Molecular Imaging in Nanotechnology and Theranostics

Abstract

The “Molecular Imaging in Nanotechnology and Theranostics” (MINT) Interest Group of the World Molecular Imaging Society (WMIS) was founded in 2015 and was officially inaugurated during the 2016 World Molecular Imaging Conference (WMIC). The MINT interest group was created in response to the exponential growth of the fields of Nanotechnology and Theranostics in recent years, and the resulting need to provide a more organized and focused forum on these topics at the WMIS and the WMIC. The overarching goal of MINT is to bring together the many scientists who work on molecular imaging approaches using nanotechnology, and those that work on theranostic agents. MINT therefore represents scientists, labs, and institutes that are very diverse in their scientific backgrounds and areas of expertise, reflecting the wide array of materials and approaches that drive these fields. In this short review, we attempt to provide a condensed overview over some of the key areas covered by MINT. Given the breadth of the fields and the given space constraints, we have limited the coverage to the realm of nano-constructs, although theranostics is certainly not limited to this domain. We will also focus only on the most recent developments of the last 3-5 years, in order to provide the reader with an intuition of what is “in the pipeline” and has potential for clinical translation in the near future.

Radioactive gold nanocluster (198-AuNCs) showed inhibitory effects on cancer cells lines

“…Several nanoparticles such as quantum dots, liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, metal nanoparticles, dendrimers and inorganic nanoparticles have been investigated in preclinical and clinical studies for therapy, imaging and combination of both as theranostic agent [1][2][3][4][5]. Among them, gold-based nanoparticles, including gold nanocluster (AuNC) have gained relevance in recent years [6][7][8][9].…”

Sonophore-enhanced nanoemulsions for optoacoustic imaging of cancer

“… 25 Nanoparticles (NPs) can be functionalized in a multitude of fashions, enabling specific targeting, multimodal imaging, or theranostic applications. 26 Examples of NP-based sonophores have already been reported in preclinical studies of cancer imaging. 27 , 28 Additionally, when it comes to the imaging of cancer, NPs are well suited, as they accumulate in tumors via the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect.…”

Surface-enhanced Resonance Raman Scattering Nanoprobe Ratiometry for Detecting Microscopic Ovarian Cancer via Folate Receptor Targeting

“…At the same time, as our SERRS nanoparticles are not resorbed into the systemic circulation, potential concerns for side effects are minimized. Our study is one example of the growing evidence that carefully designed nanoconstructs can provide unique advantages over conventional imaging and therapy technologies 22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38 .…”