Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Wiley Interdiscip Rev Nanomed Nanobiotechnol. 2009 Mar-Apr;1(2):156-67. doi: 10.1002/wnan.7.
In vivo fluorescence imaging with near-infrared (NIR) light holds enormous potential for a wide variety of molecular diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Because of its quantitative sensitivity, inherent biological safety, and relative ease of use (i.e., with respect to cost, time, mobility, and its familiarity to a diverse population of investigators), fluorescence-based imaging techniques are being increasingly utilized in small-animal research. Moreover, there is substantial interest in the translation of novel optical techniques into the clinic, where they will prospectively aid in noninvasive and quantitative screening, disease diagnosis, and post-treatment monitoring of patients. Effective deep-tissue fluorescence imaging requires the application of exogenous NIR-emissive contrast agents. Currently, available probes fall into two major categories: organic and inorganic NIR fluorophores (NIRFs). In the studies reviewed herein, we utilized polymersomes (50 nm to 50 microm diameter polymer vesicles) for the incorporation and delivery of large numbers of highly emissive oligo (porphyrin)-based, organic NIRFs.
体内近红外（NIR）光荧光成像是各种分子诊断和治疗应用的巨大潜力。由于其定量灵敏度、固有生物安全性以及相对易用性（即成本、时间、移动性以及对不同研究人群的熟悉程度），基于荧光的成像技术在小动物研究中得到了越来越多的应用。此外，人们对将新型光学技术转化为临床应用非常感兴趣，因为它们有望在临床上用于非侵入性和定量筛查、疾病诊断以及对患者的治疗后监测。有效的深层组织荧光成像需要应用外源 NIR 发射对比剂。目前，可用的探针分为两大类：有机和无机 NIR 荧光团（NIRFs）。在本文综述的研究中，我们利用聚合物囊泡（50nm 至 50μm 直径的聚合物囊泡）来掺入和递增大数量的高发光寡（卟啉）基有机 NIRFs。
