Re‐engineered imaging agent using biomimetic approaches

Abstract

Recent progress in biomedical technology, the clinical bioimaging, has a greater impact on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, especially by early intervention and precise therapy. Varieties of organic and inorganic materials either in the form of small molecules or nano-sized materials have been engineered as a contrast agent (CA) to enhance image resolution among different tissues for the detection of abnormalities such as cancer and vascular occlusion. Among different innovative imaging agents, contrast agents coupled with biologically derived endogenous platform shows the promising application in the biomedical field, including drug delivery and bioimaging. Strategy using biocomponents such as cells or products of cells as a delivery system predominantly reduces the toxic behavior of its cargo, as these systems reduce non-specific distribution by navigating its cargo toward the targeted location. The hypothesis is that depending on the original biological role of the naïve cell, the contrast agents carried by such a system can provide corresponding natural designated behavior. Therefore, by combining properties of conventional synthetic molecules and nanomaterials with endogenous cell body, new solutions in the field of bioimaging to overcome biological barriers have been offered as innovative bioengineering. In this review, we will discuss the engineering of cell and cell-derived components as a delivery system for various contrast agents to achieve clinically relevant contrast for diagnosis and study underlining mechanism of disease progression.

Macrophage Cell Membrane‐Cloaked Nanoplatforms for Biomedical Applications

“…These imagining techniques include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography, computerized tomography, photoacoustic tomography, and fluorescence imaging (which employs fluorescent probes capable of converting near‐infrared light excitation into visible light emission). [ 104,105 ] Among the materials investigated, β‐Na YF 4 :Er 3+ ,Yb 3+ UCNPs have captured attention because of their remarkable optical properties, low toxicity, high photostability, and good light penetration depth. However, the main drawbacks of these tumor imaging techniques arise from the lack of specific in vivo tumor‐targeting and localized delivery of contrast agents to tumors.…”

“…Cancer imaging is a noninvasive modality for the early detection of cancer, monitoring of tumor progression and detection of metastasis. [ 104,105 ] Different optical imaging techniques have been investigated for cancer diagnosis. These imagining techniques include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography, computerized tomography, photoacoustic tomography, and fluorescence imaging (which employs fluorescent probes capable of converting near‐infrared light excitation into visible light emission).…”

“…[44] Cell membrane-coated NPs have been studied as biomimetic nanocarriers to deliver imaging agents to targeted tumor sites for localized cancer bioimaging. [104,105] In a recent study designed to improve cancer targeting and imaging, UCNPs were camouflaged with macrophage-derived membrane vesicles. The membrane coating enhanced the performance of these imaging agents in vivo because of its intrinsic ability to target neoplastic tissues (Figure 5A).…”

Copper(ii) complexes of cyclams with N-(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl)-aminoalkyl pendant arms as potential probes for 19F magnetic resonance imaging

“…to follow the fate of transplanted cells (i.e. cellular tracking) [20][21][22] or in the use of 19 F MRI smart CAs. [23][24][25][26][27][28][29] A number of fluorinated compounds that were originally studied as blood substituents 30 have been tested as 19 F MRI contrast agents.…”

Indocyanine-type Infrared-820 Encapsulated Polymeric Nanoparticle-Assisted Photothermal Therapy of Cancer

“…PLGA with a carboxylic acid-terminated end group of molecular weight 50 kDa was used to synthesize IR-820 encapsulated PLGA nanoparticles following the well-established nanoprecipitation protocol. − In a typical experiment, the calculated amount of IR-820 in DMSO was physically adsorbed with 1 mg of PLGA in acetonitrile and made the final volume of the mixture to 1 mL to prepare IR-820-encapsulated PLGA nanoparticles. Then the phospholipids that consist of lipid mixture formulations having 260 μg of DSPE-PEG and 200 μg of DSPG were used in 4% ethanol, respectively.…”