Aptamer-crosslinked microbubbles: smart contrast agents for thrombin-activated ultrasound imaging.

Nakatsuka, Matthew A; Mattrey, Robert F; Esener, Sadik C; Cha, Jennifer N; Goodwin, Andrew P · Adv Mater · 2012

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Thrombosis, or malignant blood clotting, is associated with numerous cardiovascular diseases and cancers. A microbubble contrast agent is presented that produces ultrasound harmonic signal only when exposed to elevated thrombin levels. Initially silent microbubbles are activated in the presence of both thrombin-spiked and freshly clotting blood in three minutes with detection limits of 20 nM thrombin and 2 aM microbubbles.

Medical subject headings