AuroVist™ is a new X-ray contrast agent for micro-CT, research and animal use*, based on Nanoprobes' gold nanoparticle technology. Image blood vessels, organs, tumors...the only reagent to be used forin vivo vascular casting.
Unparalleled imaging for Micro CT!
See functioning kidneys in live animals!
In vivo (virtual) vascular casting
Used in cell-radiation studies
Material science & nanoparticle studies
"The AuNPs [AuroVist™ 1.9 nm] show significant CT image enhancement as compared to iohexol contrast agent (trade name Omnipaque). Excellent tumor image enhancement is also obtained due to nanoparticle extravasation across tumor capillary pores. Such small NPs show a much higher diffusion coefficient than larger NPs. Several additional studies using these same nanoparticles show the potential of using AuNP in X-ray cancer radiotherapy (RT)."
longest blood half-life of any x-ray contrast agent
Gold Nanoparticles:
a New X-Ray Contrast Agent
Gold has several advantages over the conventional iodine-based contrast reagents.
Gold achieves better contrast than iodine for both micro-CT and clinical CT applications.
At appropriate beam energies*, gold achieves a contrast up to 3 times greater than iodine per unit mass, and initial blood contrast greater than 1,000 Hounsfeld Units (HU).
Furthermore, gold concentrations up to three times those of iodine can be achieved, providing a total contrast gain of nearly ten times.
*For micro-CT, beam energy should be just above gold's 12-14-keV L-edge, while for clinical CT it can be tuned to just above gold's 80.7-keV K-edge.
Kidneys in live mouse after IV injection of AuroVist™ 1.9nm. Kidney function is visualized as small gold nanoparticles are filtered from the blood, passing through glomeruli, tubules and into ureters. Taken with a mammography unit (8 mA.sec, 22 kVp).
Unlike iodine, AuroVist™ has very low viscosity and osmolality, and therefore may be injected and used in small blood vessels without risk of vascular damage.
20 µm blood vessels in live animals have been successfully imaged with microCT, and vascular casts obtained for the first time.
Small orthotopic colon tumors were also detected in vivo using gold nanoparticles and microCT.
Kidney fine structure may be imaged up to an hour or more after injection; concentration in the kidneys can provide contrast values as high as 1,500 HU or more.
AuroVist™ has demonstrated low acute toxicities, and phamacokinetics have been found to be acceptable.
Live mouse, 5 minutes after injection
with AuroVist™ X-ray contrast agent.
X-ray of mouse hind legs in vivo and AuroVistTM 1.9nm injection. Leg on right side of image has a subcutaneous tumor, showing increased vascular gold. Taken with a mammography unit (8 mA.sec, 22 kVp).
AuroVist™ enhances radiotherapy!
In our cancer research here at Nanoprobes, we've had some amazing results treating tumors in mice with gold enhanced radiation therapy, using AuroVist.
Custom conjugation is also available, of Nanogold®, FluoroNanogold, undecagold
or colloidal gold to primary antibodies, peptides, small molecules, or other molecules.
