title: Imaging molecular pathways: reporter genes.
abstract: Molecular imaging is a rapidly advancing field that allows cancer biologists to look deeper into the complex inner workings of tumor cells, or whole tumors, in a non-invasive manner. In this review, we will summarize some recent advances that enable investigators to study various important biological processes in tumors in vivo. We will discuss novel imaging approaches that allow investigators to visualize and quantify molecular pathways, such as receptor tyrosine kinase activation, hypoxia signal transduction, apoptosis, and DNA double-strand breaks. Select examples of these applications will be discussed. Because of the limited scope of this review, we will only focus on natural reporters, such as bioluminescence and fluorescent proteins.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brogan
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Wenrong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Zhimin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Chuan-Yuan
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D015687:Cell Hypoxia; D004247:DNA / Q000528:radiation effects; D053903:DNA Breaks, Double-Stranded; D004260:DNA Repair; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000528:radiation effects; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000032:analysis; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit / Q000378:metabolism; D049409:Luciferases, Firefly / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D057054:Molecular Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex / Q000378:metabolism; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D019265:Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared
chemical_list: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; C485197:luciferase, Photinus; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D004247:DNA; D049409:Luciferases, Firefly; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex; D010100:Oxygen