Advances in Medical Imaging: Aptamer- and Peptide-Targeted MRI and CT Contrast Agents

Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are among the most well-established modalities in the field of noninvasive medical imaging. Despite being powerful tools, both suffer from a number of limitations and often fall short when it comes to full delineation of pathological tissues. Since its conception, molecular imaging has been commonly utilized to further the understanding of disease progression, as well as monitor treatment efficacy. This has naturally led to the advancement of the field of targeted imaging. Targeted imaging research is currently dominated by ligand-modified contrast media for applications in MRI and CT imaging. Although a plethora of targeting ligands exist, a fine balance between their size and target binding efficiency must be considered. This review will focus on aptamer- and peptide-modified contrast agents, outlining selected formulations developed in recent years while highlighting the advantages offered by these targeting ligands.