Materials engineered for targeted MRI, deep-tissue optical imaging, and low-dose X-ray detection

Hear from the authors of a Frontiers in Science lead article as they explore how engineered carriers—including nanoparticles, small-molecule chelators, and protein scaffolds—can tune the optical and magnetic properties of lanthanide ions for biomedical imaging.

In their lead article, the authors review recent advances across optical, X-ray, and magnetic resonance imaging. They show how lanthanide carriers can improve signal contrast, reduce background signals, limit photodamage and radiation exposure, and reveal subtle biological changes such as temperature, force, and hydration within living systems.

Join the authors and an expert panel to discuss how these proof-of-concept advances could move toward clinical use. The session will explore opportunities in multimodal imaging, theranostics, AI-guided probe design, stronger validation standards, and the remaining challenges around safety, scalability, regulation, and clinical translation.