The goal of this project was to establish a noninvasive cancer therapy with minimal side effects, low cost, and specific in targeting tumor cells. The team engineered novel and biocompatible Upconversion Nanoparticles (UCNPs) with a calcium fluoride shell Ytterbium and Erbium core conjugated with a photoactive prodrug 5-Aminolevulinic Acid (ALA-UCNP). UCNPs converted near-infrared light into visible light when excited at ~980nm. Emission of the red light from the ALA-UCNPs activates ALA, causing cell death with exposure to 980nm laser light.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Lee, Hyungseok
• Tokatli-Apollon, Amira
• El-Rifai, Mahmoud A.

Contributors

• Han, Gang
• Rolle, Marsha Whitney

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• E-project-042214-122140

Advisor

• Rolle, Marsha Whitney

Year

• 2014

Sponsor

• UMass Medical School

Date created

• 2014-04-22

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Biomedical Engineering

Rights statement

• In Copyright

Last modified

• 2021-02-02