The design and application of nanoparticulate CT contrast agents

Abstract

X-ray computed tomography (CT) is one of the most widely used imaging modalities in the clinic. Current commercialized CT contrast agents are mainly small iodinated molecules. These contrast agents suffer from drawbacks such as short circulation times in vivo . Recent advance highlight the importance of nano-sized CT imaging probes that exhibit good biocompatibility and long circulation time. Most importantly, their surface features enable the design of multifunctional imaging probes. This review provides a comprehensive introduction to recent development of nano-sized CT imaging probes and some future directions are presented.