Molecular Imaging: A blessing in disguise for tracking promising cell based therapeutics

Authors

Deepak Bhere, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA and Department of Pharmacology, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal University, Manipal, Karnataka, India.Follow
Pim van de Donk, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Udupa Nayanabhirama, Director Research( Health Sciences), Manipal University, Manipal, Karnataka, India and Department of Pharmacy Management, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal University, Manipal, Karnataka, India
Sreedhara Ranganath Pai K, Department of Pharmacology, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal University, Manipal, Karnataka, India

Abstract

Imaging technologies allow assessing of complex structures and underlying dynamic biological processes that take place deep within the human body. A number of imaging modalities that exist today exploit the very depth of the energy spectrum. Light microscopy techniques ranging from confocal to multi-photon to super-resolution fluorescence microscopy, electron microscopy, fluorescence tomography, mass spectrometry imaging, and bioluminescence imaging are widely employed in today’s medical research. Clinical imaging techniques such as X-ray computed tomography (CT), Positron Emission Tomography (PET), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound, and light-based methods [endoscopy and optical coherence tomography (OCT)] are frequently used as a part of clinical diagnostics. The integration of clinical and research modalities is vital to obtain critical information pertaining to therapeutic success of promising therapeutics, particularly in the emerging field of cell based therapies for various medical conditions.

Recommended Citation

Bhere, Deepak; Donk, Pim van de; Nayanabhirama, Udupa; and Pai K, Sreedhara Ranganath (2016) "Molecular Imaging: A blessing in disguise for tracking promising cell based therapeutics," Manipal Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences: Vol. 2: Iss. 2, Article 3.
Available at: https://impressions.manipal.edu/mjps/vol2/iss2/3