title: Molecular and functional imaging technology for the development of efficient treatment strategies for gliomas.
abstract: Gliomas are the most common types of brain tumors, which invariably lead to death over months or years. Before new and potentially more effective treatment strategies, such as gene therapy, can be effectively introduced into clinical application the following goals must be reached: (1) the determination of localization, extent and metabolic activity of the glioma; (2) the assessment of functional changes within the surrounding brain tissue; (3) the identification of genetic changes on the molecular level leading to disease; and in addition (4) a detailed non-invasive analysis of both endogenous and exogenous gene expression in animal models and in the clinical setting. Non-invasive imaging of endogenous gene expression by means of positron emission tomography (PET) may reveal insight into the molecular basis of pathogenesis and metabolic activity of the glioma and the extent of treatment response. When exogenous genes are introduced to serve for a therapeutic function, PET imaging techniques may reveal the assessment of the location, magnitude and duration of therapeutic gene expression and its relation to the therapeutic effect. Here, we review the main principles of PET imaging and its key roles in neurooncology research.
authors.affiliation: Max Planck-Institute for Neurological Research, Center of Molecular Medicine (ZMMK), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany. Andreas.Jacobs@pet.mpin-koeln.mpg.de
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Jacobs
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Winkler
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dittmar
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gossman
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Deckert
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kracht
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Thiel
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Garlip
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hilker
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sobesky
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vollmar
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kummer
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Graf
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Voges
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wienhard
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Herholz
authors.forename: W D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Heiss
mesh_terms: D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000628:therapy; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D015870:Gene Expression; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D005910:Glioma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008715:Methionine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed
chemical_list: D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D008715:Methionine; C038344:methionine methyl ester