Speaker
Prof.
David Townsend
(University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine)
Description
From autoradiography to planar X-rays, Computed Tomography (CT) and Magnetic
Resonance (MR), morphology and structure has been the mainstay of biological and
medical imaging for over a century. While structural changes may suggest the
presence of disease, functional changes are more sensitive indicators of early-
stage pathology, and where cancer is concerned, early detection is the key to a
favorable prognosis. Since molecular imaging offers the potential to
quantitatively image functional changes in vivo, it is assuming an increasingly
important role in the identification, staging and re-staging of human disease.
Specifically, Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and Single Photon Emission
Computed Tomography (SPECT) are sensitive techniques to map human physiology non-
invasively through the use of high-resolution imaging devices and appropriate
radioactively-labeled biomarkers. However, such metabolic maps do not offer the
structural detail associated with anatomical imaging techniques such as CT and MR
and therefore dual modality devices such as PET/CT, SPECT/CT or PET/MR that combine
both structural and functional information offer a more complete and accurate
assessment of the status of disease. Within the past five years, the introduction
and rapid adoption of dual modality imaging technology has significantly impacted
the medical imaging field. Building on these developments for human imaging,
microCT, microSPECT and microPET scanners with sub-millimeter resolution have
essentially replaced conventional autoradiography for studies of disease models
involving small and medium-sized animals. This presentation will assess the role
of multimodality instrumentation within the context of translational research from
animal models to human disease, with particular emphasis on cancer. Some recent
developments and future directions of multi-modality imaging technology will be
highlighted.
Author
Prof.
David Townsend
(University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine)