Nanoprobes for hybrid SPECT/MR molecular imaging.

Hybrid imaging techniques provide enhanced visualization of biological targets by synergistically combining multiple imaging modalities, thereby providing information on specific aspects of structure and function, which is difficult to obtain by a single imaging modality. Advances in the field of hybrid imaging have resulted in the recent approval of PET/magnetic resonance (MR) imaging by the US FDA for clinical use in the USA and Europe. Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)/MR imaging is another evolving hybrid imaging modality with distinct advantages. Recently reported progress in the development of a SPECT/MR imaging hybrid scanner provides a cue towards the need for multimodal SPECT/MR imaging nanoprobes to take full advantage of a scanner's simultaneous imaging capability. In this review, we present some of the latest developments in the domain of SPECT/MR hybrid imaging, particularly focusing on multimodal nanoprobes.