
New ‘infrared vision’ technique can help with cancer immunotherapy - EndXA
https://news.stanford.edu/press-releases/2019/10/03/infrared-vision-immunotherapy/
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EndXA
The original study can be found here:
[https://www.nature.com/articles/s41587-019-0262-4](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41587-019-0262-4)

Abstract:

> The near-infrared-IIb (NIR-IIb) (1,500–1,700 nm) window is ideal for deep-
> tissue optical imaging in mammals, but lacks bright and biocompatible
> probes. Here, we developed biocompatible cubic-phase (α-phase) erbium-based
> rare-earth nanoparticles (ErNPs) exhibiting bright downconversion
> luminescence at ~1,600 nm for dynamic imaging of cancer immunotherapy in
> mice. We used ErNPs functionalized with cross-linked hydrophilic polymer
> layers attached to anti-PD-L1 (programmed cell death-1 ligand-1) antibody
> for molecular imaging of PD-L1 in a mouse model of colon cancer and achieved
> tumor-to-normal tissue signal ratios of ~40. The long luminescence lifetime
> of ErNPs (~4.6 ms) enabled simultaneous imaging of ErNPs and lead sulfide
> quantum dots emitting in the same ~1,600 nm window. In vivo NIR-IIb
> molecular imaging of PD-L1 and CD8 revealed cytotoxic T lymphocytes in the
> tumor microenvironment in response to immunotherapy, and altered CD8 signals
> in tumor and spleen due to immune activation. The cross-linked
> functionalization layer facilitated 90% ErNP excretion within 2 weeks
> without detectable toxicity in mice.

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gojomo
This seems similar to the IR/near-IR tech under development by 'Openwater',
making non-invasive medical imaging tech that may soon offer live high-
resolution imaging of the brain:

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k879MFfB_3Q](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k879MFfB_3Q)

(Openwater seems to be using sonic pings & massive computing, rather than
nanoparticles of a specific element, to achieve contrast at various depths.)

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tupilaq
How strange.. I was just reading a paper about the same sort of thing:
[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30890547](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30890547)

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iamtheworstdev
I bet this is already being pushed by chiropractors as a supportive argument
for thermograms to justify ripping off more people that are afraid of
radiation.

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mxuribe
Fascinating!

