Targeted nanoparticles for multimodal imaging of the receptor for advanced glycation end-products

The receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE) is implicated in multiple disease states such as cancer, diabetes and neurodegenerative disorders, and RAGE inhibitors are being explored as potential new therapies in such cases. Despite the known role RAGE plays in these conditions, there remains an urgent need for a molecular imaging agent that can accurately quantify RAGE levels in vivo, aid in validation of RAGE as a biomarker and/or therapeutic target, and support development of new RAGE inhibitors. This editorial highlights a multimodal nanoparticle-based imaging agent targeted at RAGE that was recently developed by Konopka and colleagues (Theranostics 2018; 8(18):5012-5024. doi:10.7150/thno.24791).