Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology - Volume 13, Issue 4, 2012

During recent years there has been tremendous progress in understanding the molecular mechanisms of diseases and many new therapeutics has been developed that directly interfere with molecular pathways. The use of these disease-specific treatments can improve therapy outcome and significantly decrease side effects, which leads to a better life quality of the patient. On the other hand, there is increasing risk of exposi Read More

In cancer imaging, many different modalities are used that each have their specific features, leading to the combined use of different techniques for the detection, staging and treatment evaluation of cancer. Optical imaging using near-infrared fluorescence light is a new imaging modality that has recently emerged in the field of cancer imaging. After extensive preclinical research, the first steps of translation to the clinical prac Read More

For centuries, biological discoveries were based on optical imaging, in particular microscopy but also several chromophoric assays and photographic approaches. With the recent emergence of methods appropriate for bio-marker in vivo staining, such as bioluminescence, fluorescent molecular probes and proteins, as well as nanoparticle-based targeted agents, significant attention has been shifted toward in vivo inter Read More

Molecular imaging of disease development, progression and treatment is seen as key to further advancement in the understanding and triumph over illness. The role of enzymes is to catalyze the biochemical reactions that help regulate health, and when dysregulated in complex organisms lead to or indicate disease. The ability to image the action of these proteins for diagnostic purposes opens a window for the researcher Read More

Fluorescent proteins have revolutionized in vivo biology. Due to their intrinsic brightness, multiple colors, and ease of genetic manipulation, fluorescent proteins have been demonstrated to be the reporters of choice for in vivo imaging. The present report reviews applications of fluorescent proteins for imaging cancer progression, gene expression, angiogenesis, stem cells, bacterial infection, Leishmania infection Read More

For the development of a surgical mesh implant that is visible in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), superparamagnetic iron oxides (SPIOs) are integrated into the material of the mesh. In order to get a high quality mesh regarding both mechanical and imaging properties, a narrow size distribution and homogenous spatial distribution, as well as a strong magnetization of SPIOs within the filament of the mesh are required Read More

Tumor hypoxia is the result of an inadequate supply of oxygen to tumor cells which can be caused by multiple factors. It is associated with aggressive local tumor growth and invasion, increased risk of metastasis, higher resistance to radiotherapy (RT) and chemotherapy, overall resulting in a poor clinical prognosis. Many locally advanced solid tumors may exhibit hypoxic and/or anoxic tissue areas that are hetero Read More

Molecular imaging of biological processes may allow detection of therapy effects before the tumor is reduced in size. The most frequently used PET tracer in oncology, 2-[18F]fluoro-2-deoxyglucose (FDG), suffers from low specificity due to uptake in inflammatory cells. The proliferation marker, 3'-[18F]fluoro-3'-deoxy-L-thymidine (FLT), is less influenced by the inflammatory response following therapy but here disease- and drug- Read More

Bone is among the most common locations of metastasis and therefore represents an important clinical target for diagnostic follow-up in cancer patients. In the pathogenesis of bone metastases, disseminated tumor cells proliferating in bone interact with the local microenvironment stimulating or inhibiting osteoclast and osteoblast activity. Non-invasive imaging methods monitor molecular, functional and morphologic Read More

Angiogenesis is a complex multistep process and a crucial pre-requisite for tumor growth, invasion and metastasis. A profound knowledge of the mechanisms including the elucidation of markers for angiogenic vessels is essential for the generation of new anti-angiogenic chemotherapeutic agents and the improvement of specific imaging techniques. During the last decades, numerous angiogenesis inhibitors have been deve Read More

Nanomedicine formulations are considered to be superior to standard low-molecular-weight drugs because of an increased drug accumulation at the pathological site and a decreased localization to healthy non-target tissues, together leading to an improved balance between the efficacy and the toxicity of (chemo-) therapeutic interventions. To better understand and further improve nanomedicine-mediated drug targeting, it i Read More