Browsing by Author "McNally, Lacey R."

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
  • Thumbnail Image
    Imaging Inflammation and Infection in the Gastrointestinal Tract
    Frickenstein, Alex N.; Jones, Meredith A.; Behkam, Bahareh; McNally, Lacey R. (MDPI, 2019-12-30)
    A variety of seemingly non-specific symptoms manifest within the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, particularly in the colon, in response to inflammation, infection, or a combination thereof. Differentiation between symptom sources can often be achieved using various radiologic studies. Although it is not possible to provide a comprehensive survey of imaging gastrointestinal GI tract infections in a single article, the purpose of this review is to survey several topics on imaging of GI tract inflammation and infections. The review discusses such modalities as computed tomography, positron emission tomography, ultrasound, endoscopy, and magnetic resonance imaging while looking at up-an-coming technologies that could improve diagnoses and patient comfort. The discussion is accomplished through examining a combination of organ-based and organism-based approaches, with accompanying selected case examples. Specific focus is placed on the bacterial infections caused by Shigella spp., Escherichia coli, Clostridium difficile, Salmonella, and inflammatory conditions of diverticulitis and irritable bowel disease. These infectious and inflammatory diseases and their detection via molecular imaging will be compared including the appropriate differential diagnostic considerations.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Improved pentamethine cyanine nanosensors for optoacoustic imaging of pancreatic cancer
    Laramie, Matthew D.; Fouts, Benjamin L.; MacCuaig, William M.; Buabeng, Emmanuel; Jones, Meredith A.; Mukherjee, Priyabrata; Behkam, Bahareh; McNally, Lacey R.; Henary, Maged (2021-02-23)
    Optoacoustic imaging is a new biomedical imaging technology with clear benefits over traditional optical imaging and ultrasound. While the imaging technology has improved since its initial development, the creation of dedicated contrast agents for optoacoustic imaging has been stagnant. Current exploration of contrast agents has been limited to standard commercial dyes that have already been established in optical imaging applications. While some of these compounds have demonstrated utility in optoacoustic imaging, they are far from optimal and there is a need for contrast agents with tailored optoacoustic properties. The synthesis, encapsulation within tumor targeting silica nanoparticles and applications in in vivo tumor imaging of optoacoustic contrast agents are reported.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Robust and Repeatable Biofabrication of Bacteria-Mediated Drug Delivery Systems: Effect of Conjugation Chemistry, Assembly Process Parameters, and Nanoparticle Size
    Zhan, Ying; Fergusson, Austin D.; McNally, Lacey R.; Davis, Richey M.; Behkam, Bahareh (2021-11-19)
    Bacteria-mediated drug delivery systems comprising nanotherapeutics conjugated onto bacteria synergistically augment the efficacy of both therapeutic modalities in cancer therapy. Nanocarriers preserve therapeutics' bioavailability and reduce systemic toxicity, while bacteria selectively colonize the cancerous tissue, impart intrinsic and immune-mediated antitumor effects, and propel nanotherapeutics interstitially. The optimal bacteria-nanoparticle (NP) conjugates will carry the maximal NP load with minimal motility speed hindrance for effective interstitial distribution. Furthermore, a well-defined and repeatable NP attachment density distribution is crucial to determining these biohybrid systems' efficacious dosage and robust performance. Herein, our nanoscale bacteria-enabled autonomous delivery system (NanoBEADS) platform is utilized to investigate the effects of assembly process parameters of mixing method, volume, and duration on NP attachment density and repeatability. The effect of linkage chemistry and NP size on NP attachment density, viability, growth rate, and motility of NanoBEADS is also evaluated. It is shown that the linkage chemistry impacts NP attachment density while the self-assembly process parameters affect the repeatability and, to a lesser extent, attachment density. Lastly, the attachment density affects NanoBEADS' growth rate and motility in an NP size-dependent manner. These findings will contribute to the development of scalable and repeatable bacteria-NP biohybrids for applications in drug delivery and beyond. An interactive preprint version of the article can be found here: https://www.authorea.com/doi/full/10.22541/au.163100509.93917936.