Metal nanoparticles have demonstrated broad and promising biomedical applications in research laboratories, but how to fulfill their promises in the clinical practices demands extensive effort to minimize their non-specific accumulation in the body. In the past 6 years, we have developed a class of renal clearable noble metal nanoparticles with tunable visible and near-infrared emission, which can behave like small molecular contrast agents to be effectively eliminated through the kidneys. By taking advantage of the unique clearance pathway, we were able to gain some fundamental understanding of how engineering nanoparticles cleared out of the body through urinary system. Moreover, they also provided unique opportunities in early cancer detection and kidney functional imaging that were often challenging to be achieved with non-renal clearable nanoparticles and small molecular probes. In this review, we summarize key factors that govern in the renal clearance of luminescent noble metal nanoparticles and their strengths in cancer targeting and kidney functional imaging. At the end, we also outline several key challenges that need to be addressed before they can be considered in the clinical practices. WIREs Nanomed Nanobiotechnol 2017, 9:e1453. doi: 10.1002/wnan.1453 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
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