Cai Lintao

Progress of the nano probes for molecular imaging

Current imaging techniques, such as Computed tomography (CT) imaging, ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), has been unable to meet more high demand for disease diagnosis. However, Molecular imaging enables the visualization of cellular functions, physiological and pathological changes and the follow-up of molecular process in living organisms with intravital, real-time, non-invasive, dynamic three-dimensional imaging. The development of new and efficient imaging probes is the key to molecular imaging in addition to developing imaging equipments. But the current conventional contrast agents and molecular probes can not meet the requirements for their shortcomings such as low signal to noise ratio, no targeting effect. While nano probes based on nanomaterials have attracted intense attentions and showed good imaging effect. This paper reviews current nano probes, their application and development in optical imaging, MRI, CT, positron emission tomography (PET), Single-Photon-Emission Computed Tomography(SPECT), photoacoustic (PA) imaging, multimodality imaging and so on.