Optical imaging-guided cancer therapy with fluorescent nanoparticles.
The diagnosis and treatment of cancer have been greatly improved with the recent developments in nanotechnology. One of the promising nanoscale tools for cancer diagnosis is fluorescent nanoparticles (NPs), such as organic dye-doped NPs, quantum dots and upconversion NPs that enable highly sensitive optical imaging of cancer at cellular and animal level. Furthermore, the emerging development of novel multi-functional NPs, which can be conjugated with several functional molecules simultaneously including targeting moieties, therapeutic agents and imaging probes, provides new potentials for clinical therapies and diagnostics and undoubtedly will play a critical role in cancer therapy. In this article, we review the types and characteristics of fluorescent NPs, in vitro and in vivo imaging of cancer using fluorescent NPs and multi-functional NPs for imaging-guided cancer therapy.
Jiang
Shan
S
Division of Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117576, Republic of Singapore.
Gnanasammandhan
Muthu Kumara
MK
Zhang
Yong
Y
D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003287:Contrast Media; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods*; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy*
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D003287:Contrast Media