Recent advances in functional nanomaterials for photoacoustic imaging of glioma

Glioma is a malignant tumor in the central nervous system with poor prognosis, high risk of recurrence and mortality. As the primary choice of treatment for glioma, surgery cannot effectively remove glioma cells owing to the lack of advanced intraoperative navigation technology. Photoacoustic (PA) imaging, a hybrid imaging technique, integrates the merits of optical and ultrasound imaging, exhibiting great potential for cancer surgery navigation. To enhance the sensitivity and specificity for visualizing the tumor margin, abundant contrast agents have been developed for enhanced PA imaging. In this minireview, we expect to draw attention to the recent advances in constructing functional nanomaterials as PA contrast agents for glioma imaging. The design and preparation of organic and inorganic nanomaterials for glioma PA imaging are discussed in detail. Meanwhile, the current challenges and perspectives of contrast-enhanced PA imaging of glioma are presented.