title: Advance of molecular imaging technology and targeted imaging agent in imaging and therapy.
abstract: Molecular imaging is an emerging field that integrates advanced imaging technology with cellular and molecular biology. It can realize noninvasive and real time visualization, measurement of physiological or pathological process in the living organism at the cellular and molecular level, providing an effective method of information acquiring for diagnosis, therapy, and drug development and evaluating treatment of efficacy. Molecular imaging requires high resolution and high sensitive instruments and specific imaging agents that link the imaging signal with molecular event. Recently, the application of new emerging chemical technology and nanotechnology has stimulated the development of imaging agents. Nanoparticles modified with small molecule, peptide, antibody, and aptamer have been extensively applied for preclinical studies. Therapeutic drug or gene is incorporated into nanoparticles to construct multifunctional imaging agents which allow for theranostic applications. In this review, we will discuss the characteristics of molecular imaging, the novel imaging agent including targeted imaging agent and multifunctional imaging agent, as well as cite some examples of their application in molecular imaging and therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasound Medicine, Laboratory of Ultrasound Molecular Imaging, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510150, China.
authors.forename: Zhi-Yi
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Imaging and Interventional Radiology, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Yi-Xiang
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasound Medicine, Laboratory of Ultrasound Molecular Imaging, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510150, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510150, China.
authors.forename: Jin-Shan
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasound Medicine, Laboratory of Ultrasound Molecular Imaging, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510150, China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasound Medicine, Laboratory of Ultrasound Molecular Imaging, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510150, China.
authors.forename: Qiu-Lan
authors.initials: QL
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasound Medicine, Laboratory of Ultrasound Molecular Imaging, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510150, China.
authors.forename: Yang-Ying
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Liao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D057054:Molecular Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D064847:Multimodal Imaging