Multimodale Tumorcharakterisierung mit PET/MRT: Korrelation von Tumorperfusion und 18F-FDG-Aufnahme bei Patienten mit NSCLC

Clinical use of cardiac PET/MRI: current state-of-the-art and potential future applications

Combined PET/MRI is a novel imaging method integrating the advances of functional and morphological MR imaging with PET applications that include assessment of myocardial viability, perfusion, metabolism of inflammatory tissue and tumors, as well as amyloid deposition imaging. As such, PET/MRI is a promising tool to detect and characterize ischemic and non-ischemic cardiomyopathies. To date, the greatest benefit may be expected for diagnostic evaluation of systemic diseases and cardiac masses that remain unclear in cardiac MRI, as well as for clinical and scientific studies in the setting of ischemic cardiomyopathies. Diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring of cardiac sarcoidosis has the potential of a possible 'killer-application' for combined cardiac PET/MRI. In this article, we review the current evidence and discuss current and potential future applications of cardiac PET/MRI.

Detection of vulnerable atherosclerosis plaques with a dual-modal single-photon-emission computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging probe targeting apoptotic macrophages

Atherosclerosis (AS), especially the vulnerable AS plaque rupture-induced acute obstructive vascular disease, is a leading cause of death. Accordingly, there is a need for an effective method to draw accurate predictions about AS progression and plaque vulnerability. Herein we report on an approach to constructing a hybrid nanoparticle system using a single-photon-emission computed tomography (SPECT)/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) multimodal probe, aiming for a comprehensive evaluation of AS progression by achieving high sensitivity along with high resolution. Ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide (USPIO) was covered by aminated poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and carboxylated PEG simultaneously and then functionalized with diethylenetriaminepentacetate acid for (99m)Tc coordination and subsequently Annexin V for targeting apoptotic macrophages abundant in vulnerable plaques. The in vivo accumulations of imaging probe reflected by SPECT and MRI were consistent and accurate in highlighting lesions. Intense radioactive signals detected by SPECT facilitated focus recognization and quantification, while USPIO-based T2-weighted MRI improved the focal localization and volumetry of AS plaques. For subsequent ex vivo planar images, targeting effects were further confirmed by immunohistochemistry, including CD-68 and TUNEL staining; meanwhile, the degree of concentration was proven to be statistically correlated with the Oil Red O staining results. In conclusion, these results indicated that the Annexin V-modified hybrid nanoparticle system specifically targeted the vulnerable AS plaques containing apoptotic macrophages and could be of great value in the invasively accurate detection of vulnerable plaques.