VivoVist™ is a revolutionary new X-ray contrast agent from Nanoprobes that enables higher contrast than competing agents, at a lower price, & makes imaging in rats or other larger animals affordable for the first time.
VivoVist™ is a revolutionary nanotechnology super contrast agent of alkaline earth metal nanoparticles. VivoVist™ enables greatly enhanced X-ray imaging of blood vessels, tumours, and other tissues and organs.
It is particularly useful for in vivo live animal microCT imaging, for studies of tumours, stroke, atherosclerosis and other vascular conditions, organ function, and other biological structural and functional analyses.
Features and Advantages
- VivoVist™ provides approximately 3-4 times higher contrast than competing commercial microCT contrast agents. An Initial blood concentration of 50mg/mL (5%), or 1g/kg body weight (one-third of one vial for a 25g mouse) gives greater than 3500 HU (Hounsfeld Units) contrast.
- Long blood half-life of 14 hrs. VivoVist™ stays in the circulatory system longer than competing products. This enables extended imaging times and data collection, and allows longer diffusion into tumours and other features of interest, increasing their contrast.
- Lowest price – makes imaging rats and larger animals affordable. VivoVist™ is more concentrated than competing products, meaning that fewer units are required to image larger animals. Less than two vials will provide good contrast in a 250g rat.
- Low toxicity (4 g/kg is well-tolerated). VivoVist™ can be administered in higher doses than competing products, to produce super-high contrast in fine structures or to accelerate the loading of tumours or other features of interest.
- Low osmolality, even at high concentrations. This means that injecting VivoVist™ will not greatly change the levels of electrolytes in the circulatory system. Impacts on metabolism, signalling and other processes that depend on maintaining a steady ionic strength are minimised.
- Low viscosity: easy to inject into small mouse tail vein blood vessels (typical injection volume 0.25mL). VivoVist™ is more easily injected, causes less injection site trauma to the animal, and may be administered more quickly and in a higher concentration than more viscous contrast agents such as iodine-based reagents.
- Can be imaged using MicroCT, clinical CT, planar X-ray, or mammography units. VivoVist™ is adaptable for any commonly used computed tomography system, giving users the flexibility to image in any desired instrument configuration.
- Enhances radiotherapy X-ray dose to tumours and other targets. Because it absorbs X-rays so strongly, VivoVist™ increases the local X-ray dose. If it is concentrated in tumours or other therapeutic targets, it can provide a method for enhancing radiotherapy and increasing the efficacy of cancer therapy.
Applications of VivoVist™
VivoVist™is intended for research and preclinical imaging in mice, rats and other small animals using microCT scanners or other X-ray imaging instruments such as clinical CT (computed tomography) units, mammography units or cabinets. Applications include:
Imaging the Vascular System
VivoVist™ is most frequently administered into the circulatory system, usually through the tail vein. It provides high-contrast, high-resolution images of blood vessels and capillaries. It has a half-life of 14 hours, which means that it may be used to image dynamic processes over extended times. In addition, it may be used to image arterial plaques or other obstructions to blood flow.
Cancer Imaging
In order to grow, tumours induce permeability, or ‘leakiness’ in the vascular system within them. Nanoparticles such as VivoVist™ pass through the blood vessel walls and accumulate in the tumour for an extended period while they circulate. As levels within the circulatory system drop, the relative contrast of tumour tissue increases.
In vivo Vascular Casting
Unlike conventional vascular casting agents such as Microfil, which are often difficult to administer or incompatible with parts of the vascular system, VivoVist™ may be used to image the complete vascular system without sacrificing the animal. If this is necessary, however, VivoVist™ will provide the highest contrast and may be administered in a form that does not cause vascular trauma.
VivoVist™ is intended for research use only. It is not approved for clinical use in humans.
Imaging with VivoVist™
Images taken shortly after tail vein injection of 2 g/kg VivoVist™ with a Scanco VivaCT 80. Bar = 5mm
Information provided by Nanoprobes.
Caltag Medsystems is the distributor of Nanoprobes products in the UK & Ireland.