Dual-modality imaging particle size monodisperse poly (ethylene glycol) diacrylate drug-loaded embolic microspheres for tumor therapy

Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) is one of the common methods of treating tumors and usually requires an accompanying injection of an exogenous contrast agent, but the exogenous contrast agent is highly susceptible to removal by blood flow, which greatly reduces the efficiency of the operation. Here, we developed a uniformly sized Ag2S/BaSO4/DOX@PEGDAMS that integrates embolization, drug loading, and visualization with a microfluidic device. The microspheres can be imaged stably under NIR-II/X-ray for a long time, and the luminescence of NIR-II is better than that of X-ray. This breaks the limitations of conventional X-ray-only imaging of embolic microspheres. The microscope images and scanning electron microscope EDS results showed that the microspheres were regularly spherical with uniform particle size, and the signature elements such as Ag, S, and Ba were uniformly distributed in the microspheres. In vitro cytotoxicity assays and apoptosis assays have demonstrated that the microspheres have good biocompatibility and can effectively inhibit tumor cell growth due to the presence of DOX. The ability of microspheres to aggregate in blood vessels and block blood flow was verified by modeling and embolizing in rabbit ear tumors. In conclusion, Ag2S/BaSO4/DOX@PEGDAMS shows excellent embolization, drug loading, and imaging capabilities, and has the potential to be used for TACE and other diseases requiring interventional embolization therapy.