Liposome-based probes for molecular imaging: from basic research to the bedside

Abstract

Molecular imaging is very important in disease diagnosis and prognosis. Liposomes are excellent carriers for different types of molecular imaging probes. In this work, we summarize current developments in liposome-based probes used for molecular imaging and their applications in image-guided drug delivery and tumour surgery, including computed tomography (CT), ultrasound imaging (USI), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), fluorescence imaging (FLI) and photoacoustic imaging (PAI). We also summarized liposome-based multimodal imaging probes and new targeting strategies for liposomes. This work will offer guidance for the design of liposome-based imaging probes for future clinical applications.