Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford, Bio-X Program, Department of Radiology, Stanford University, California, 94305-5344, USA.
Curr Med Chem. 2012;19(28):4767-85. doi: 10.2174/092986712803341458.
The success of detecting cancer at early stages relies greatly on the sensitivity and specificity of in vivo molecular imaging. Optical imaging with near infrared (NIR) luminescent molecular nanoprobes currently attracts much attention because of many advantages of this imaging modality. It provides real time imaging with relatively inexpensive cost, produces images with high sensitivity and spatial resolution, and avoids exposure to ionizing irradiation. Raman spectroscopy/microscopy imaging with surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) nanoparticles allows scientists to detect biological events in living cells or organisms in real time and with high sensitivity. The photoacoustic imaging has emerged as a hybrid of optical and ultrasound imaging for sensitive and quantitative tumor detection. Given the recent advances in nanoscience and biomedicine, receptor-targeted NIR nanoprobes promise to improve the cancer early detection with relatively high sensitivity and specificity. We summarize various targeted NIR nanoprobes and their potential applications in cancer targeting and in vivo imaging and discuss the potential of multimodality imaging of NIR nanoprobes. With ongoing efforts to enhance their targeting ability and endow more functions, NIR nanoprobes hold great promise for clinical translation.
早期癌症检测的成功在很大程度上依赖于体内分子成像的灵敏度和特异性。近红外（NIR）发光分子纳米探针的光学成像是目前研究的热点，因为这种成像方式具有许多优点。它可以实时成像，成本相对较低，具有较高的灵敏度和空间分辨率，并且可以避免电离辐射。表面增强拉曼散射（SERS）纳米粒子的拉曼光谱/显微镜成像使科学家能够实时、高灵敏度地检测活细胞或生物体中的生物学事件。光声成像是一种将光学和超声成像结合起来的方法，用于敏感和定量的肿瘤检测。鉴于纳米科学和生物医学的最新进展，受体靶向 NIR 纳米探针有望以相对较高的灵敏度和特异性提高癌症早期检测的效果。我们总结了各种靶向 NIR 纳米探针及其在癌症靶向和体内成像中的潜在应用，并讨论了 NIR 纳米探针的多模态成像的潜力。随着提高靶向能力和赋予更多功能的努力不断推进，NIR 纳米探针在临床转化方面具有广阔的应用前景。
