Trinity chemists, in partnership with the Royal College of Surgeons (RCSI), have developed a new scanning technique that is able to provide extremely high-resolution 3D images of bones without exposing patients to X-ray radiation. If you are interested in finding out more about imaging and optic imaging or euv lithography find out more about euv radiation and other imagining processes.
The research, recently published in the leading scientific journal Chem, was led by the Trinity team of Prof Thorri Gunnlaugsson, from Trinity’s School of Chemistry, and Dr Esther Surender, a postdoctoral researcher also working within the school.
When micro-cracks appear in bone, a large amount of calcium is released at that specific site. Trinity researchers have attached luminescent compounds to small, gold structures to form biologically-safe nanoagents that are attracted to the calcium-rich bone surface. By allowing these nanoagents to target and highlight the cracks formed in bones, researchers are able to produce a 3D image of the damaged bone.
As well as the high-resolution image produced by this new technique, another bonus is that it does not require patients to be exposed to potentially dangerous X rays, which have been associated with an increased risk of cancer. The nanoagents used in this alternative technique are biologically safe – gold having been used safely with great success in medicine for quite some time.
Surender highlighted the benefits of the gold particles in a press release, which allow for the imaging of bone structure “using long wavelength excitation, which is not harmful or damaging to biological tissue”.
In a press release, Prof Gunnlaugsson outlined how this new technique will change the way we diagnosis bone damage: “The nanoagent we have developed allows us to visualise the nature and the extent of the damage in a manner that wasn’t previously possible.”
“This is a major step forward in our endeavour to develop targeted contrast agents for bone diagnostics for use in clinical applications”, he added.
The images produced allow for analysis of both the depth and nature of the crack formed at a particular site. In a press release, Professor of Anatomy at RCSI, Clive Lee, who worked alongside the Trinity scientists, spoke about their hope that the new technique, when combined with existing MRI technology, will be able to provide information not currently available through X-ray technology. “Current X ray techniques can tell us about the quantity of bone present but they can not give much information about bone quality”, Lee said.
The new technique will be be able to act as an early warning system for those at high risk of degenerative bone diseases such as osteoporosis, a leading cause of broken bones in the elderly. This new discovery should also help prevent the need for bone implants in many cases, as it will enable diagnosis of weak bones before they break. Their technique will also help in targeting therapy for people who need it most.
“Diagnosing weak bones before they break should therefore reduce the need for operations and implants – prevention is better than cure”, Lee said.
Prof Gunnlaugsson and his team are based in the Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute (TBSI), which celebrated its five-year anniversary with a special symposium on Monday.
