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Optical imaging as an expansion of nuclear medicine: Cerenkov-based luminescence vs fluorescence-based luminescence

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Abstract

Integration of optical imaging technologies can further strengthen the field of radioguided surgery. Rather than using two separate chemical entities to achieve this extension, hybrid imaging agents can be used that contain both radionuclear and optical properties. Two types of such hybrid imaging agents are available: (1) hybrid imaging agents generated by Cerenkov luminescence imaging (CLI) of β-emitters and (2) hybrid imaging agents that contain both a radioactive moiety and a fluorescent dye. One major challenge clinicians are now facing is to determine the potential value of these approaches. With this tutorial review we intend to clarify the differences between the two approaches and highlight the clinical potential of hybrid imaging during image-guided surgery applications.

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Acknowledgments

This work was financially supported by the division of Chemical Sciences (CW) of the Dutch Science Foundation (NWO) under grant number VENI 722.011.005 (PC) and NWO-STW-VIDI (Grant No. STW BGT11271; FvL).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Interventional Molecular Imaging Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9600, 2300 RC, Leiden, The Netherlands

    Patrick T. K. Chin, Mick M. Welling, Renato A. Valdes Olmos & Fijs W. B. van Leeuwen

  2. Molecular Materials and Nanosystems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB, Eindhoven, The Netherlands

    Stefan C. J. Meskers

  3. Department of Nuclear Medicine, Netherlands Cancer Institute-Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Renato A. Valdes Olmos

  4. Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9600, 2300 RC, Leiden, The Netherlands

    Hans Tanke

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  1. Patrick T. K. Chin
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Correspondence to Fijs W. B. van Leeuwen.

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Chin, P.T.K., Welling, M.M., Meskers, S.C.J. et al. Optical imaging as an expansion of nuclear medicine: Cerenkov-based luminescence vs fluorescence-based luminescence. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 40, 1283–1291 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-013-2408-9

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