Nanoparticle-enabled molecular imaging diagnosis of osteoarthritis.

Journal: Materials today. Bio
Published Date: Jun 6, 2025

Abstract

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common type of arthritis and affects patients with chronic pain, while imposing a heavy burden on public health systems worldwide. Current imaging technologies such as X-ray, MRI, and CT assist the diagnosis and monitoring of OA by providing anatomical pathological information. However, given the complex nature and progression of OA, conventional imaging technologies are limited in the molecular pathological information they are able to present and identify from the various health conditions of OA patients. Thus, nanoparticle-assisted imaging is promising to revolutionize the diagnosis and monitoring of OA, improving the sensitivity and specificity of imaging by enhancing the detection of key biomarkers such as proteoglycans, glycosaminoglycans, type II and X collagen, and inflammatory factors. In this review, the anatomical and pathological characteristics of OA, existing imaging modalities for OA diagnosis, and recent advances in the development of functionalized nanoparticles for molecular imaging of OA are summarized, highlighting the specific roles of nanoparticles in targeting biomarker molecules in different stages of OA progression. Additionally, the combined fields of artificial intelligence (AI) and imaging technology are discussed, followed by an overview of current challenges and future development of nanoparticles for molecular imaging of OA.

Authors

  • Tianrui Zhang
    College of Artificial Intelligence, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China.
  • Qianyi Zhang
    Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Pharmaceutical Compound Screening, College of Pharmacy, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang, 222005, China.
  • Jingqian Wei
    School of Chemical Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2052, NSW, Australia.
  • Quanbin Dai
    School of Chemical Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2052, NSW, Australia.
  • Dzenita Muratovic
    Centre for Orthopaedic & Trauma Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia.
  • Wenjie Zhang
    Laboratory of Clinical Nuclear Medicine, Department of Nuclear Medicine, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, No. 37 Guo Xue Alley, Chengdu, 610041, People's Republic of China.
  • Ashish Diwan
    SpineLabs, St George and Sutherland Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
  • Zi Gu
    School of Chemical Engineering and Australian, Centre for NanoMedicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.

Keywords

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