Evaluation of Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors (GIST) during initial clinical staging, surgical intervention, and postoperative management can be challenging. Current imaging modalities (e.g., PET and CT scans) lack sensitivity and specificity. Therefore, advanced clinical imaging modalities that can provide clinically relevant images with high resolution would improve diagnosis. KIT is a tyrosine kinase receptor overexpressed on GIST. Here, the application of a specific DNA aptamer targeting KIT, decorated onto a fluorescently labeled porous silicon nanoparticle (pSiNP), is used for the in vitro & in vivo imaging of GIST. This nanoparticle platform provides high-fidelity GIST imaging with minimal cellular toxicity. An in vitro analysis shows greater than 15-fold specific KIT protein targeting compared to the free KIT aptamer, while in vivo analyses of GIST-burdened mice that had been injected intravenously (IV) with aptamer-conjugated pSiNPs show extensive nanoparticle-to-tumor signal co-localization (>90% co-localization) compared to control particles. This provides an effective platform for which aptamer-conjugated pSiNP constructs can be used for the imaging of KIT-expressing cancers or for the targeted delivery of therapeutics.

Western blot is a popular biomolecular analysis method for measuring the relative quantities of independent proteins in complex biological samples. However, variability in quantitative western blot data analysis poses a challenge in designing reproducible experiments. The lack of rigorous quantitative approaches in current western blot statistical methodology may result in irreproducible inferences. Here we describe best practices for the design and analysis of western blot experiments, with examples and demonstrations of how different analytical approaches can lead to widely varying outcomes. To facilitate best practices, we have developed the blotRig tool for designing and analyzing western blot experiments to improve their rigor and reproducibility. The blotRig application includes functions for counterbalancing experimental design by lane position, batch management across gels, and analytics with covariates and random effects.