Molecular Imaging and Molecular Imaging Technologies

Molecular imaging has become an integral component of modern medicine. Defined by the molecular imaging center of excellence as “the visualization, characterization, and measurement of biological processes at the cellular and molecular level in humans and other living systems”, molecular imaging includes two- or three-dimensional noninvasive imaging as well as the quantification of acquired data over time [1]. Clinically, the importance of molecular imaging is paramount in the study and noninvasive diagnosis of diseases—based on molecular signatures rather than anatomic alterations—which in turn enables early detection of abnormalities and evaluation of new treatment approaches for improved survival rates. James and Gambhir summarized the main advantages of molecular imaging approaches: the possibility of studying cells in their natural environment without any disturbance from outside, the analysis of complex biological processes in real time, the investigation of signaling pathways in vivo, the gaining of information about drug delivery and pharmacokinetics, and the obtaining of multiple data sets in adequate resolution from the same patient over time [2].