Advances in Photoacoustic Imaging for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Therapy

Photoacoustic imaging has emerged as a rapidly growing, non-invasive imaging approach that combines light and sound to create detailed images of biological tissues. It offers deep tissue penetration, high resolution, and the ability to capture both structural and functional information of tissues. This technique enables real-time visualization of cellular activity, vascular development, and tissue remodelling without the risks associated with ionizing radiation. With advancements in different imaging modalities, such as photoacoustic computed tomography, optical-resolution photoacoustic microscopy, acoustic-resolution photoacoustic microscopy, and ultrasound-guided systems, along with the use of contrast agents and multispectral imaging, photoacoustic techniques are becoming valuable tools for both research and clinical applications. This chapter provides an in-depth comprehensive overview of various applications of photoacoustic imaging, particularly those focused on regenerative medicine and stem cell therapy.