Grants and Contributions:

Grant or Award spanning more than one fiscal year. (2017-2018 to 2022-2023)

An increasing number of medical procedures (diagnostic, therapeutic, theranostic) are performed using biomedical imaging (magnetic resonance imaging - MRI; X-ray computed tomography - CT; nuclear imaging - PET/SPECT; ultrasound - US). The exponential development of imaging modalities and related technologies of increasing complexity has generated an urgent need for implantable biomaterials and biomedical devices that are visible in the generated images . In addition to the development of clinical biomedical imaging, nanotechnology has produced a vast array of functional materials now integrated within modern medical practices. The prime objective of the Biomaterials for Imaging Laboratory (BIM) is the development of advanced functional biomaterials , surface coatings , and injectable nanomaterial-based technologies that provide higher contrast , stronger signals , and complementary functions (e.g. radiotherapy, drug delivery, elution of reactive oxygen species ) under imaging procedures. First, this research program will use the significant expertise in contrast agents developed by the BIM to generate theranostic hydrogels (MRI visualization and therapeutic function) based on the integration of functional nanomaterials and biocompatible polymers. Ultra-small metal-based nanoparticles of strong colloidal stability and narrow diameters will then be used t o label biological vesicles (exosomes) , which are increasingly associated with the occurrence of cancer metastases. A new purification procedure based on the integration of nanoparticles of various densities will thus be developed. The labeled vesicles will be visible under MRI and nuclear imaging, thereby enabling their tracking in vivo. The evolution and possible degradation of nanomaterials integrated within hydrogels or biological environments will be extensively investigated using advanced electron microscopy. The BIM has also developed plasma electrochemistry reactors for the synthesis of radioactive nanoparticles and the generation of fluids containing strong concentrations of reactive oxygen species (ROS: potential for oncology treatments). Finally, this program will explore several strategies to control the size of plasma-generated nanoparticles , the concentration of generated ROS, and their integration into nanostructured materials for medical applications. Overall, this research program will further our understanding and control of the mechanisms involved in contrast enhancement in biomaterials visualized under biomedical imaging . Innovative nanotechnologies will thus be developed to respond to specific technological challenges in the fields of oncology and medical physics, and other medical procedures using biomaterials and biomedical devices (e.g. implants, needles, injectable devices, and products).