Special Issue

Theranostic Biocolloids: soft matter colloids for imaging and therapy

Guest editors:

Mark Borden, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering
University of Colorado
1111 Engineering Drive
Campus Box 427
Boulder, CO 80309 USA
Tel:     303.492.7750
Fax:     303.492.3498
Email:

Kaushal Rege, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Chemical Engineering
Arizona State University
501 E. Tyler Mall ECG 303
Tempe, AZ 85287-6106
Phone: 480-727-8616
Fax: 480-727-3292
Email:

The field of soft matter colloids is rapidly merging with and expanding the radiological and pharmaceutical fields, adding a vast new array of theranostic agents for combined imaging and therapy.  There appears to be an endless supply of possible combinations of biomolecules (such as lipids, proteins, sugars and nucleic acids) and biocompatible synthetic compounds (such as polymers, dendrimers, fluorocarbons and metal chelators) to form colloidal constructs.  The enormous library of materials and methods available to generate biocolloids provides unparalleled flexibility; biocolloids can be engineered to carry almost any therapeutic payload and to be detected by any imaging modality.

Current theranostic biocolloids include micelles, filomicelles, liposomes, polymersomes, nanodrops, microbubbles, microparticles, nanoparticles, nanogels, lipoplexes, polyplexes and polyelectrolyte multilayer capsules.  These colloids have been engineered as contrast agents for ultrasound, photoacoustic imaging, optical tomography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), x-ray computed tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography (PET).  Additionally, biocolloids have been loaded with pharmaceutical agents to increase their therapeutic index.  Combining these functionalities, theranostic biocolloids open the possibility of image-guided therapy, allowing the realization of real-time measurement, monitoring and manipulation of drug targeting.
           
We have therefore taken the initiative to publish a special issue within the new journal “Theranostics” on this topic, in which researchers are invited to share their experience, expertise, ideas and results on:

• Development of new theranostic biocolloids, including chemistry, methods of formulation, characterization and pre-clinical or clinical validation;
• Clinical applications of theranostic biocolloids;
• Other topics within the scope of this special issue.

Manuscripts for the special issue can be submitted online at http://www.thno.org/ms/submit?subgroup=biocolloids (mark "Biocolloids Special Issue" in the "Suggested reviewers" field to identify the paper).

Detailed formatting instructions, in particular, the formatting of references, can be found in http://www.thno.org/ms/author.

All inquiries should be sent to the guest editor(s) at the above email address.