Recent Advances in Receptor-Targeted Fluorescent Probes for In Vivo Cancer Imaging

Near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging is an attractive modality for early cancer detection with high sensitivity and multi-detection capability. Due to convenient modification by conjugating with moieties of interests, NIRF probes are ideal candidates for cancer targeted imaging. Additionally, the combinatory application of NIRF imaging and other imaging modalities that can delineate anatomical structures extends fluorometric determination of biomedical information. Moreover, nanoparticles loaded with NIRF dyes and anticancer agents contribute to the synergistic management of cancer, which integrates the advantage of imaging and therapeutic functions to achieve the ultimate goal of simultaneous diagnosis and treatment. Appropriate probe design with targeting moieties can retain the original properties of NIRF and pharmacokinetics. In recent years, great efforts have been made to develop new NIRF probes with better photostability and strong fluorescence emission, leading to the discovery of numerous novel NIRF probes with fine photophysical properties. Some of these probes exhibit tumoricidal activities upon light radiation, which holds great promise in photothermal therapy, photodynamic therapy, and photoimmunotherapy. This review aims to provide a timely and concise update on emerging NIRF dyes and multifunctional agents. Their potential uses as agents for cancer specific imaging, lymph node mapping, and therapeutics are included. Recent advances of NIRF dyes in clinical use are also summarized.

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“…103 The interaction between activatable probes and their targets triggers a turn-on effect through oxidation or …”

Section: Nirf Probes With Targeting Abilitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Near-infrared fluorescent probes in cancer imaging and therapy: an emerging field

Yi¹,

Wang²,

Qin³

et al. 2014

IJN

211

149

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“…Extensive efforts have been devoted to developing imaging agents that are less susceptible to nonspecific uptake and delivery effects and there are a number of excellent review articles providing surveys of state-of-the-art agents for targeting cell surface receptors (James and Gambhir, 2012, 2010; Gao et al , 2004; Bai and Bornhop, 2012; Kobayashi and Choyke, 2011; Luo et al , 2011; Tolmachev et al , 2010a; Wu and Senter, 2005; Wu and Yazaki, 2000; Lee et al , 2010). While a discussion of imaging-agent development is outside the scope of this review article, it is important to understand that even the most advanced agents cannot completely circumvent the problems of nonspecific accumulation and delivery variability.…”

Section: Limitations Of Conventional Receptor Imagingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantitativein vivocell-surface receptor imaging in oncology: kinetic modeling and paired-agent principles from nuclear medicine and optical imaging

et al. 2015

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The development of methods to accurately quantify cell-surface receptors in living tissues would have a seminal impact in oncology. For example, accurate measures of receptor density in vivo could enhance early detection or surgical resection of tumors via protein-based contrast, allowing removal of cancer with high phenotype specificity. Alternatively, accurate receptor expression estimation could be used as a biomarker to guide patient-specific clinical oncology targeting of the same molecular pathway. Unfortunately, conventional molecular contrast-based imaging approaches are not well adapted to accurately estimating the nanomolar-level cell-surface receptor concentrations in tumors, as most images are dominated by nonspecific sources of contrast such as high vascular permeability and lymphatic inhibition. This article reviews approaches for overcoming these limitations based upon tracer kinetic modeling and the use of emerging protocols to estimate binding potential and the related receptor concentration. Methods such as using single time point imaging or a reference-tissue approach tend to have low accuracy in tumors, whereas paired-agent methods or advanced kinetic analyses are more promising to eliminate the dominance of interstitial space in the signals. Nuclear medicine and optical molecular imaging are the primary modalities used, as they have the nanomolar level sensitivity needed to quantify cell-surface receptor concentrations present in tissue, although each likely has a different clinical niche.

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“…Compared with conventional organic fluorescent probes, QDs have shown great potential to be fluorescent probes and images in biology because of their unique optical properties [7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]. Alivisatos and Nie employed QDs as fluorescent probes in biological staining and diagnostics that provided a novel study to display QDs as labels for cell and tissue research [16,17].…”

Section: Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Application of functional quantum dot nanoparticles as fluorescence probes in cell labeling and tumor diagnostic imaging

Zhao¹,

Zeng²

2016

Nano Online

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Quantum dots (QDs) are a class of nanomaterials with good optical properties. Compared with organic dyes, QDs have unique photophysical properties: size-tunable light emission, improved signal brightness, resistance against photobleaching, and simultaneous excitation of multiple fluorescence colors. Possessing versatile surface chemistry and superior optical features, QDs are useful in a variety of in vitro and in vivo applications. When linked with targeting biomolecules, QDs can be used to target cell biomarkers because of high luminescence and stability. So QDs have the potential to become a novel class of fluorescent probes. This review outlines the basic properties of QDs, cell fluorescence labeling, and tumor diagnosis imaging and discusses the future directions of QD-focused bionanotechnology research in the life sciences.Keywords: Nanoparticles; Quantum dots; Optical properties; Biomaterials ReviewQuantum dots (QDs) are a kind of semiconductor fluorescent semiconductors, which have gained attraction in recent years by scientists as a novel fluorescent probe [1][2][3][4][5][6]. Compared with conventional organic fluorescent probes, QDs have shown great potential to be fluorescent probes and images in biology because of their unique optical properties [7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]. Alivisatos and Nie employed QDs as fluorescent probes in biological staining and diagnostics that provided a novel study to display QDs as labels for cell and tissue research [16,17]. In recent years, QDs have been widely used in many fields of life sciences as fluorescent markers [18][19][20][21]. Herein, we briefly review the basic properties of QDs and the application of functionalized QDs as fluorescent probes in biological systems. The unique properties of quantum dotsQDs have unique optical and electrical properties due to its quantum effect and size effect. When the size of a particle is of nanometer scale, it will cause quantum confinement effect, size effect, dielectric confinement effect, macroscopic quantum effect, and surface effect. Consequently, QDs exhibit many optical properties different from macroscopic materials, and they have a very broad application prospects in biological fluorescent probes and functional materials. Therefore, QDs will have a meaningful effect on the continued development of life sciences [22][23][24][25][26][27][28]. Quantum dots have unique optical propertiesQDs have gained attraction owing to their unique fluorescence properties, which are due to the electron-hole and the interaction with the surrounding environment. When the excitation level of photon exceeds the band gap, the QDs will absorb photons to make the electrons transit from the valence band to the conduction band and shine. And if the composition and size of the QDs changed, they could obtain the emission spectra within the range from blue to red [29][30][31]. Conversely, when we want to obtain a variety of colors from multifarious fluorescent dyes, we often need a variety of excitation light, which not only incre...

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Recent Advances in Receptor-Targeted Fluorescent Probes for In Vivo Cancer Imaging

Cited by 56 publications

References 184 publications

Near-infrared fluorescent probes in cancer imaging and therapy: an emerging field

Near-infrared fluorescent probes in cancer imaging and therapy: an emerging field

Quantitativein vivocell-surface receptor imaging in oncology: kinetic modeling and paired-agent principles from nuclear medicine and optical imaging

Application of functional quantum dot nanoparticles as fluorescence probes in cell labeling and tumor diagnostic imaging

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