Radiolabelled radiopaque nanoparticles for dual-modal imaging: synthesis methods, mechanisms, and biomedical applications
摘要
Radiolabelled radiopaque nanoparticles integrate radioactive isotopes with high-atomic-number cores, enabling precise visualization in dual-modal imaging platforms such as PET/CT, SPECT/CT, and CT/photoacoustic imaging. This review highlights synthesis strategies, including core–shell architectures, surface functionalization, and radiolabelling techniques, ensuring optimal stability, biocompatibility, and signal sensitivity. Mechanistic insights into biodistribution, targeting, and multimodal contrast generation are discussed, emphasizing synergistic benefits over single-modality probes. Biomedical applications span cancer diagnosis, image-guided therapy, and real-time treatment monitoring. The integration of radiopacity with radiolabelling offers enhanced anatomical and functional imaging, paving the way for next-generation nanotheranostic platforms with improved accuracy, safety, and clinical translational potential.