Chapter 2
Exogenous Radionanomedicine:
Inorganic Nanomaterials
Carolina A. Ferreira, Shreya Goel and Weibo Cai
Abstract Roles of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging in cancer diagnosis
and therapy are constantly evolving. Single-photon emission computed tomography
(SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET) imaging allows the investigation of not only morphological but also functional characteristics of tumor tissues
and possess distinct advantageous characteristics, such as high specificity and
sensitivity, excellent quantifiability and virtually no tissue penetration limit.
Nanoparticles, as multifunctional materials, hold the potential of being
surface-engineered, conjugated to numerous targeting agents while carrying therapeutic or diagnostic agents and, thus, can provide the platforms needed for
enhancing imaging and therapy efficacy and specificity; hence a large number of
nanocarriers have been radiolabeled with a vast array of SPECT and PET agents for
preclinical studies. In this context, radiolabeled nanoparticles hold the potential to
deeply impact the science of clinical practice, from disease diagnosis to patient
management. This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of the methods of
synthesis, radiolabeling and further applications of the most commonly used
nanoparticles in radionanomedicine.
C. A. Ferreira Á W. Cai (&)
Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison,
Madison, WI 53705, USA
e-mail: wcai@uwhealth.org
C. A. Ferreira
e-mail: cferreira2@wisc.edu
S. Goel (&) Á W. Cai
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison,
Madison, WI 53705, USA
e-mail: shreya.goel.shreya@gmail.com
W. Cai
Departments of Radiology and Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison,
Madison, WI 53705, USA
W. Cai
University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, Madison, WI 53792, USA
© Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature 2018
D. S. Lee (ed.), Radionanomedicine, Biological and Medical Physics,
Biomedical Engineering, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67720-0_2
13
Exogenous Radionanomedicine:
Inorganic Nanomaterials
Carolina A. Ferreira, Shreya Goel and Weibo Cai
Abstract Roles of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging in cancer diagnosis
and therapy are constantly evolving. Single-photon emission computed tomography
(SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET) imaging allows the investigation of not only morphological but also functional characteristics of tumor tissues
and possess distinct advantageous characteristics, such as high specificity and
sensitivity, excellent quantifiability and virtually no tissue penetration limit.
Nanoparticles, as multifunctional materials, hold the potential of being
surface-engineered, conjugated to numerous targeting agents while carrying therapeutic or diagnostic agents and, thus, can provide the platforms needed for
enhancing imaging and therapy efficacy and specificity; hence a large number of
nanocarriers have been radiolabeled with a vast array of SPECT and PET agents for
preclinical studies. In this context, radiolabeled nanoparticles hold the potential to
deeply impact the science of clinical practice, from disease diagnosis to patient
management. This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of the methods of
synthesis, radiolabeling and further applications of the most commonly used
nanoparticles in radionanomedicine.
C. A. Ferreira Á W. Cai (&)
Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison,
Madison, WI 53705, USA
e-mail: wcai@uwhealth.org
C. A. Ferreira
e-mail: cferreira2@wisc.edu
S. Goel (&) Á W. Cai
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison,
Madison, WI 53705, USA
e-mail: shreya.goel.shreya@gmail.com
W. Cai
Departments of Radiology and Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison,
Madison, WI 53705, USA
W. Cai
University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, Madison, WI 53792, USA
© Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature 2018
D. S. Lee (ed.), Radionanomedicine, Biological and Medical Physics,
Biomedical Engineering, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67720-0_2
13