses between 0.1 and 4 Gy. The evaluation of the contrast enhancement from ultrasound imaging of the phantoms, pre- and post-irradiation, reveals a significant radiation-triggered nanodroplets vaporization occurring at the C-ions Bragg peak with sub-millimeter shift reproducibility and dose dependency. The specific response of the nanodroplets to C-ions is further confirmed by varying the phantom position, the beam range, and by performing spread-out Bragg peak irradiation. The nanodroplets’ response to C-ions is influenced by their concentration and is dose rate independent. These early findings show the ground-breaking potential of polymer-shelled PFB nanodroplets to enable in vivo carbon ion dosimetry and range verification.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-11524-x |
| spellingShingle | Yosra Toumia Marco Pullia Fabio Domenici Angelica Facoetti Michele Ferrarini Sophie V. Heymans Bram Carlier Koen Van Den Abeele Edmond Sterpin Jan D’hooge Emiliano D’Agostino Gaio Paradossi Ultrasound-assisted carbon ion dosimetry and range measurement using injectable polymer-shelled phase-change nanodroplets: in vitro study Scientific Reports |
| title | Ultrasound-assisted carbon ion dosimetry and range measurement using injectable polymer-shelled phase-change nanodroplets: in vitro study |
| title_full | Ultrasound-assisted carbon ion dosimetry and range measurement using injectable polymer-shelled phase-change nanodroplets: in vitro study |
| title_fullStr | Ultrasound-assisted carbon ion dosimetry and range measurement using injectable polymer-shelled phase-change nanodroplets: in vitro study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ultrasound-assisted carbon ion dosimetry and range measurement using injectable polymer-shelled phase-change nanodroplets: in vitro study |
| title_short | Ultrasound-assisted carbon ion dosimetry and range measurement using injectable polymer-shelled phase-change nanodroplets: in vitro study |
| title_sort | ultrasound assisted carbon ion dosimetry and range measurement using injectable polymer shelled phase change nanodroplets in vitro study |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-11524-x |
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