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Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Sep 2020Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is defined by a chronic relapsing and remitting inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, with intestinal fibrosis being a major... (Review)
Review
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is defined by a chronic relapsing and remitting inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, with intestinal fibrosis being a major complication. The etiology of IBD remains unknown, but it is thought to arise from a dysregulated and excessive immune response to gut luminal microbes triggered by genetic and environmental factors. To date, IBD has no cure, and treatments are currently directed at relieving symptoms and treating inflammation. The current diagnostic of IBD relies on endoscopy, which is invasive and does not provide information on the presence of extraluminal complications and molecular aspect of the disease. Cross-sectional imaging modalities such as computed tomography enterography (CTE), magnetic resonance enterography (MRE), positron emission tomography (PET), single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), and hybrid modalities have demonstrated high accuracy for the diagnosis of IBD and can provide both functional and morphological information when combined with the use of molecular imaging probes. This review presents the state-of-the-art imaging techniques and molecular imaging approaches in the field of IBD and points out future directions that could help improve our understanding of IBD pathological processes, along with the development of efficient treatments.
Topics: Fibrosis; Gastrointestinal Tract; Humans; Inflammation; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases; Intestines; Molecular Imaging; Multimodal Imaging
PubMed: 32793946
DOI: 10.1093/ibd/izaa213 -
Nature Reviews. Nephrology Oct 2021In nephrology, differential diagnosis or assessment of disease activity largely relies on the analysis of glomerular filtration rate, urinary sediment, proteinuria and... (Review)
Review
In nephrology, differential diagnosis or assessment of disease activity largely relies on the analysis of glomerular filtration rate, urinary sediment, proteinuria and tissue obtained through invasive kidney biopsies. However, currently available non-invasive functional parameters, and most serum and urine biomarkers, cannot capture intrarenal molecular disease processes specifically. Moreover, although histopathological analyses of kidney biopsy samples enable the visualization of pathological morphological and molecular alterations, they only provide information about a small part of the kidney and do not allow longitudinal monitoring. These limitations not only hinder understanding of the dynamics of specific disease processes in the kidney, but also limit the targeting of treatments to active phases of disease and the development of novel targeted therapies. Molecular imaging enables non-invasive and quantitative assessment of physiological or pathological processes by combining imaging technologies with specific molecular probes. Here, we discuss current preclinical and clinical molecular imaging approaches in nephrology. Non-invasive visualization of the kidneys through molecular imaging can be used to detect and longitudinally monitor disease activity and can therefore provide companion diagnostics to guide clinical trials, as well as the safe and effective use of drugs.
Topics: Humans; Kidney Diseases; Molecular Imaging
PubMed: 34188207
DOI: 10.1038/s41581-021-00440-4 -
Journal of Nuclear Medicine : Official... Apr 2021Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a pivotal role in many cellular processes and can be either beneficial or harmful. The design of ROS-sensitive fluorophores has... (Review)
Review
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a pivotal role in many cellular processes and can be either beneficial or harmful. The design of ROS-sensitive fluorophores has allowed for imaging of specific activity and has helped elucidate mechanisms of action for ROS. Understanding the oxidative role of ROS in the many roles it plays allows us to understand the human body. This review provides a concise overview of modern advances in the field of ROS imaging. Indeed, much has been learned about the role of ROS throughout the years; however, it has recently been shown that using nanoparticles, rather than individual small organic fluorophores, for ROS imaging can further our understanding of ROS.
Topics: Humans; Molecular Imaging; Reactive Oxygen Species
PubMed: 33384322
DOI: 10.2967/jnumed.120.245415 -
Kidney International Sep 2017In this review, we will highlight technologies that enable scientists to study the molecular characteristics of tissues and/or cells without the need for antibodies or... (Review)
Review
In this review, we will highlight technologies that enable scientists to study the molecular characteristics of tissues and/or cells without the need for antibodies or other labeling techniques. Specifically, we will focus on matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization imaging mass spectrometry, infrared spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy.
Topics: Humans; Kidney; Kidney Diseases; Molecular Imaging; Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; Spectrophotometry, Infrared; Spectrum Analysis, Raman; Vibration
PubMed: 28750926
DOI: 10.1016/j.kint.2017.03.052 -
Circulation. Cardiovascular Imaging Feb 2018Noninvasive imaging has played an increasing role in the process of cardiovascular drug development. This review focuses specifically on the use of molecular imaging,... (Review)
Review
Noninvasive imaging has played an increasing role in the process of cardiovascular drug development. This review focuses specifically on the use of molecular imaging, which has been increasingly applied to improve and accelerate certain preclinical steps in drug development, including the identification of appropriate therapeutic targets, evaluation of on-target and off-target effects of candidate therapies, assessment of dose response, and the evaluation of drug or biological biodistribution and pharmacodynamics. Unlike the case in cancer medicine, in cardiovascular medicine, molecular imaging has not been used as a primary surrogate clinical end point for drug approval. However, molecular imaging has been applied in early clinical trials, particularly in phase 0 studies, to demonstrate proof-of-concept or to explain variation in treatment effect. Many of these applications where molecular imaging has been used in drug development have involved the retasking of technologies that were originally intended as clinical diagnostics. With greater experience and recognition of the rich information provided by in vivo molecular imaging, it is anticipated that it will increasingly be used to address the enormous time and costs associated with bringing a new drug to clinical launch.
Topics: Cardiovascular Diseases; Drug Approval; Drug Discovery; Humans; Molecular Imaging
PubMed: 29449411
DOI: 10.1161/CIRCIMAGING.117.005355 -
International Journal of Molecular... Feb 2022Personalized medicine is emerging as a new goal in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. This approach aims to establish differences between patients suffering from... (Review)
Review
Personalized medicine is emerging as a new goal in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. This approach aims to establish differences between patients suffering from the same disease, which allows to choose the most effective treatment. Molecular imaging (MI) enables advanced insight into molecule interactions and disease pathology, improving the process of diagnosis and therapy and, for that reason, plays a crucial role in personalized medicine. Nanoparticles are widely used in MI techniques due to their size, high surface area to volume ratio, and multifunctional properties. After conjugation to specific ligands and drugs, nanoparticles can transport therapeutic compounds directly to their area of action and therefore may be used in theranostics-the simultaneous implementation of treatment and diagnostics. This review summarizes different MI techniques, including optical imaging, ultrasound imaging, magnetic resonance imaging, nuclear imaging, and computed tomography imaging with theranostics nanoparticles. Furthermore, it explores the potential use of constructs that enables multimodal imaging and track diseases in real time.
Topics: Drug Delivery Systems; Humans; Molecular Imaging; Multimodal Imaging; Nanoparticles; Nanotechnology
PubMed: 35269797
DOI: 10.3390/ijms23052658 -
European Journal of Nuclear Medicine... Dec 2019Our understanding on human neurodegenerative disease was previously limited to clinical data and inferences about the underlying pathology based on histopathological... (Review)
Review
Our understanding on human neurodegenerative disease was previously limited to clinical data and inferences about the underlying pathology based on histopathological examination. Animal models and in vitro experiments have provided evidence for a cell-autonomous and a non-cell-autonomous mechanism for the accumulation of neuropathology. Combining modern neuroimaging tools to identify distinct neural networks (connectomics) with target-specific positron emission tomography (PET) tracers is an emerging and vibrant field of research with the potential to examine the contributions of cell-autonomous and non-cell-autonomous mechanisms to the spread of pathology. The evidence provided here suggests that both cell-autonomous and non-cell-autonomous processes relate to the observed in vivo characteristics of protein pathology and neurodegeneration across the disease spectrum. We propose a synergistic model of cell-autonomous and non-cell-autonomous accounts that integrates the most critical factors (i.e., protein strain, susceptible cell feature and connectome) contributing to the development of neuronal dysfunction and in turn produces the observed clinical phenotypes. We believe that a timely and longitudinal pursuit of such research programs will greatly advance our understanding of the complex mechanisms driving human neurodegenerative diseases.
Topics: Animals; Connectome; Humans; Molecular Imaging; Neurodegenerative Diseases
PubMed: 31292699
DOI: 10.1007/s00259-019-04394-5 -
Seminars in Nuclear Medicine Jan 2016Metabolic imaging is a field of molecular imaging that focuses and targets changes in metabolic pathways for the evaluation of different clinical conditions. Targeting... (Review)
Review
Metabolic imaging is a field of molecular imaging that focuses and targets changes in metabolic pathways for the evaluation of different clinical conditions. Targeting and quantifying metabolic changes noninvasively is a powerful approach to facilitate diagnosis and evaluate therapeutic response. This review addresses only techniques targeting metabolic pathways. Other molecular imaging strategies, such as affinity or receptor imaging or microenvironment-dependent methods are beyond the scope of this review. Here we describe the current state of the art in clinically translatable metabolic imaging modalities. Specifically, we focus on PET and MR spectroscopy, including conventional (1)H- and (13)C-MR spectroscopy at thermal equilibrium and hyperpolarized MRI. In this article, we first provide an overview of metabolic pathways that are altered in many pathologic conditions and the corresponding probes and techniques used to study those alterations. We then describe the application of metabolic imaging to several common diseases, including cancer, neurodegeneration, cardiac ischemia, and infection or inflammation.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Metabolism; Molecular Imaging; Positron-Emission Tomography
PubMed: 26687855
DOI: 10.1053/j.semnuclmed.2015.09.004 -
The International Journal of... Aug 2018The recent surge in spectroscopic Single-Molecule Localization Microscopy (sSMLM) offers exciting new capabilities for combining single molecule imaging and... (Review)
Review
The recent surge in spectroscopic Single-Molecule Localization Microscopy (sSMLM) offers exciting new capabilities for combining single molecule imaging and spectroscopic analysis. Through the synergistic integration of super-resolution optical microscopy and single-molecule spectroscopy, sSMLM offers combined strengths from both fields. By capturing the full spectra of single molecule fluorescent emissions, sSMLM can distinguish minute spectroscopic variations from individual fluorescent molecules while preserving nanoscopic spatial localization precision. It can significantly extend the coding space for multi-molecule super-resolution imaging. Furthermore, it has the potential to detect spectroscopic variations in fluorescence emission associated with molecular interactions, which further enables probing local chemical and biochemical inhomogeneities of the nano-environments. In this review, we seek to explain the working principle of sSMLM technologies and the status of sSMLM techniques towards new super-resolution imaging applications.
Topics: Amyloid beta-Peptides; Animals; COS Cells; Chlorocebus aethiops; Fluorescent Dyes; Humans; Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; Lipid Bilayers; Microscopy, Fluorescence; Molecular Imaging; Oxazines; Rhodamines; Single Molecule Imaging; alpha-Synuclein
PubMed: 29874548
DOI: 10.1016/j.biocel.2018.06.002 -
Current Opinion in Chemical Biology Aug 2018By acoustically detecting the optical absorption contrast, photoacoustic (PA) tomography (PAT) has broken the penetration limits of traditional high-resolution optical... (Review)
Review
By acoustically detecting the optical absorption contrast, photoacoustic (PA) tomography (PAT) has broken the penetration limits of traditional high-resolution optical imaging. Through spectroscopic analysis of the target's optical absorption, PAT can identify a wealth of endogenous and exogenous molecules and thus is inherently capable of molecular imaging with high sensitivity. PAT's molecular sensitivity is uniquely accompanied by non-ionizing radiation, high spatial resolution, and deep penetration in biological tissues, which other optical imaging modalities cannot achieve yet. In this concise review, we summarize the most recent technological advancements in PA molecular imaging and highlight the novel molecular probes specifically made for PAT in deep tissues. We conclude with a brief discussion of the opportunities for future advancements.
Topics: Animals; Equipment Design; Humans; Molecular Imaging; Molecular Probes; Photoacoustic Techniques; Tomography
PubMed: 29631120
DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2018.03.016