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Molecular imaging agents: impact on diagnosis and therapeutics in oncology

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 July 2010

Marc E. Seaman ,
Gianmarco Contino ,
Nabeel Bardeesy  and
Kimberly A. Kelly
Marc E. Seaman
Affiliation:
Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Box 800759 Health System, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA.
Gianmarco Contino
Affiliation:
Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA. Division of General Surgery, European Institute of Oncology and University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
Nabeel Bardeesy
Affiliation:
Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
Kimberly A. Kelly*
Affiliation:
Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Box 800759 Health System, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA.
*
*Corresponding author: Kimberly A. Kelly, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Box 800759 Health System, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA. E-mail: kak3x@eservices.virginia.edu
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Abstract

Imaging has become a crucial tool in oncology throughout the course of disease detection and management, and is an integral part of clinical trials. Anatomical and functional imaging led the way, providing valuable information used in the diagnosis of disease, including data regarding the size and location of the tumour and on physiological processes such as blood flow and perfusion. As understanding of cancer pathogenesis has advanced through the identification of genetic, biochemical and cellular alterations in evolving tumours, emphasis has been put on developing methods to detect and serially monitor such alterations. This class of approaches is referred to as molecular imaging. Molecular imaging offers the potential for increasingly sensitive and specific visualisation and quantification of biological processes at the cellular and molecular level. These approaches have become established as essential tools for cancer research, early cancer detection and staging, and monitoring and predicting response to targeted therapies. Here, we discuss recent advances in the development of molecular imaging agents and their implementation in basic cancer research as well as in more rationalised approaches to cancer care.

Type
Review Article
Information
Expert Reviews in Molecular Medicine , Volume 12 , January 2010 , e20
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

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References

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