Nanomaterials in Imaging and Diagnostics

In the last two decades, application of nanomaterials as a tool for imaging and diagnosis has gained the attention of many researchers, as they have showed promising results in every aspect of disease management right from the diagnosis, delivering and real time tracking of the drug and monitoring the diseased condition to the in-vivo imaging. In-vivo imaging helps in early diagnosis of lethal diseases like, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and renal failure, which can improve patient's lifestyle. Nanomaterials offer properties like enhanced diagnostic specificity, increased blood circulation time, and organ specific delivery just with the help of functionalization and conjugation with desired materials. Nanomaterials like dendrimer, silica nanoparticles, and some magnetic nanoparticles are used as contrast agents in imaging technology such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT) and radiopharmaceuticals. This chapter covers nanomaterials (NPs) as a biomedical tool for imaging and diagnosis of various diseases.