title: Virus-based nanoparticles (VNPs): platform technologies for diagnostic imaging.
abstract: Non-invasive imaging holds great promise for the early detection and treatment of human disease. The ability to both detect and follow disease processes or anatomical defects without biopsy, surgery, or other invasive techniques should lead to lower costs and higher quality of life. The use of "smart" nanoparticles, that combine multiple functions of targeting, imaging, and drug delivery, have tremendous potential to increase the sensitivity and specificity of therapies. These will facilitate early detection and reduce adverse side effects of treatment. There are many different classes of nanoparticles in development including dendrimers, liposomes, paramagnetic nanoparticles, and quantum dots, to name just a few. Here we focus on virus-based nanoparticles (VNPs) as platforms for the development of tissue-specific targeting and imaging agents in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Center for Integrative Molecular Biosciences, Department of Cell Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, CB262, 10550 N. Torrey Pines Rd., La Jolla, CA 92037 USA. marim@scripps.edu
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Manchester
authors.forename: Pratik
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Singh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017798:Comovirus / Q000235:genetics*; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D050997:Nanomedicine / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends*; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000821:virology*