Indocyanine green (ICG), a US Food and Drug Administration-approved fluorescent compound, has been on the medical stage for more than 60 years. Current uses include hepatic function evaluation before surgical procedure and fundus evaluation. The large safety margin and near-infrared fluorescent optical advantage of the drug have proved useful in several clinical trials of intraoperative systems for tumor removal. Several nanoparticle-sized formulations for thermal ablation and photodynamic therapy have also been evaluated in animal experiments. Studies have attempted to manipulate ICG as a reporter fluorophore with initial success. In this article, we reviewed ICG's histological applications, chemical and physical properties, current clinical applications, ongoing clinical trials, and biomedical studies and prospects. We believe that ICG could be used with novel biotechnological techniques, such as fluorescent endoscopy and photoacoustic equipment, in a range of biomedical fields.

Reporter proteins have broad applications in visualizing molecular events at the cellular, tissue and whole‐body levels. Transmembrane transporters recognizing specific molecular domains are of particular interest because they enable the migration of signal‐source molecules from the extracellular space to the cytoplasm for subsequent application in multimodality imaging. Organic anion‐transporting polypeptides (OATPs) have demonstrated their MRI reporter efficacy. We further expanded their use as a dual‐modality reporter in MRI and noninvasive in vivo imaging system (IVIS). We overexpressed OATP1B3 in the HT‐1080 sarcoma cell line. Both Gd‐EOB‐DTPA, an MRI contrast agent, and indocyanine green (ICG), a near‐infrared fluorescent dye that provides better deep‐tissue detection because of its long wavelength, could be delivered to the intracellular space and imaged in a tumor‐bearing nude mouse model. Our in vivo dual‐imaging reporter system achieved high sensitivity in MRI and observation periods lasting as long as 96 h in IVIS. Because of the superior temporal and spatial resolutions and the clinical availability of both ICG and Gd‐EOB‐DTPA, this dual‐imaging OATP1B3 system will find biomedical use in tumor biology, stem cell trafficking, and tissue engineering.—Wu, M.‐R., Liu, H.‐M., Lu, C.‐W., Shen, W.‐H., Lin, I.‐J., Liao, L.‐W., Huang, Y.‐Y., Shieh, M.‐J., Hsiao, J.‐K. Organic anion‐transporting polypeptide 1B3 as a dual reporter gene for fluorescence and magnetic resonance imaging. FASEB J. 32,1705‐1715 (2018). www.fasebj.org

In this article, we present the exploration of a facile synthetic tactic incorporating delay-photo-oxidation to recover the loss in emission frequently encountered after encapsulating quantum dots (QDs) inside a silica shell. This facile synthesis procedure reproducibly increases emissive intensity of QDs (core)–SiO₂ (shell) (60 nm) nanomaterials by >5 fold (QY from 3% to >15%). The resulting QDs (core)–SiO₂ proved to be a single quantum dot in single SiO₂, homogeneous and highly monodispered; their emissions have been successfully fine-tuned from visible to the near infrared region. We then demonstrate their power in biological imaging by labeling human mesenchymal stem cells under two-photon confocal microscopy. The results of low cytotoxicity, efficient labeling, and specific location nearby the nucleus characters of these nanoparticles should spark an intensive relevant research within a living system.

Via a facile, one-pot solvothermal synthesis, highly uniform FePt/Fe₃O₄ core–shell nanoparticles are successfully developed, which further demonstrates their superiority in the MR imaging of living cells.

Cardiac computed tomography (CT) has evolved significantly as a critical tool in diagnosing and managing cardiac diseases, greatly facilitated by technological advancements in multidetector systems, dose-reduction techniques, and sophisticated imaging algorithms. This article discusses the historical progression and technological evolution in cardiac CT (CCT), focusing on the impact of 64-multidetector row CT and dual-energy CT systems on improving spatial and temporal resolutions and reducing radiation exposure. It explores the role of these technologies in enhancing diagnostic accuracy, such as through detailed three-dimensional reconstructions and minimized imaging artifacts. Furthermore, it highlights the integration of machine learning to automate complex imaging analysis and photon-counting CT, which promises higher resolution and further dose reduction. Prospective studies and ongoing trials such as FASTTRACK coronary artery bypass grafting also underscore the potential of advanced CT technologies in refining procedural planning and execution. The continuous advancements in detector technology, computational techniques, and image reconstruction are poised to expand the applications and efficacy of CCT, cementing its role in modern cardiology.

Background: Muscle depletion (MD) is a critical factor that influences clinical outcomes in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Although its role in cancer prognosis is recognized, its integration into widely used prognostic systems remains underexplored. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic impact of MD on overall survival (OS) in HCC patients and to improve existing noninvasive prognostic models by incorporating MD-related metrics. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 1072 HCC patients treated at Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital between January 2006 and December 2016. All patients had follow-up data and computed tomography (CT) scans at vertebral level L3 for MD evaluation. Independent prognostic factors for OS were identified using Cox proportional hazards models, and the predictive performance of various prognostic models was assessed through the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC). Results: The key independent predictors of OS in HCC patients included hepatitis B virus infection, hepatitis C virus infection, liver cirrhosis, tumor size, serum alpha-fetoprotein levels, and MD-related metrics (psoas muscle-to-spine ratio, psoas muscle-to-vertebral ratio, and myosteatosis). Among existing models, the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage, the Child–Turcotte–Pugh (CTP) class, and the albumin–bilirubin (ALBI) grade demonstrated robust predictive performance for OS. However, incorporating MD significantly improved the predictive accuracy of these models, with the MD–BCLC model showing the highest AUROC (0.804, 95% CI: 0.777–0.832, p < 0.001). Conclusions: MD is an independent and significant prognostic predictor for patients with HCC. Integrating MD metrics into established systems, particularly the BCLC staging system, markedly improves OS prediction, providing a more comprehensive tool for clinical decision-making in the management of HCC.