Theranostic Imaging with Porous Silicon

Abstract

Medical imaging allows noninvasive imaging of the drug delivery process in the whole body in vivo. In nanotheranostics, therapy and diagnostics by medical imaging are integrated into the same nanosystem. Nanotheranostics holds great potential in clinical applications, especially in future cancer therapies. Several medical imaging modalities are applicable for nanotheranostic applications, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound and nuclear imaging, i.e., positron emission tomography (PET) and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Porous silicon as a biocompatible and tunable material is a promising material for nanotheranostics. Radiolabeled porous silicon and nuclear imaging have already shown their importance in investigation of biodistribution and targeting efficiency of PSi-based drug delivery systems. In this chapter, the recent results will be reviewed.