This themed issue summarizes significant efforts aimed at using "biological language" to discern between "friends" and "foes" in the context of theranostics for true clinical application. It is expected that the success of theranostics depends on multidisciplinary efforts, combined to expedite our understanding of host responses to "customized" theranostic agents and formulating individualized ...

The novel nano-seaurchin structure is characteristic of high-density and well-dispersed gold nanorods in one mesoporous silica nanobead. This nanoplatform provided increased photothermal stability, stable photoacoustic signal and highly efficient hyperthermia effect both in vitro and in vivo, indicating a powerful theranostic modality.

Combining therapeutic and diagnostic tools into a single ‘theranostic’ platform lies at the forefront of cancer research. Some most promising theranostics exploit unique nuclear electronic properties lanthanoid metal gadolinium.

Conventional one-bead one-compound (OBOC) library synthesis is typically used to identify molecules with therapeutic value. The design and synthesis of OBOC libraries that contain molecules with imaging or even potentially therapeutic and diagnostic capacities (e.g. theranostic agents) has been overlooked. The development of a therapeutically active molecule with a built-in imaging component fo...

Complete removal of tumors by surgery is the most important prognostic factor for cancer patients with the early stage cancers. The ability to identify invasive tumor edges of the primary tumor, locally invaded small tumor lesions, and drug resistant residual tumors following neoadjuvant therapy during surgery should significantly reduce the incidence of local tumor recurrence and improve survi...

Hyperspectral microscopy is rapidly developing as an effective tool for characterizing existing FDA approved APIs (active pharmaceutical ingredients) that are being incorporated with nano or micron-scale vectors for targeted drug delivery. It is also utilized extensively to image and characterize nanomaterials used in photothermal therapy and related theranostic studies as well as nanotoxicolog...