Theranostic Nanoparticles for Tracking and Monitoring Disease State

Abstract

The development of novel nanoparticles consisting of both diagnostic and therapeutic components has increased over the past decade. These "theranostic" nanoparticles have been tailored toward one or more types of imaging modalities and have been developed for optical imaging, magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound, computed tomography, and nuclear imaging comprising both single-photon computed tomography and positron emission tomography. In this review, we focus on state-of-the-art theranostic nanoparticles that are capable of both delivering therapy and self-reporting/tracking disease through imaging. We discuss challenges and the opportunity to rapidly adjust treatment for individualized medicine.

Keywords: characterization; fabrication; nanobiotech; nanotechnology.

Figure 1

The growing number of theranostic publications in recent years.

Figure 2

(A) Schematic of the Raman effect. (B) Molecular imaging agent showing surface-enhanced Raman scattering nanoparticles. (C) Intrinsic approach showing human tissue being irradiated with a laser source. This figure was originally published in JNM. Zavaleta et al. 2011;52:1839–1844. © by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Inc.

Figure 3

Theranostic liposome formulation with rhenium-186 encapsulated in the aqueous core. Rhenium-186 has several favorable properties for both therapy and imaging.

Figure 4

Phenotypic personalized medicine (PPM) was used to optimize nanomedicine drug combinations. PPM-mediated drug combination design markedly outperformed the efficacy and safety of monotherapy (nano and nonnano) and arbitrary nanomedicine drug combinations. Reprinted with permission from Wang et al. ACS Nano, 9(3):3322–3344. Copyright (2015) American Chemical Society.