Molecular imaging can allow the non-invasive characterization and measurement of biological and biochemical processes at the molecular and cellular levels in living subjects. The imaging of specific molecular targets that are associated with cancers could allow for the earlier diagnosis and better treatment of diseases. Small molecule-based probes play prominent roles in biomedical research and have high clinical translation ability. Here, with an emphasis on small molecule-based probes, we review some recent developments in biomarkers, imaging techniques and multimodal imaging in molecular imaging and highlight the successful applications for molecular imaging of cancers.

分子成像可以在生活对象的分子和细胞水平上进行非侵入性表征和生物和生化过程的测量。与癌症相关的特定分子靶标的成像可以允许早期诊断和更好地治疗疾病。基于小分子的探针在生物医学研究中发挥着重要作用，并具有很高的临床翻译能力。在这里，重点介绍基于小分子的探针，我们回顾了生物标志物，成像技术和分子成像中的多峰成像的一些最新进展，并重点介绍了癌症分子成像的成功应用。