Intensity Enhanced Cerenkov Luminescence Imaging Using Terbium-Doped Gd₂O₂S Microparticles

Weak intensity and poor penetration depth are two big obstacles toward clinical use of Cerenkov luminescence imaging (CLI). In this proof-of-concept study, we overcame these limitations by using lanthanides-based radioluminescent microparticles (RLMPs), called terbium doped Gd₂O₂S. The characterization experiment showed that the emission excited by Cerenkov luminescence can be neglected whereas the spectrum experiment demonstrated that the RLMPs can actually be excited by γ-rays. A series of in vitro experiments demonstrated that RLMPs significantly improve the intensity and the penetration capacity of CLI, which has been extended to as deep as 15 mm. In vivo pseudotumor study further prove the huge potential of this enhancement strategy for Cerenkov luminescence imaging in living animal studies.