Ligand-Based Targeting of Therapeutic and Imaging Agents for Cancer

This chapter provides an overview of ligand-based conjugates for tumor imaging and therapy. Various imaging modalities, including positron emission tomography (PET), single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), optical fluorescence imaging, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), and ultrasound imaging, are discussed here, along with their use in visualizing molecular events in disease processes. The advantages of peptide-based conjugates compared to those of small molecules and macromolecules are highlighted. Integrins, somatostatins (SSTs), and bombesin (BBN) are discussed as diagnostic cancer imaging targets. The development of nanoconjugates for molecular imaging is also described. Additionally, this chapter highlights multimodal nanoprobes and the techniques used to simultaneously image their components.