Noninvasive Mapping of Extracellular Potassium in Breast Tumors via Multi-Wavelength Photoacoustic Imaging
Elevated extracellular potassium (K<sup>+</sup>) in the tumor microenvironment (TME) of breast and other cancers is increasingly recognized as a critical factor influencing tumor progression and immune suppression. Current methods for noninvasive mapping of the potassium distribution in...
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MDPI AG
2025-07-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/15/4724 |
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| author | Jeff Folz Ahmad Eido Maria E. Gonzalez Roberta Caruso Xueding Wang Celina G. Kleer Janggun Jo |
| author_facet | Jeff Folz Ahmad Eido Maria E. Gonzalez Roberta Caruso Xueding Wang Celina G. Kleer Janggun Jo |
| author_sort | Jeff Folz |
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| description | Elevated extracellular potassium (K<sup>+</sup>) in the tumor microenvironment (TME) of breast and other cancers is increasingly recognized as a critical factor influencing tumor progression and immune suppression. Current methods for noninvasive mapping of the potassium distribution in tumors are limited. Here, we employed photoacoustic chemical imaging (PACI) with a solvatochromic dye-based, potassium-sensitive nanoprobe (SDKNP) to quantitatively visualize extracellular potassium levels in an orthotopic metaplastic breast cancer mouse model, Ccn6-KO. Tumors of three distinct sizes (5 mm, 10 mm, and 20 mm) were imaged using multi-wavelength photoacoustic imaging at five laser wavelengths (560, 576, 584, 605, and 625 nm). Potassium concentration maps derived from spectral unmixing of the photoacoustic images at the five laser wavelengths revealed significantly increased potassium levels in larger tumors, confirmed independently by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The PACI results matched ICP-MS measurements, validating PACI as a robust, noninvasive imaging modality for potassium mapping in tumors <i>in vivo</i>. This work establishes PACI as a promising tool for studying the chemical properties of the TME and provides a foundation for future studies evaluating the immunotherapy response through ionic biomarker imaging. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-47c4ec98a25c450d8bddc6b2dcd23387 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1424-8220 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| spelling | doaj-art-47c4ec98a25c450d8bddc6b2dcd233872025-08-20T03:36:23ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202025-07-012515472410.3390/s25154724Noninvasive Mapping of Extracellular Potassium in Breast Tumors via Multi-Wavelength Photoacoustic ImagingJeff Folz0Ahmad Eido1Maria E. Gonzalez2Roberta Caruso3Xueding Wang4Celina G. Kleer5Janggun Jo6Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USADepartment of Pathology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USADepartment of Pathology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USADepartment of Pathology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USADepartment of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USADepartment of Pathology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USADepartment of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USAElevated extracellular potassium (K<sup>+</sup>) in the tumor microenvironment (TME) of breast and other cancers is increasingly recognized as a critical factor influencing tumor progression and immune suppression. Current methods for noninvasive mapping of the potassium distribution in tumors are limited. Here, we employed photoacoustic chemical imaging (PACI) with a solvatochromic dye-based, potassium-sensitive nanoprobe (SDKNP) to quantitatively visualize extracellular potassium levels in an orthotopic metaplastic breast cancer mouse model, Ccn6-KO. Tumors of three distinct sizes (5 mm, 10 mm, and 20 mm) were imaged using multi-wavelength photoacoustic imaging at five laser wavelengths (560, 576, 584, 605, and 625 nm). Potassium concentration maps derived from spectral unmixing of the photoacoustic images at the five laser wavelengths revealed significantly increased potassium levels in larger tumors, confirmed independently by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The PACI results matched ICP-MS measurements, validating PACI as a robust, noninvasive imaging modality for potassium mapping in tumors <i>in vivo</i>. This work establishes PACI as a promising tool for studying the chemical properties of the TME and provides a foundation for future studies evaluating the immunotherapy response through ionic biomarker imaging.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/15/4724photoacousticchemical imagingbreast cancerCCN6metaplastic breast carcinomananoparticle |
| spellingShingle | Jeff Folz Ahmad Eido Maria E. Gonzalez Roberta Caruso Xueding Wang Celina G. Kleer Janggun Jo Noninvasive Mapping of Extracellular Potassium in Breast Tumors via Multi-Wavelength Photoacoustic Imaging Sensors photoacoustic chemical imaging breast cancer CCN6 metaplastic breast carcinoma nanoparticle |
| title | Noninvasive Mapping of Extracellular Potassium in Breast Tumors via Multi-Wavelength Photoacoustic Imaging |
| title_full | Noninvasive Mapping of Extracellular Potassium in Breast Tumors via Multi-Wavelength Photoacoustic Imaging |
| title_fullStr | Noninvasive Mapping of Extracellular Potassium in Breast Tumors via Multi-Wavelength Photoacoustic Imaging |
| title_full_unstemmed | Noninvasive Mapping of Extracellular Potassium in Breast Tumors via Multi-Wavelength Photoacoustic Imaging |
| title_short | Noninvasive Mapping of Extracellular Potassium in Breast Tumors via Multi-Wavelength Photoacoustic Imaging |
| title_sort | noninvasive mapping of extracellular potassium in breast tumors via multi wavelength photoacoustic imaging |
| topic | photoacoustic chemical imaging breast cancer CCN6 metaplastic breast carcinoma nanoparticle |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/15/4724 |
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