Precisely translating computed tomography diagnosis accuracy into therapeutic intervention by a carbon-iodine conjugated polymer

• Published in: Nature communications 2022-05, Vol.13 (1), p.2625-2625, Article 2625
• Main Authors: Yin, Mingming, Liu, Xiaoming, Lei, Ziqiao, Gao, Yuting, Liu, Jiacheng, Tian, Sidan, Liang, Zhiwen, Wang, Ye, Meng, Fanling, Luo, Liang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 140/133; 147/135; 147/143; 59/57; 639/301/54/990; 692/700/1421/2160; Accuracy; Animal models; Animals; Biocompatibility; Carbon; Computed tomography; Contrast agents; Contrast media; Diagnosis; Diagnostic systems; Dogs; Eye (anatomy); Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Iodine; Markers; Medical imaging; Medicine; multidisciplinary; Phantoms, Imaging; Polymers; Precision medicine; Radiation therapy; Rats; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Tomography; Tomography, X-Ray Computed - methods; Tumors; Xenografts; Xenotransplantation
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30263-1

X-ray computed tomography (CT) has an important role in precision medicine. However, CT contrast agents with high efficiency and the ability to translate diagnostic accuracy into therapeutic intervention are scarce. Here, poly(diiododiacetylene) (PIDA), a conjugated polymer composed of only carbon and iodine atoms, is reported as an efficient CT contrast agent to bridge CT diagnostic imaging with therapeutic intervention. PIDA has a high iodine payload (>84 wt%), and the aggregation of nanofibrous PIDA can further amplify CT intensity and has improved geometrical and positional stability in vivo. Moreover, with a conjugated backbone, PIDA is in deep blue color, making it dually visible by both CT imaging and the naked eyes. The performance of PIDA in CT-guided preoperative planning and visualization-guided surgery is validated using orthotopic xenograft rat models. In addition, PIDA excels clinical fiducial markers of imaging-guided radiotherapy in efficiency and biocompatibility, and exhibits successful guidance of robotic radiotherapy on Beagles, demonstrating clinical potential to translate CT diagnosis accuracy into therapeutic intervention for precision medicine. Poly(diiododiacetylene)—PIDA—contains iodine atoms, which are commonly found in computed tomography contrast agents. Here, the authors find that PIDA can function as a contrast agent and can also be used as a visual marker to delineate tumour margins.