Imaging tumours

A material developed at Virginia University has been shown to simplify the imaging of oxygen-deficient regions of tumours.

The material is based on polylactic acid, a biodegradable polymer that is safe for the body and the environment, which is easy and inexpensive to fabricate in many forms, including films, fibres and nanoparticles.

Chemists at Virginia University developed the material and consulted with cancer researchers at the Virginia University Cancer Center and the Duke University Medical Center to determine possible applications.

Guoqing Zhang, a Virginia University chemistry doctoral candidate, working with Cassandra Fraser, a Virginia University chemistry professor, synthesised the material by combining a corn-based biopolymer with a dye that is both fluorescent and phosphorescent.

The phosphorescence appears as a long-lived afterglow that is only evident under low-oxygen or oxygen-free conditions at room or body temperature, making it ideal for use in tissues.

Fraser said: 'We were amazed at how easy the material was to synthesise and fabricate as films and nanoparticles and how useful it is for measuring low oxygen concentrations.'