Radiolabelled nanoparticles: novel classification of radiopharmaceuticals for molecular imaging of cancer

Nanotechnology has been used for every single modality in the molecular imaging arena for imaging purposes. Synergic advantages can be explored when multiple molecular imaging modalities are combined with respect to single imaging modalities. Multifunctional nanoparticles have large surface areas, where multiple functional moieties can be incorporated, including ligands for site-specific targeting and radionuclides, which can be detected to create 3D images. Recently, radiolabeled nanoparticles with individual properties have attracted great interest regarding their use in multimodality tumor imaging. Multifunctional nanoparticles can combine diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities for both target-specific diagnosis and the treatment of a given disease. The future of nanomedicine lies in multifunctional nanoplatforms that combine the diagnostic ability and therapeutic effects using appropriate ligands, drugs, responses and technological devices, which together are collectively called theranostic drugs. Co-delivery of radiolabeled nanoparticles is useful in multifunctional molecular imaging areas because it comprises several advantages based on nanoparticles architecture, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamic properties.