Analytical Sciences

Sensitive and Selective Tumor Imaging with Novel and Highly Activatable Fluorescence Probes

Yasuteru URANO*^,**

*Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
**PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency, 5-3 Yonbancho, Chiyoda, Tokyo 102-8666, Japan

Selective and sensitive tumor imaging in vivo is one of the most requested methodologies in medical sciences. Although several imaging modalities have been developed including positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging for the detection of tumors, none of these modalities can activate the signals upon being accumulated or uptaken to tumor sites. Among these modalities, only optical fluorescence imaging has a marked advantage, that is, their signals can be dramatically increased upon detecting some biological features. In this short review, I will introduce some recent strategies for activatable optical fluorescence imaging of tumors, and discuss their advantages over other modalities.

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