Molecular Nuclear Imaging for Targeting and Trafficking

Noninvasive molecular targeting in living subjects is highly demanded for efficient delivery of drugs, genes, or radionuclides in the course of diagnosing or treating diseases. Nuclear medicine has been used for decades to evaluate in vivo biochemistry using organor cell-specific radiopharmaceuticals such as iodine for thyroid follicular cells. Recent progress in molecular biology provides tools for unveiling secrets of intraor inter-cellular events including gene transfer. Molecular nuclear imaging uses those tools to trace molecular events in living animals or in the human. Molecular biology also has produced advanced cell therapy technologies. Stem cells are expected to treat various otherwise incurable diseases. For a proper selection of time and number of cells, trafficking of administered cells is needed. Molecular nuclear imaging technology using luminescent or radioactive photons is most suitable for the purpose. Fig. 1 illustrates the concept of targeting and trafficking. 2. METHODS AND RESULTS IN NUCLEAR IMAGING EXPERIMENTS OF TARGETING AND TRAFFICKING