Molecular imaging is a symbiosis of chemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology, physiologic modeling and imaging physics. The standard of knowledge is moving from observations using test-tubes and Petri dishes to multifaceted visualizations of the chemical, and physical properties of life in situ. Our group supports the rapid evolution of molecular imaging technologies through the development of biospecific imaging agents. Advances in radiologic and nuclear magnetic resonance imaging technologies will continue to enable new paradigms in tracer and contrast agent design for noninvasive assessment of biochemical processes in the living body. The goal of each of our projects is to make "smart" molecules that provide sensitive and specific information on a biochemical process.
Specific areas of interest in our laboratory include:
- Development of PET techniques for monitoring of myocardial and liver substrate metabolism.
- Development of PET techniques for imaging of cancer.
Specific areas of interest include myocardial substrate metabolism, phospholipid processing in cancer cells, and neurochemical imaging. Our lab develops novel PET radiopharmaceuticals used in the PET imaging for diagnosis and therapy monitoring of cancers. We develop PET radiotracers that target biochemical processes that are altered in neoplasms. We have focussed on small molecular substrate molecules such as analogs of glucose, fatty acids, and choline. Our work with fluorine-18 labeled choline has shown particular promise for imaging of prostate cancer.
