NIR-II Fluorescence Imaging for the Detection and Resection of Cancerous Foci and Lymph Nodes in Early-Stage Orthotopic and Advanced-Stage Metastatic Ovarian Cancer Models

Q: Why is detecting early-stage ovarian tumors difficult with NIR-I fluorescence imaging?

The ovaries are anatomically deep and have intricate lymphatic drainages, which reduce resolution and sensitivity of NIR-I fluorescence imaging.

Q: What approach enables the proposed imaging in this study?

The study uses bright NIR-II fluorescence polymer nanoparticles prepared through one-step nanoprecipitation of DSPE-PEG and an organic NIR-II dye.

Q: What imaging and surgical capabilities are demonstrated in mice?

NIR-II fluorescence enables visualization of early orthotopic tumors, tumor-regional lymph nodes, and minuscule peritoneal metastases in real time, supporting accurate surgical staging and complete tumor removal comparable to clinical practice.

Sep 24, 2026

Uploaded by Aria Callaghan

Ovarian cancer mortality is driven by late diagnosis and early lymph node metastasis. Deep ovarian anatomy and complex lymphatic drainage limit near-infrared first-window (NIR-I) fluorescence resolution and sensitivity. This work develops bright near-infrared-II (NIR-II) polymer nanoparticles from FDA-acceptable components via one-step synthesis, enabling 1060 nm emission with high signal-to-noise imaging. NIR-II probes visualize early orthotopic tumors, regional lymph nodes, and sub-millimeter peritoneal metastases, supporting real-time, accurate surgical staging and tumor removal in mice.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages14

Reading Time35 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Motivation: late diagnosis and lymph node metastasis

Limitations of CT/MRI/PET-CT for tiny tumors and intraoperative use

Advantages and limits of fluorescence imaging (NIR-I vs NIR-II)

Study gap: prior NIR-II ovarian models focus on late-stage metastasis

NIR-II imaging strategy

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| | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [www.acsami.org](www.acsami.org) Research Article
NIR-II Fluorescence Imaging for the Detection and Resection of Cancerous Foci and Lymph Nodes in Early-Stage Orthotopic and Advanced-Stage Metastatic Ovarian Cancer Models
Tao Pu,\# Yawei Liu,\# Yuetian Pei, Jing Peng, Zehua Wang, Ming Du, Qiyu Liu, Fangfang Zhong, Mingxing Zhang, Fuyou Li, Congjian Xu, * and Xiaoyan Zhang *
Cite This: ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2023, 15, 32226−32239

Read Online | | | | | ACCESS | Metrics & More | Article Recommendations | *sı Supporting Information | ABSTRACT: The high mortality rate of ovarian cancer can be primarily attributed to late diagnosis and early lymph node (LN) metastasis. The anatomically deep-located ovaries own intricate anatomical structures and lymphatic drainages that compromise the resolution and sensitivity of near-infrared first-window (NIR-I) fluorescence imaging. Reported NIR-II imaging studies of ovarian cancer focused on late-stage metastasis detection via the intraperitoneal xenograft model. However, given the significant improvement in patient survival associated with early-stage cancer detection, locating tumors that are restricted within the ovary is equally crucial. We obtained the polymer nanoparticles with bright near-infrared-II fluorescence (NIR-II NPs) by nanoprecipitation of DSPE-PEG, one of the ingredients of FDA-approved nanoparticle products, and benzobisthiadiazole, an organic NIR-II dy. The one-step synthesis and safe component lay the groundwork for its clinical translation. Benefiting from the NIR-II emission ( 1060 nm), NIR-II NPs enabled a high signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio (13.4) visualization of early-stage orthotopic ovarian tumors with NIR-II fluorescence imaging for the first time. Imaging with orthotopic xenograft allows a more accurate mimic of human ovarian cancer origin, thereby addressing the dilemma of translating existing nanoprobe preclinical rearch by providing the nano-bio interactions with early local tumor environments. After PEGylation, the desirable-sized probe ( 80 nm) exhibited high lymphophilicity and relatively extended circulation. NIR-II NPs maintained their accurate detection of orthotopic tumors, tumor-regional LNs, and minuscule (<1 mm) ∼disseminated peritoneal metastases simultaneously (with S/N ratios all above 5) in mice with advanced-stage cancer in real time 36 h after systematic delivery. With NIR-II fluorescence guidance, we achieved accurate surgical staging in tumor-bearing mice and complete tumor removal comparable to clinical practice, which provides preclinical data for translating NIR-II fluorescence image-guided surgery. KEYWORDS: ovarian cancer, second near-infrared (NIR-II) fluorescence nanoparticles, orthotopic-tumor imaging, lymph node imaging, fluorescence imaging-guided surgery ■ INTRODUCTION Ovarian cancer is the deadliest gynecologic malignancy.1 The average five-year survival∼rate of patients diagnosed at later stages (stage III/IV) is 30%, compared to 93% for those diagnosed at an early stage (stage I/II).2 The high mortality associated with late diagnosis makes the timely identification of early-stage orthotopic ovarian tumors still confined within the ovaries and the comprehensive surgical staging diagnosis vital for patient survival.3 Currently, imaging techniques such as computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and positron emission tomography-CT (PET-CT) are widely used to diagnose and staging assessment.4−6 However, these methods exhibit low-resolution rates that are inadequate for tiny tumors (below 5 mm) detection and long acquisition times, which are inappropriate for intraoperative imaging that requires real-time feedback.6,7 In contrast, fluorescence imaging offers numerous advantages for intraoperative real-time imaging and staging, such as, high resolution and sensitivity, the absence of radiation, and rapid feedback.8,9 However,

FAQs

Why is detecting early-stage ovarian tumors difficult with NIR-I fluorescence imaging?

The ovaries are anatomically deep and have intricate lymphatic drainages, which reduce resolution and sensitivity of NIR-I fluorescence imaging.

What approach enables the proposed imaging in this study?

The study uses bright NIR-II fluorescence polymer nanoparticles prepared through one-step nanoprecipitation of DSPE-PEG and an organic NIR-II dye.

What imaging and surgical capabilities are demonstrated in mice?

NIR-II fluorescence enables visualization of early orthotopic tumors, tumor-regional lymph nodes, and minuscule peritoneal metastases in real time, supporting accurate surgical staging and complete tumor removal comparable to clinical practice.

Sep 24, 2026

Uploaded by Aria Callaghan