Ionizing Radiation Acoustic Imaging for Detecting Enhanced Dose Deposition in Gold Nanoparticle-Infused Samples Using Clinical X-ray Beams

• Grant number: 24/14387-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate (Direct)
• Start date: March 01, 2025
• End date: January 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Biomedical Engineering - Medical Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Theo Zeferino Pavan
• Grantee: José Eduardo Freire
• Supervisor: Xueding Wang
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Michigan, United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 22/01470-0 - Theranostic platform composed of magnetic hyperthermia, ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging, BP.DD

Abstract

Theranostic platforms have shown promise in personalized medicine by allowing tailored treatment adjustments based on individual genetic, molecular, and clinical profiles. A novel approach in oncology is Ionizing Radiation Acoustic Imaging (iRAI), which maps three-dimensional dose deposition in real-time during radiotherapy (RT). RT is crucial in cancer treatment by damaging tumor cell DNA. However, its stochastic nature poses risks due to potential interactions with healthy cells. Nanoparticles (NPs) enhance medical applications due to their unique properties and, as radioenhancers, increase dose deposition and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in ionizing radiation therapies. However, the use of iRAI to monitor this dose enhancement has not yet been evaluated in the literature. Therefore, this project proposal aims to explore the iRAI technique for mapping dose enhancement with radioenhancer nanoparticles (NPs), specifically to detect enhanced dose deposition in gold nanoparticle-infused samples using clinical 6 MV X-ray beams.