Abstract
Nuclear imaging is a powerful non-invasive imaging technique that is rapidly developing in medical theranostics. Nuclear imaging requires radiolabeling isotopes for non-invasive imaging through the radioactive decay emission of the radionuclide. Nuclear imaging probes, commonly known as radiotracers, are radioisotope-labeled small molecules. Nanomaterials have shown potential as nuclear imaging probes for theranostic applications. By modifying the surface of nanomaterials, multifunctional radio-labeled nanomaterials can be obtained for in vivo biodistribution and targeting in initial animal imaging studies. Various surface modification strategies have been developed, and targeting moieties have been attached to the nanomaterials to render biocompatibility and enable specific targeting. Through integration of complementary imaging probes to a single nanoparticulate, multimodal molecular imaging can be performed as images with high sensitivity, resolution, and specificity. In this review, nanomaterial nuclear imaging probes including inorganic nanomaterials such as quantum dots (QDs), organic nanomaterials such as liposomes, and exosomes are summarized. These new developments in nanomaterials are expected to introduce a paradigm shift in nuclear imaging, thereby creating new opportunities for theranostic medical imaging tools.
Highlights
Molecular imaging is a non-invasive medical imaging technique capable of providing detailed images and information at molecular and cellular levels
We summarize the recent progress in the development of nanomaterials including organic nanomaterials such as peptides, antibodies, liposomes, and inorganic nanomaterials as nuclear imaging probes (Table 1)
Radiolabeled peptide or antibody can be incorporated onto nanoparticles or nanomaterials as Positron Emission Tomography (PET) (SPECT) imaging probes for cancer diagnostics as these nanoparticles demonstrated high affinity and selectivity for receptors that are over-expressed by various human cancers such as breast, lung, and prostate tumors [10,88,89]
Summary
Molecular imaging is a non-invasive medical imaging technique capable of providing detailed images and information at molecular and cellular levels. Bionanomaterials including organic and inorganic materials can be assimilated in living systems These small-sized nanomaterials can penetrate into tiny capillaries and propagate across biological barriers, enabling detection of changes occurring at molecular levels. The CT technique is useful for high-resolution anatomical imaging when incorporated with other tracer imaging modalities such as PET or SPECT. Used non-invasive molecular imaging modalities include PET, SPECT, MRI, optical imaging, CT, etc. Each imaging modality has distinct advantages, while there are inherent limitations, hindering a single imaging modality in providing all required information Nuclear imaging techniques such as PET and SPECT are highly sensitive and provide deep penetration into tissues by using γ-ray emission; they are compromised by low spatial resolution [12,14]. Various nanomaterials through modifications for nuclear imaging PET/CT (SPECT/CT) probes
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