Emerging Near-Infrared Targeted Imaging Pharmaceutics for Ovarian Cancer

Background: Accurate intraoperative identification of ovarian cancer is challenging, as standard techniques such as visual inspection, palpation, and histopathology often fail to detect microscopic disease. Residual tumor contributes to poor cytoreductive outcomes, high recurrence rates, and chemoresistance. Near-infrared (NIR) imaging using tumor-specific biomarkers has emerged as a promising approach to enhance intraoperative visualization and improve tumor margin delineation. Methods: A focused literature review was conducted using PubMed to identify preclinical and clinical studies evaluating NIR image-guided strategies in ovarian cancer. Studies involving tumor-targeted probes against folate receptor alpha, α3-integrin, mesothelin, and CA125 were included, with emphasis on probe design, delivery, imaging performance, safety, and clinical relevance. Results: Targeted NIR probes consistently demonstrated improved tumor-to-background contrast, higher lesion detection sensitivity, and enhanced intraoperative guidance compared to conventional imaging. Preclinical and early clinical data indicate favorable safety profiles and minimal off-target toxicity. Evidence suggests that NIR-guided surgery may reduce residual disease burden and potentially improve recurrence-free survival. Conclusions: Tumor-specific NIR imaging represents a promising pharmaceutics-based strategy for improving surgical outcomes in ovarian cancer. Despite encouraging results, challenges such as biomarker heterogeneity, limited fluorophore availability, and cost must be addressed. Further large-scale, randomized trials are required to validate efficacy and integrate these approaches into clinical practice.