title: Seeing the light in bone metabolism imaging.
abstract: Conventional in vivo imaging of bone metabolism is dominated by gamma-ray bone scintigraphy: a technique in which gamma-ray emissions from radioactively labeled regions of metabolically active bone are mapped. More recently, however, near-infrared fluorescent probes have been developed that optically emulate these radionuclides. Although still in their infancy, techniques based on the use of such functionally targeted fluorophores might one-day offer improved resolution, sensitivity and speed in bone metabolism imaging -- without any of the health risks posed by the internalization of radioactive sources.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, B-1 Stellar-Chance Labs, 422 Curie Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. sourisj@mail.med.upenn.edu
authors.forename: Jeffrey S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Souris
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism*; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D007259:Infrared Rays; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D013669:Technetium Tc 99m Medronate / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D014054:Tomography / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D013669:Technetium Tc 99m Medronate