In vivo imaging of gene and cell therapies.
Molecular imaging can be broadly defined as the in vivo characterization and measurement of biological processes at the cellular and molecular level. In contrast to commonly used clinical imaging, it sets forth to probe the molecular abnormalities that are the basis of disease, rather than imaging the end effects of these molecular alterations. Development of new imaging technologies requires a multidisciplinary collaboration between biologists, chemists, physicists, and imaging scientists to create novel agents, signal amplification strategies, and imaging techniques that successfully address these questions. In this article we attempt to present some of the recent developments and show how molecular imaging can be used, at least experimentally, to assess specific molecular targets for gene- and cell-based therapies. In particular, we place emphasis on the development and use of experimental small-animal models, which are particularly inclined toward this approach, primarily in combination with magnetic resonance (MR), radionuclide, and optical imaging. In the future, specific imaging of disease targets will allow earlier detection and characterization of disease, as well as earlier and direct molecular assessment of treatment efficacy.
Allport
J R
JR
Center for Molecular Imaging Research, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02129, USA. jaanders@helix.mgh.harvard.edu
Weissleder
R
R
D000818:Animals; D002465:Cell Movement; D064987:Cell- and Tissue-Based Therapy; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D005290:Ferric Compounds / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D005544:Forecasting; D015870:Gene Expression; D015696:Gene Products, tat / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D015316:Genetic Therapy; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D008853:Microscopy; D023421:Models, Animal; D021382:Protein Sorting Signals; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013194:Staining and Labeling / Q000379:methods; D014054:Tomography; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014465:Ultrasonics
D005290:Ferric Compounds; D015696:Gene Products, tat; D021382:Protein Sorting Signals; C000499:ferric oxide