As an emerging technology, molecular imaging combines advanced imaging
technology with cellular and molecular biology to highlight physiological or
pathological processes in living organisms at the cellular level. The main advantage of
in vivo molecular imaging is its ability to characterize pathologies of diseased tissues
without invasive biopsies or surgical procedures. Such technology provides great hope
for personalized medicine and drug development, as it can potentially detect diseases in
early stages (screening), identify the extent of a disease/anomaly, help to apply directed
therapy, or measure the molecular-specific effects of a given treatment. Molecular
imaging requires the combination of high-resolution/sensitive instruments with targeted
imaging agents that correlate the signal with a given molecular event. In ongoing
preclinical studies, new molecular targets, which are characteristic of given diseases,
have been identified, and as a consequence, sophisticated multifunctional probes are in
perpetual development. In this context, the discovery of new emerging chemical
technologies and nanotechnology has stimulated the discovery of innovative
compounds, such as multimodal molecular imaging probes, which are multiplex
systems that combine targeting moieties with molecules detectable by different
imaging modalities.
Keywords: Contrast agents, Diagnostic, Drug delivery, Imaging, Magnetic resonance imaging, Molecular imaging, MRI, Nanoparticles, Nuclear medicine, Optical imaging, PET, Polymers, SPECT, Targeting, Theragnostic, Therapy, Ultrasounds.
