Nanoparticle‐based imaging of inflammatory bowel disease

Although inflammatory bowel disease ( IBD ) has been extensively studied, the pathogenesis is still not completely understood. As a result, the treatment options remain unsatisfactory and nonspecific. With the rapid advancement of diagnostic imaging techniques, imaging modalities such as computed tomography ( CT ) and magnetic resonance imaging ( MRI ) are playing a more important role in IBD diagnosis and evaluation. Recent developments in nanotechnology utilize an interdisciplinary approach to specifically target molecular or cellular IBD pathological process thereby generating nanoparticles ( NPs ) with high specificity and diagnostic and/or therapeutic efficacy. Nano‐based imaging, which incorporates nanotechnology and imaging modalities, may allow for the early detection of IBD , the monitoring of disease activity, and may be used to monitor the therapeutic response at cellular and/or molecular level. In this review, we highlight issues related to nano‐based imaging and its application in IBD field. WIREs Nanomed Nanobiotechnol 2016, 8:300–315. doi: 10.1002/wnan.1357 This article is categorized under: Diagnostic Tools > In Vivo Nanodiagnostics and Imaging