Small molecules and conjugates as theranostic agents

Theranostics, the integration of therapy and diagnostics into a single entity for the purpose of monitoring disease progression and treatment response. Diagnostics involves identifying specific characteristics of a disease, while therapeutics refers to the treatment of the disease based on this identification. Advancements in medicinal chemistry and technology have led to the development of drug modalities that provide targeted therapeutic effects while also providing real-time updates on disease progression and treatment. The inclusion of imaging in therapy has significantly improved the prognosis of devastating diseases such as cancer and neurodegeneration. Currently, theranostic treatment approaches are based on nuclear medicine, while nanomedicine and a wide diversity of macromolecular systems such as gels, polymers, aptamers, and dendrimer-based agents are being developed for the purpose. Theranostic agents have significant roles to play in both early-stage drug development and clinical-stage therapeutic-containing drug candidates. This review will briefly outline the pros and cons of existing and evolving theranostic approaches before comprehensively discussing the role of small molecules and their conjugates. Small molecules with therapeutic and imaging capabilities can provide the desired theranostic effect for personalized medicine, either independently or when conjugated with a disease-specific targeting component.

Automated summary

Theranostics, the integration of therapy and diagnostics, is crucial for monitoring disease progression and treatment response. Advancements in medicinal chemistry and technology have led to the development of targeted therapeutic drugs that also provide real-time updates on disease progression and treatment. The inclusion of imaging in therapy has significantly improved the prognosis of devastating diseases. Theranostic agents play important roles in early-stage drug development and clinical-stage therapeutic-containing drug candidates.