Dual-Imaging Enabled Cancer-Targeting Nanoparticles

Cancer is a commonly diagnosed disease and the second leading cause of deaths in the U.S. Common diagnostic modalities such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), positron emission tomography (PET), and optical imaging have mixed results as a stand-alone system due to individual limitations such as low sensitivity, low spatial resolution, toxicity of contrast agents, and inaccurate diagnosis due to non-specific targeting of contrast agents to the cancer site.[1] Dual-/multi-modal imaging systems bearing the advantages of specific individual imaging modalities may overcome the limitations associated with the stand-alone systems.[2] For instance, MRI provides exceptional tissue contrast, penetration depth, and high spatial resolution, whereas fluorescence imaging provides extremely high sensitivity. Therefore, a dual-imaging modality combining MRI contrast and fluorescent agents will be able to diagnose cancers in early stage pre-operatively and intra-operatively with better accuracy.