Expansion of the utilizable spectrum of light from the visible region to the near-infrared (NIR) window has greatly facilitated the clinical application of optical technologies for cancer imaging and phototherapy. However, use of light in the first NIR region (NIR-I) has important limitations, some of which might be overcome with emerging technologies utilizing NIR-II light. In this Review, the authors describe the current clinical experience with NIR-II-based cancer imaging and phototherapy, and discuss emerging NIR-II-based approaches that might further enhance patient outcomes. They also highlight challenges that will need to be addressed to translate NIR-II-based modalities from bench to bedside.
- Zeyu Zhang
- Yang Du
- Jie Tian