Title: Translational Molecular Imaging in Drug Development: Current Status and Challenges
VOLUME: 6 ISSUE: 1
Author(s):Mei Tian and Michael J. Welch
Affiliation:Department of Experimental Diagnostic Imaging, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
Keywords:Translational medicine, imaging, investigational new drugs, animal model
Abstract: Molecular imaging is the visualization, characterization, and measurement of biological processes at the molecular and cellular levels in humans and other living systems. In the past decade, there has been sufficient experience with specifically targeted therapeutic or diagnostic imaging agents that we must begin moving them from bench to bedside. However, crucial prerequisites for the development of safe pre-clinical protocols in molecular imaging research are needed through suitable large animal models since most of previous experiments were carried out on rodents. This review is focus on the translational molecular imaging research on drug development and radiopharmaceutical drug development, animal model selection, experimental design, the obstacle and future challenges of translational molecular imaging.
