Abstract
Nano-theranostics offer remarkable potential for future biomedical technology with simultaneous applications for diagnosis and therapy of disease sites. Through smart and careful chemical modifications of the nanoparticle surface, these can be converted to multifunctional tiny objects which in turn can be used as vehicle for delivering multimodal imaging agents and therapeutic material to specific target sites in vivo. In this sense, bimodal imaging probes that simultaneously enable magnetic resonance imaging and fluorescence imaging have gained tremendous attention because disease sites can be characterized quick and precisely through synergistic multimodal imaging. But such hybrid nanocomposite materials have limitations such as low chemical stability (magnetic component) and harsh cytotoxic effects (fluorescent component) and, hence, require a biocompatible protecting agent. Silica micro/nanospheres have shown promise as protecting agent due to the high stability and low toxicity. This review will cover a full description of MRI-active and fluorescent multifunctional silica micro/nanospheres including the design of the probe, different characterization methods and their application in imaging and treatment in cancer.
Highlights
In the modern era of medical diagnosis, X-rays have long played a major role in the clinical imaging of anatomical details of disease sites [1]
We summarize recent literature reports on multifunctional nanocomposites for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and fluorescence imaging that are encapsulated with silica micro/nanospheres
The results suggested that tumour cell death was low for DOX-loaded YVO4-mesoporous silica NPs (MSN) as compare to superparamagnetic ion oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs)-loaded DOX@YVO4-MSN in an oscillating AC magnetic field
Summary
In the modern era of medical diagnosis, X-rays have long played a major role in the clinical imaging of anatomical details of disease sites [1]. We have compiled the literature reports on the biological studies of the hybrid nanocomposite materials, exclusively composed of luminescent quantum dots (QDs) and magnetically active iron oxide as bimodal imaging agents [2]. In this sense, nanostructured multimodal imaging probes for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and optical imaging are the most popular and interesting, since they provide high spatial resolution (MRI) and allow for a rapid screening of the disease site (optical imaging) simultaneously. Emphasis is put on synthesis, characterization and their simultaneous application in biomedical imaging and the diagnosis and therapy of cancer
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