Nanoparticle Theranostics
The development of nanomaterials as multifunctional targeted therapeutic and diagnostic (theranostic) imaging agents has become increasingly important in recent years, potentially providing powerful, sensitised means of co-localising physiological/disease status and anatomy. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a powerful non-invasive medical technique which becomes considerably more potent when contrast agents are applied. Nanoparticle design in the group is broad, spanning a range of scaffolds including inorganic (silica and iron oxide nanoparticles), inorganic-organic hybrid (polymer grafted silica nanoparticles), and purely organic (polymer micelle) imaging agents. Notably, these are capable of reporting on their local biochemical environment through a stimuli-triggered (e.g. pH) ‘on/off’ switching response, enabling potent disease-specific reporting.
Examples
J.Mater. Chem. B, 2022, 10, 302;
Materials, 2020, 13, 3795;
Chem. Commun., 2019, 55, 8540;
Chem. Commun., 2022, in press
Contrast Media Mol Imaging, 2019, 2019:1845637;
Materials 2019, 12(24), 4096;
Nanoscale, 2018, 10, 21041;