Fibrin targeting microbubbles for the detection of nascent surgical adhesions
Embargo Date
2025-01-15
OA Version
Citation
Abstract
Surgical adhesions are fibrous bands of scar tissue that form as a result of surgically induced damage to the peritoneum. Adhesions occur after 95% of abdominal surgeries and can cause severe complications. Currently, there is no non-invasive way to diagnose surgical adhesions. This thesis examines the use of fibrin-targeting microbubbles as an ultrasound contrast agent to diagnose peritoneal adhesions. Fibrin targeting is achieved by integrating a CREKA (Cys-Arg-Glu-Lys-Ala) peptide into the microbubble shell. The properties of targeted and non-targeted microbubbles made from three lipid types (soy phosphatidylcholine (SPC), hydrogenated soy phosphatidylcholine (HSPC) and distearoylphosphatidylcholine (DSPC)) were compared to show the effect of lipid saturation and targeting protein conjugation on microbubble stability and surface charge. The binding specificity of the targeted microbubbles was shown by comparing the binding of targeted and non-targeted bubbles to a fibrin gel. Finally, histological staining techniques were used to examine the fibrin content and structure of human adhesion tissue. Fibrin deposits were found at the surfaces of the tissue, and the tissue samples showed distinct regions of fibrous and adipose tissue. Future studies can be done to optimize the lipid concentration of HSPC bubbles, measure the binding affinity of CREKA to fibrin, and examine CREKA-targeted microbubble binding to fibrin in human tissue.
Description
License
Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International