Radiation-enhanced nanobubble therapy: Monitoring treatment effects using photoacoustic imaging

In this work we demonstrate the potential of using nanobubbles (NBs) as radiation therapy enhancers for maximizing tumoral cell death. Photoacoustic (PA) imaging can be used to probe the mechanism of action of this treatment due to its ability to examine the oxygenation of tumors. In vivo experiments were performed in mice bearing prostate cancer tumors and the NB therapies were compared with conventional microbubble (MB) treatments combined with radiation. Our preliminary results show that NB combined with a single dose of 8 Gy radiation induce 40% tumor cell death compared to 20% observed with MB treatments. PA imaging suggest that NBs have an extravascular effect.