Nanoplatform-Based Molecular Imaging

The cutting-edge guide on advancing the science of molecular imaging using nanoparticles

The use of nanomaterials as diagnostics in medicine and molecular imaging probes is a promising, yet underdeveloped, technology. This indispensable guide helps scientists, chemists, biologists, and even clinicians grasp the essential basics of why and how nanoparticle platforms can be used for molecular imaging. It then proceeds to underscore the scientific and technological opportunities present in this field and outlines an integrated multidisciplinary strategy to encourage development of the next generation of molecular medicine. Nanoplatform-Based Molecular Imaging:

• Focuses on the rational design of water-soluble, biocompatible nanoparticles for the visualization of cellular function
• ddresses how this type of imaging can be used as an effective tool for diagnosing cancer, cardiac diseases, and neurodegeneration
• Discusses general strategies for nanoparticle synthesis, surface chemistry, and bioconjugation chemistry
• Discusses theranostics, the proposed process of diagnostic therapy that tests patients for possible reactions to new medication and tailors a treatment for them based on test results
• Emphasizes fundamentals and explains “how to do it” with detailed procedures and preparative methods

Showing how this technology can be a valuable asset in real-world applications such as computed tomography, optical imaging, magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound, positron emission tomography, single-photon emission computed tomography, and multimodality imaging, this comprehensive volume deftly summarizes the opinions of those in the forefront of molecular imaging to deliver information that may one day lead to its widespread use―and the realization of its potential as a significant and highly dependable diagnostic tool.

Xiaoyuan Chen received his PhD in chemistry from the University of Idaho and was an Associate Professor of Radiology in the School of Medicine at Stanford University before joining the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), National Institutes of Health (NIH) as a senior investigator and the Laboratory of Molecular Imaging and Nanomedicine (LOMIN) as chief. He is the author of more than 200 scholarly articles and has edited one book to date. Dr. Chen’s research interests include developing and validating novel molecular imaging probes (nanoparticles, antibodies, proteins, peptides, and small organic molecules) for better understanding of the biology, early diagnosis of disease, monitoring therapy response, and guiding drug discovery and development.