title: Near-IR responsive nanostructures for nanobiophotonics: emerging impacts on nanomedicine.
abstract: Nanobiophotonics is an emerging field at the intersection of nanoscience, photonics, and biotechnology. Harnessing interactions of light with nanostructures enables new types of bioimaging, sensing, and light-activated therapy which can make a major impact on nanomedicine. Low penetration through tissue limits the use of visible light in nanomedicine. Near infrared (NIR) light (~780-1100 nm) can penetrate significantly further, enabling free-space delivery into deep tissues. This review focuses on interactions of NIR light with nanostructures to produce three effects: direct photoactivation, photothermal effects, and photochemical effects. Applications of direct photoactivation include bioimaging and biosensing using NIR-emitting quantum dots, materials with localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) in the NIR, and upconverting nanoparticles. Two key nanomedicine applications using photothermal effects are photothermal therapy (PTT), and photoacoustic (PA) imaging. For photochemical effects, we present the latest advances in in-situ upconversion and upconverting nanostructures for NIR activation of photodynamic therapy (PDT).
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Nanobiophotonics is a relatively new field applying light for the interactions with nanostructures, which can be used in bioimaging, sensing, and therapy. As near infrared (NIR) light (~780-1100 nm) can have better tissue penetration, its clinical potential is far greater. In this review, the authors discussed the latest research on the applications of NIR light in imaging and therapeutics.
authors.affiliation: College of Optoelectronic Engineering, Key Lab of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education/Guangdong Province, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: College of Optoelectronic Engineering, Key Lab of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education/Guangdong Province, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China. Electronic address: jlqu@szu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Junle
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Qu
authors.affiliation: Institute for Lasers, Photonics and Biophotonics, The University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA; Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA. Electronic address: swihart@buffalo.edu.
authors.forename: Mark T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Swihart
authors.affiliation: Institute for Lasers, Photonics and Biophotonics, The University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA; Department of Chemistry, The University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA. Electronic address: pnprasad@buffalo.edu.
authors.forename: Paras N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Prasad
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D006979:Hyperthermia, Induced / Q000379:methods; D007259:Infrared Rays; D050997:Nanomedicine / Q000379:methods; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000627:therapeutic use* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D061848:Optical Imaging / Q000379:methods; D055668:Photochemical Processes; D010778:Photochemotherapy / Q000379:methods; D010789:Phototherapy / Q000379:methods; D019265:Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared
keywords: Nanobiophotonics; Nanostructures; Near infrared; Photoactivation; Photodynamic therapy; Photothermal therapy