Nuclear and Optical Bimodal Imaging Probes Using Sequential Assembly: A Perspective

Abstract

New, targeted imaging tracers enable improved diagnosis, staging, and planning of treatment of disease and represent an important step toward personalized medicine applications. The combination of radioisotopes for nuclear imaging with fluorophores for fluorescence imaging provides the possibility to noninvasively assess disease burden in a patient using positron emission tomography/single-photon emission computed tomography, followed by fluorescence imaging-assisted surgical intervention in close succession. Probes enabling imaging with both modalities pose a design, synthesis, and pharmacokinetics challenge. In this study, the authors strive to summarize recent efforts toward optimized, discrete, bimodal probes as well as a perspective on future directions of this burgeoning subfield of targeted imaging probe development.

99mTc-68Ga-ICG-Labelled Macroaggregates and Nanocolloids of Human Serum Albumin: Synthesis Procedures of a Trimodal Imaging Agent Using Commercial Kits

“…Nonetheless, particle size and morphology after 68 Ga labelling has not been exhaustively elucidated in the literature. Only six groups focused on this issue [3,8,11,[14][15][16]. Four of them [8,11,14,16] did not observe any modification of particle size and morphology either with optical microscopy or SEM [8], while the other two groups [3,15] confirm MAA fragmentation after labelling, as observed in our experience.…”

Trending: Radioactive and Fluorescent Bimodal/Hybrid Tracers as Multiplexing Solutions for Surgical Guidance

“…The literature on the preclinical use and assessment of hybrid tracers can be considered substantial. After the pioneering review by Culver et al (22), numerous others have addressed the topic (5,16,(23)(24)(25)(26). Besides oncologic imaging targets, such as human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, prostate-specific membrane antigen, carcinoembryonic antigen, a 5 b 3 , somatostatin receptor 2, and chemokine receptor 4 or sentinel node imaging, applications in, for example, infectious diseases have been reported.…”

An update on radiotracer development for molecular imaging of bacterial infections

“…In the last decade, fluorescently labelled imaging agents have attracted enormous attention [133] and more recently hybrid tracers which include both a radioactive and optical reporter molecule were introduced [134]. Applying both techniques for dedicated infection imaging may be an advantage as bacteria can be localised and quantified by nuclear imaging modalities such as SPECT and PET, and areas may be cleaned based on optical…”