"Nanotechnology and nanomaterials"
Infrared emitting nanoparticles as agents for biomedical imaging, optical sensing and therapy
Ohulchanskyy T.Y. 1 
1College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, 
3688 Nanhai Road, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518060, P.R. China
E-mail: tyo@szu.edu.cn
Nanotechnology is advancing the field of medical imaging with multimodal probes, also offering nanoplatforms for targeted drug delivery to the diseased tissues. As it enables combination of diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities on the nanoscale platform, imaging guided nanovehicles for drug delivery are among the most intensively developed subjects in biomedical applications of nanotechnology. 
In the last few years, we have been working on inorganic and organic nanomaterials for optical bioimaging, sensing and imaging guided therapy.  Theranostic applications of light are greatly determined by its ability to penetrate a tissue, which is found to be higher in near- and short wave infrared (NIR-SWIR) regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Use of NIR-SWIR light for optical imaging and therapy is currently advanced, being burst by the rapid progress in technology (i.e., development of SWIR detectors and laser sources).  With extension of imaging range into SWIR (up to ~1700 nm), researchers increasingly benefit from the reduced scattering and autofluorescence of biological tissues in this spectral range. This talk will present our recent results on development of heterogeneous nanoparticles that can be detected/imaged in vitro and in vivo through their NIR-SWIR luminescence.  The developed NIR-SWIR luminescence imaging nanoplatforms include liposomal and polymeric nanoparticles and rare-ion doped nanocrystals, as well as their combinations with near-infrared fluorescent organic dyes and other functional small molecules, including drugs for chemo- and photodynamic therapies of cancer. While possessing the luminescence imaging contrast and therapeutic functionality, the NIR-SWIR light emitting nanoformulations can also be garnished with other medical imaging and sensing modalities, enabling the integration of cellular, tissue and whole body imaging and providing a single nanoagent for multiple techniques. The talk will demonstrate examples of applications of nanoparticles as agents for multimodal imaging, sensing and drug delivery and conclude with a discussion on the challenges and opportunities in the domain of NIR-SWIR luminescent nanoformulations for bioimaging and sensing, along with imaging guided therapies of cancer and other diseases.