title: Molecular optical imaging with radioactive probes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Optical imaging (OI) techniques such as bioluminescence and fluorescence imaging have been widely used to track diseases in a non-invasive manner within living subjects. These techniques generally require bioluminescent and fluorescent probes. Here we demonstrate the feasibility of using radioactive probes for in vivo molecular OI.
  
  
  RESULTS
  By taking the advantages of low energy window of light (1.2-3.1 eV, 400-1000 nm) resulting from radiation, radionuclides that emit charged particles such as beta(+) and beta(-) can be successfully imaged with an OI instrument. In vivo optical images can be obtained for several radioactive probes including 2-deoxy-2-[(18)F]fluoro-D-glucose ([(18)F]FDG), Na(18)F, Na(131)I, (90)YCl(3) and a (90)Y labeled peptide that specifically target tumors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These studies demonstrate generalizability of radioactive OI technique. It provides a new molecular imaging strategy and will likely have significant impact on both small animal and clinical imaging.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford, Department of Radiology and Bio-X Program, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Hongguang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Zheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Miao
authors.forename: Xiaofen
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xiaodong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Peizhen
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Sanjiv S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Gambhir
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Cheng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes / Q000494:pharmacology; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D055095:Optics and Photonics; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012969:Sodium Fluoride / Q000494:pharmacology; D012974:Sodium Iodide / Q000494:pharmacology; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon / Q000379:methods; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods; D015019:Yttrium / Q000494:pharmacology; D015021:Yttrium Radioisotopes / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D015021:Yttrium Radioisotopes; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; C064782:yttrium chloride; D015019:Yttrium; D012969:Sodium Fluoride; D012974:Sodium Iodide