Radionuclide-activated luminescence for cancer theranostics.

Within dielectric media, charged particles emitted from medical radionuclides induce polarization of surrounding molecules, which subsequently generate Cerenkov luminescence (CL) upon returning to their ground state. This CL emission confers clinically approved radiotracers with distinctive potential for applications in phototheranostics. However, the utility of CL in vivo has been severely constrained by its ultraviolet-weighted emission spectrum and extremely low photon flux, particularly in living imaging and triggering photodynamic therapy.