Fig. 2

Schematic overview of the study design. Upon subcutaneous administration of luminescently-tagged Renca cells, non-invasive imaging was performed at days 4, 8 and 12 to monitor tumor growth. At day 14, AF555-tagged BSA was administered intravenously and optical imaging was performed to determine relative perfusion and permeability of tumor-associated blood vessels. At day 15, animals received 100 µL of PBS with Au NPs (150 µg Au/mouse, either 10, 20, 40, 60 or 80 nm diameter in size) by intravenous administration. The NPs were then left to circulate for 72 h, after which time we had observed a complete absence of the NPs in the blood, after which the animal and the tumors were analyzed ex vivo for potential toxicity, NP tumor delivery efficacy, and tumor-associated parameters as indicated in the image