Current role of magnetic resonance imaging on assessing and monitoring the efficacy of phototherapy.

Phototherapy, also known as photobiological therapy, is a non-invasive and highly effective physical treatment method. Its broad use in clinics has led to significant therapeutic results. Phototherapy parameters, such as intensity, wavelength, and duration, can be adjusted to create specific therapeutic effects for various medical conditions. Meanwhile, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), with its diverse imaging sequences and excellent soft-tissue contrast, provides a valuable tool to understand the therapeutic effects and mechanisms of phototherapy. This review explores the clinical applications of commonly used phototherapy techniques, gives a brief overview of how phototherapy impacts different diseases, and examines MRI's role in various phototherapeutic scenarios. We argue that MRI is crucial for precise targeting, treatment monitoring, and prognosis assessment in phototherapy. Future research and applications will focus on personalized diagnosis and monitoring of phototherapy, expanding its applications in treatment and exploring multimodal imaging technology to enhance diagnostic and therapeutic precision and effectiveness.

Gadolinium-Loaded Solid Lipid Nanoparticles for Colorectal Tumor in MR Colonography.

The current study aims to investigate the possibility of using solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs)-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) colonography to diagnose colorectal cancer. Gd-FITC-SLNs were synthesized by loading gadolinium diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA) and fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) simultaneously. Twenty mice received azoxymethane/dextran sulfate sodium (AOM/DSS) to induce adenocarcinoma of the colon and were divided into 4 groups, and 5 in per group. MR colonography were performed at different time periods before and after enema or intravenous injection of Gd-FITC-SLNs or Gd-DTPA. The results demonstrated SNR (signal-to-noise ratio) significantly increased from 1.56- to 1.76-fold within the colorectal tumors after the enema of Gd-FITC-SLNs (p < 0.001). No differences in SNR were observed after the enema of Gd-DTPA (p > 0.05). Besides, SNR increased from 1.54- to 1.72-fold within the colorectal tumors after the intravenous injection of Gd-FITC-SLNs (p < 0.001) while SNR increased from 1.39to 1.57-fold within the colorectal tumors after the injection of Gd-DTPA (p < 0.001). In addition, SNR within colorectal tumors significantly increased ranging from 20th to 140th min, and lasted for about 120 min (p < 0.05) after the enema of Gd-FITC-SLNs and SNR within colorectal tumors also significantly increased ranging from 0th hour to 8th hour, lasted for about 8 hour (p < 0.05) after the injection of Gd-FITC-SLNs. However, after the injection of Gd-DTPA, SNR within colorectal tumors significantly increased only ranging from 0th min to 20th min after administration (p < 0.01). Furthermore, hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining revealed that all mice developed adenocarcinoma of the colon. In summary, it is feasible by using Gd-FITC-SLNs in MR colonography to diagnose colorectal cancer. Enema of Gd-FITC-SLNs can provide marked enhancement of colorectal tumors quickly, and safer while intravenous injection of Gd-FITC-SLNs can provide a long-lasting enhancement of colorectal tumors in MR colonography. These findings present a potential clinical application of Gd-FITC-SLNs on MR colonography.