Unmodified Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles as a Potential Contrast Agent in Photon Emission Computed Tomography

Highly crystalline titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2-NPs) are synthesized via a simple hydrothermal technique. After structural and compositional analysis, the as-synthesized unmodified TiO2-NPs are tested for improvement in two modes of kilovoltage radiation therapy and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)/computed tomography (CT). Our results show that the unmodified TiO2-NPs provide an observable enhancement in CT scan image contrast ranging from 0 +/- 3 HU (without NPs) to 283.7 +/- 3 HU (0.23 g/mL). TiO2-NPs has excellent biocompatibility, selective uptake at target sites, and reduced toxicity. The unmodified TiO2-NPs as a contrast agent can significantly improve the existing methods of diagnosing and treating cancer.

Automated summary

The unmodified titanium dioxide nanoparticles show significant improvement in contrast enhancement in CT scan images and have potential applications in diagnosing and treating cancer.