title: Time-Resolved Fluorescence Spectroscopy and Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy for Characterization of Dendritic Polymer Nanoparticles and Applications in Nanomedicine.
abstract: The emerging field of nanomedicine provides new approaches for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases, for symptom relief and for monitoring of disease progression. One route of realizing this approach is through carefully constructed nanoparticles. Due to the small size inherent to the nanoparticles a proper characterization is not trivial. This review highlights the application of time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy and fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) for the analysis of nanoparticles, covering aspects ranging from molecular properties to particle detection in tissue samples. The latter technique is particularly important as FLIM allows for distinguishing of target molecules from the autofluorescent background and, due to the environmental sensitivity of the fluorescence lifetime, also offers insights into the local environment of the nanoparticle or its interactions with other biomolecules. Thus, these techniques offer highly suitable tools in the fields of particle development, such as organic chemistry, and in the fields of particle application, such as in experimental dermatology or pharmaceutical research.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Experimentalphysik, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 14, 14195 Berlin, Germany. alexander.boreham@fu-berlin.de.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Boreham
authors.affiliation: Institut für Experimentalphysik, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 14, 14195 Berlin, Germany. brodwolf@zedat.fu-berlin.de.|Helmholtz Virtual Institute-Multifunctional Biomaterials for Medicine, Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Kantstr. 55, 14513 Teltow, Germany. brodwolf@zedat.fu-berlin.de.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Brodwolf
authors.affiliation: Institut für Chemie und Biochemie, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustrasse 3, 14195 Berlin, Germany. karolina.walker@fu-berlin.de.
authors.forename: Karolina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.affiliation: Institut für Chemie und Biochemie, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustrasse 3, 14195 Berlin, Germany. haag@zedat.fu-berlin.de.|Helmholtz Virtual Institute-Multifunctional Biomaterials for Medicine, Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Kantstr. 55, 14513 Teltow, Germany. haag@zedat.fu-berlin.de.
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Haag
authors.affiliation: Institut für Experimentalphysik, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 14, 14195 Berlin, Germany. ulrike.alexiev@fu-berlin.de.|Helmholtz Virtual Institute-Multifunctional Biomaterials for Medicine, Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Kantstr. 55, 14513 Teltow, Germany. ulrike.alexiev@fu-berlin.de.
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Alexiev
mesh_terms: D050091:Dendrimers / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000378:metabolism*; D004339:Drug Compounding / Q000379:methods; D065546:Drug Liberation; D005454:Fluorescence Polarization; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000737:chemistry; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods*; D050997:Nanomedicine / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010316:Particle Size; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods*; D059008:Time-Lapse Imaging / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D050091:Dendrimers; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes
keywords: FLIM; dendritic nanoparticles; fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy; nanomedicine; time-resolved fluorescence depolarization