Optimized indocyanine green nanopreparations for biomedical applications

Indocyanine green (ICG) is a near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent cyanine compound widely used in tumor diagnosis and therapy. Its fluorescent properties allow for the precise intraoperative identification of solid tumors, metastases, and sentinel lymph nodes (SLN). Furthermore, upon light exposure, ICG generates reactive oxygen species (ROS) and thermal effects, making it effective for photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT) to target and destroy malignant tissues. With its excellent imaging and therapeutic capabilities, ICG has become a crucial tool in precision medicine. However, its limited photostability, susceptibility to aggregation, and rapid clearance in vivo hinder its wider application. This review addresses these challenges and reviews various ICG-based nanocarrier technologies developed by researchers to improve the photostability and in vivo stability of ICG, demonstrating the great potential of nanotechnology in enhancing the performance of ICG. In addition, this review also highlights the recent progress of ICG nanopreparations in biomedical applications, emphasizes their versatility as therapeutic and diagnostic tools, and provides a scientific basis and innovative ideas for the future development and applications of ICG in biomedicine.