title: Applications of molecular imaging.
abstract: Today molecular imaging technologies play a central role in clinical oncology. The use of imaging techniques in early cancer detection, treatment response, and new therapy development is steadily growing and has already significantly impacted on clinical management of cancer. In this chapter, we overview three different molecular imaging technologies used for the understanding of disease biomarkers, drug development, or monitoring therapeutic outcome. They are (1) optical imaging (bioluminescence and fluorescence imaging), (2) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and (3) nuclear imaging (e.g., single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET)). We review the use of molecular reporters of biological processes (e.g., apoptosis and protein kinase activity) for high-throughput drug screening and new cancer therapies, diffusion MRI as a biomarker for early treatment response and PET and SPECT radioligands in oncology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Michigan, Center for Molecular Imaging, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
authors.forename: Craig J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Galbán
authors.forename: Stefanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Galbán
authors.forename: Marcian E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Van Dort
authors.forename: Gary D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Luker
authors.forename: Mahaveer S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Bhojani
authors.forename: Alnawaz
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rehemtulla
authors.forename: Brian D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Ross
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D057054:Molecular Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D055096:Optical Devices; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging