Department of Chemistry, Cottingham Road, Hull HU6 7RX, UK.
Positron Emission Tomography Research Centre, Cottingham Road, Hull HU6 7RX, UK.
Philos Trans A Math Phys Eng Sci. 2017 Nov 28;375(2107). doi: 10.1098/rsta.2017.0261.
Molecular imaging, where the location of molecules or nanoscale constructs can be tracked in the body to report on disease or biochemical processes, is rapidly expanding to include combined modality or multimodal imaging. No single imaging technique can offer the optimum combination of properties (e.g. resolution, sensitivity, cost, availability). The rapid technological advances in hardware to scan patients, and software to process and fuse images, are pushing the boundaries of novel medical imaging approaches, and hand-in-hand with this is the requirement for advanced and specific multimodal imaging agents. These agents can be detected using a selection from radioisotope, magnetic resonance and optical imaging, among others. Nanoparticles offer great scope in this area as they lend themselves, via facile modification procedures, to act as multifunctional constructs. They have relevance as therapeutics and drug delivery agents that can be tracked by molecular imaging techniques with the particular development of applications in optically guided surgery and as radiosensitizers. There has been a huge amount of research work to produce nanoconstructs for imaging, and the parameters for successful clinical translation and validation of therapeutic applications are now becoming much better understood. It is an exciting time of progress for these agents as their potential is closer to being realized with translation into the clinic. The coming 5-10 years will be critical, as we will see if the predicted improvement in clinical outcomes becomes a reality. Some of the latest advances in combination modality agents are selected and the progression pathway to clinical trials analysed.This article is part of the themed issue 'Challenges for chemistry in molecular imaging'.
分子成像技术可以在体内追踪分子或纳米级结构的位置，从而报告疾病或生化过程，该技术正在迅速扩展到包括组合模态或多模态成像。没有单一的成像技术可以提供最佳的属性组合（例如分辨率、灵敏度、成本、可用性）。扫描患者的硬件技术和处理、融合图像的软件技术的快速发展正在推动新型医学成像方法的发展，同时也需要先进的、特定的多模态成像剂。这些造影剂可以使用放射性同位素、磁共振和光学成像等方法进行检测。纳米颗粒在这一领域具有很大的应用前景，因为它们可以通过简单的修饰程序，作为多功能结构。它们作为治疗剂和药物递送剂具有相关性，可以通过分子成像技术进行追踪，特别是在光引导手术和放射增敏剂方面的应用。已经有大量的研究工作来生产用于成像的纳米结构，现在对于成功的临床转化和治疗应用的验证的参数有了更好的理解。随着这些造影剂的潜在应用转化为临床应用，它们的进展非常令人兴奋。未来 5-10 年将是关键时期，我们将看到预测的临床结果改善是否会成为现实。本文选择了一些最新的组合模态造影剂的进展，并分析了临床试验的进展途径。本文是主题为“分子成像中的化学挑战”的专刊的一部分。
