Abstract
The combined use of positron-emitting tracers and positron emission tomography (PET) provides the most specific and sensitive means for imaging molecular pathways and molecular interactions in vivo. Compared to other forms of medical imaging such as X-ray computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound, PET is greater than 109 times more sensitive for measuring a tracer molecule’s concentration in tissue, allowing sub-picomolar levels to be measured (Jones 1996a). This enables molecular pathways and molecular interactions to be studied with tracer doses of probe molecules without perturbing biological functions. In this regard, PET is seen as having a long-term future in the study of receptors, neurotransmitters, drug binding and general pharmacology.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Cornar D (ed) (1995) PET for drug development and evaluation. Kluwer, Dordrecht, pp 301–326
Cunningham VJ, Jones T (1993) Spectral analysis of dynamic PET studies. J Cereb Blood Flow Metabol 13:15–23
Hume SP, Lammertsma AA, Myers R, Rajeswaran S, Bloomfield PM, Ash-worth S, Flicker RA, Torres EM, Watson I, Jones T (1996) The potential of high resolution positron tomography to monitor striatal dopaminergic function in rat models of disease. J Neurosci Methods 67:103–112
Jones T (1996a) The role of position emission tomography within the spectrum of medical imaging. Eur J Nucl Med 23 (2):207–211
Jones T (1996b) the imaging science of positron emission tomography. Eur J Nucl Med 23 (7):807–813
Jones T, Silbersweig DA, Stern E, Schnorr L, Seaward J, Clark JC, Lammertsma AA, Grootoonk S (1996) The development of in vivo tracer methods to obtain new information about human disease: a study of the hallucinating brain. Eur J Nucl Med 23:332–335
Myers R, Cunningham V, Bailey D, Jones T (eds) (1996) The quantification of brain function using PET. Academic, San Diego
Wagner HN (1995) A new era of certainty. J Nucl Med 36 (8):13N–28N
Weinberg RA (1996) E2F and cell proliferation: a world turned upside down. Cell 85:457–459
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1997 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this paper
Cite this paper
Jones, T. (1997). Future Challenges in the Use of Positron Emission Tomography for In Vivo Molecular Imaging. In: Semmler, W., Schwaiger, M. (eds) Impact of Molecular Biology and New Technical Developments in Diagnostic Imaging. Ernst Schering Research Foundation Workshop, vol 22. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-60844-5_7
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-60844-5_7
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-64581-5
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-60844-5
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive