{"id":26233,"date":"2026-06-24T11:35:42","date_gmt":"2026-06-24T11:35:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/2026\/06\/24\/image-guided-activation-of-drugs-with-electromagnetic-radiation-nature\/"},"modified":"2026-06-24T11:35:42","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T11:35:42","slug":"image-guided-activation-of-drugs-with-electromagnetic-radiation-nature","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/2026\/06\/24\/image-guided-activation-of-drugs-with-electromagnetic-radiation-nature\/","title":{"rendered":"Image-guided activation of drugs with electromagnetic radiation – Nature"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Nature Chemical Biology<\/i><\/a> (2026<\/span>) Cite this article<\/a>
Image-guided pharmacotherapy, in which drug activity is strictly confined to disease areas revealed by medical imaging modalities, holds great promise for the development of personalized medicine. A key step in realizing this potential is the development of safe and precise methods for drug activation. Electromagnetic radiation, spanning the energy ranges from \u03b3-rays to ultraviolet\u2013visible and infrared light, has emerged as a method of choice for this purpose. Because many imaging modalities rely on electromagnetic radiation to generate signals (for example, optical and optoacoustic imaging, computed tomography and positron emission tomography), this phenomenon can be used to both activate a drug and monitor tissue response, creating a theranostic synergy. This Perspective outlines the molecular basis for drug activation with electromagnetic radiation, offers a clinical perspective in discussing the most suitable applications and advantages available and discusses the challenges, such as the delivery of light at the site of interest, and steps needed for successful translation into daily clinical practice.
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Images to the left in the graphical abstract reproduced under a Creative Commons license CC BY 4.0: hand, ref. 133<\/a><\/sup>; brain, ref. 134<\/a><\/sup>; vessels, ref. 135<\/a><\/sup>. A.M.S. and W.S. gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Dutch Cancer Society (KWF) Research & Implementation (grant EXPL15317).
Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Photopharmacology and Imaging, Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
Melody E. Bo\u00ebtius,\u00a0Quentin Vivien,\u00a0Albert M. Schulte\u00a0&\u00a0Wiktor Szymanski
Medical Imaging Center, Departments of Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
Melody E. Bo\u00ebtius,\u00a0Jasper Vonk,\u00a0Albert M. Schulte\u00a0&\u00a0Wiktor Szymanski
Department of Surgery, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
Schelto Kruijff
Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
Schelto Kruijff
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M.E.B., Q.V., J.V., S.K., A.M.S. and W.S. contributed to the discussion and wrote the manuscript. A.M.S. and W.S. coordinated the writing process.
Correspondence to Albert M. Schulte<\/a> or Wiktor Szymanski<\/a>.
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