| Abstract: |
Molecular imaging has undergone a revolution over the latest decade. This was largely due to improved technology involving all the major imaging modalities used for clinical diagnosis – magnetic resonance imaging, computed and positron emission tomography. All of these together with more profound understanding of the regulatory and molecular biological mechanisms of cancer led to development and studies of new therapeutic methods, such as gene and cell therapy. One of the promising modes of indirect molecular genetic imaging is use of nuclear reporter genes in combination with specific radiolabeled probes. Use of this noninvasive method will make it possible to evaluate biological processes by analyzing the location, magnitude, and duration of the reporter gene expression by positron emission tomography and presumably by other methods of nuclear medicine. Among the most promising and commonly used reporter genes are wild type and mutant herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase (HSV1-tk). © 2011, Fund - Doctors, Innovations,Science for Children. All rights reserved. |
