Multimodal Perfluorocarbon Nanoemulsions for [sup 19]F MRI, Ultrasonography, and Catalysis of MRgFUS-Mediated Drug Delivery

Abstract

Perfluorocarbon nanoemulsions can target lipophilic therapeutic agents to solid tumors and simultaneously provide for monitoring nanocarrier biodistribution via ultrasonography and/or 19F MRI. In the first generation of block copolymer stabilized perfluorocarbon nanoemulsions, perfluoropentane (PFP) was used as the droplet forming compound. Although manifesting excellent therapeutic and ultrasound imaging properties, PFP nanoemulsions were unstable at storage, difficult to handle, and underwent droplet‐to‐bubble transition upon injection that was hard to control. To solve the above problems, perfluoro‐15‐crown‐5‐ether (PFCE) was used as a core forming compound in the second generation of block copolymer stabilized perfluorocarbon nanoemulsions. In the present paper, acoustic, imaging, and therapeutic properties of unloaded and paclitaxel (PTX) loaded PFCE nanoemulsions are reported. The size of paclitaxel‐loaded PFCE nanodroplets (300 nm to 500 nm depending on emulsification conditions) favors their passi...