Automatic image detection of Halloysite clay Nanotubes as a future ultrasound theranostic agent for tumoral cell targeting and treatment

Abstract

Halloysite clay Nanotubes ( HNTs) are nanomaterials composed of double layered aluminosilicate minerals with a hollow tubular structure in the submicron range. They are characterized by a wide range of applications in anticancer therapy as agent delivery. In this work we aim to investigate the automatic detection features of HNTs through advanced quantitative ultrasound imaging employing different concentrations (3-5 mg/mL) at clinical conventional frequency, i.e. 7 MHz. Different tissue mimicking samples ofHNT containing agarose gel were imaged through a commercially available echographic system, that was opportunely combined with ultrasound signal analysis research platform for extracting the raw ultrasound radiofrequency (RF) signals. Acquired data were stored and analyzed by means of an in-house developed algorithm based on wavelet decomposition, in order to identify the specific spectrum contribution of the HNTs and generate corresponding image mapping. Sensitivity and specificity of the HNT detection were quantified. Average specificity (94.36%) was very high with reduced dependency on HNT concentration, while sensitivity showed a proportional increase with concentration with an average of 46.78%. However, automatic detection performances are currently under investigation for further improvement taking into account image enhancement and biocompatibility issues.

Differentiation of Breast Lesions by Use of HyperSPACE: Hyper-Spectral Analysis for Characterization in Echography

“…Other groups have used RULES with good results (Casciaro et al 2014;Greco et al 2011;Soloperto et al 2011Soloperto et al , 2012Wang 2013aWang , 2013bWang , 2013c.…”

Effects of Halloysite Nanotubes on the Mechanical Properties of Polysaccharide Films

“…Besides, HNT have been tested to a number of cytotoxicity studies and reported to be non-toxic to human and animals [4]- [6]. They become an economic and abundantly available choice for materials in cosmetics [7] and biological applications like drug and gene delivery vehicles [8], ultrasound contrast agents [9], cancer and stem cells isolation [10], bone implants [11], and dental resin [12]. In addition, their interesting tubular morphology is capable of entrapping active agents in the lumen for retention and slow release [13].…”