Update on the development of molecular imaging and nanomedicine in China: Optical imaging.

Molecular imaging has received increased attention worldwide, including in China, because it offers noninvasive characterization of widely diverse clinically significant pathologies. To achieve these goals, nanomedicine has evolved into a broad interdisciplinary field with flexible designs to accommodate and concentrate imaging and therapeutic payloads into pathological cells through selective binding to disease specific cell membrane biomarkers. This concept of personalized medicine reflects the vision of "magic bullets" proposed by German biochemist Paul Ehrlich over 100 years ago. As happening worldwide, Chinese scientists are contributing to this tsunami of science and technologies through impactful national programs and international research collaborations. This review provides a comprehensive update of Chinese innovations to address intractable unmet medical need in China and worldwide in the optical sciences. This article is categorized under: Diagnostic Tools > in vivo Nanodiagnostics and Imaging.