About this Research Topic
Optical imaging is playing an important role in biological and medical fields. However, it faces intrinsic challenges in deep and opaque biological tissues due to the limited tissue penetration, low signal-to-noise ratio, and poor spatial resolution, which seriously impedes its application in the quantitative and sensitive detection of the targets in vivo. To address these challenges, many innovative imaging technologies have been recently developed, such as near-infrared fluorescence (NIR-I and -II) imaging, bioluminescence imaging, diffusion optical tomography, photoacoustic imaging, ultrasound-controlled fluorescence imaging, etc. The key components in optical imaging technology mainly include the advanced imaging system and effective contrast agents. Over the past decades, many studies have been devoted to exploring novel optical imaging contrast agents and/or advanced imaging systems for various biomedical applications including image-guided surgery, cancer diagnosis and therapy, and precise imaging/therapy of bacterial infection, etc.
The research in this field will provide first-hand data for the scientists, and endow valuable references for pre-clinical and clinical applications. The Topic Editors sincerely welcome Original Research, Review articles, and Perspectives with a focus on optical technologies for disease diagnosis and therapy in deep tissues. Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:
- Technologies aiming to address those intrinsic challenges mentioned above
- Synthesis of novel optical probes (NIR-I and NIR-II contrast agents, organic semiconducting agents, organic/inorganic quantum dots, upconversion nanoparticles, dye-modified polymer/inorganic nanoparticles, gold/silver/copper nanoclusters, carbon-based nanomaterials, luminescence nanoparticles, aggregation-induced emission nanoparticles, afterglow nanomaterials, and porous silica nanoparticles, etc.)
- Design and fabrication of intelligent responsive nanoprobes in tumor microenvironment, such as temperature/pH/enzyme/glutathione-responsive nanoprobes
- Research on the interactions between optical probes and living systems, such as the metabolism, transporting and toxicity assessment, etc.
- Novel and innovative optical technologies for disease diagnosis, therapy and/or surgical navigation.
- Optical related multi-modality imaging and/or therapeutic technologies
The research in this field will provide first-hand data for the scientists, and endow valuable references for pre-clinical and clinical applications. The Topic Editors sincerely welcome Original Research, Review articles, and Perspectives with a focus on optical technologies for disease diagnosis and therapy in deep tissues. Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:
- Technologies aiming to address those intrinsic challenges mentioned above
- Synthesis of novel optical probes (NIR-I and NIR-II contrast agents, organic semiconducting agents, organic/inorganic quantum dots, upconversion nanoparticles, dye-modified polymer/inorganic nanoparticles, gold/silver/copper nanoclusters, carbon-based nanomaterials, luminescence nanoparticles, aggregation-induced emission nanoparticles, afterglow nanomaterials, and porous silica nanoparticles, etc.)
- Design and fabrication of intelligent responsive nanoprobes in tumor microenvironment, such as temperature/pH/enzyme/glutathione-responsive nanoprobes
- Research on the interactions between optical probes and living systems, such as the metabolism, transporting and toxicity assessment, etc.
- Novel and innovative optical technologies for disease diagnosis, therapy and/or surgical navigation.
- Optical related multi-modality imaging and/or therapeutic technologies
Keywords: deep tissue optical imaging, optical diagnostic and/or therapeutic agents and systems, theranostics, solid tumors, metabolism and transporting, smart optical probes
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