Molecular imaging can effectively diagnose and follow disease processes at the molecular and cellular level in a non-invasive manner. This is an extremely powerful method, enabling whole-body visualization, thus avoiding sampling error and dilution effects. Among the molecular imaging techniques, positron emission tomography (PET) is the most sensitive method and truly quantitative. PET can be combined with CT as PET/CT, a method that has become indispensable for diagnosing and treating patients with cancer. Recently PET/MRI was introduced, allowing for anatomical and simultaneous functional imaging with two modalities. Though PET has mainly been used within oncology and cardiovascular diseases, its potential to identify and follow the development of infection, inflammation and rejection processes is relatively poorly studied.
Goals
To bring together expertise necessary for supporting PERSIMUNE in the use of advanced imaging within infection, inflammation and rejection as well as pursue development of new imaging tools.
Tasks
Within the concept of PERSIMUNE Imaging we have a number of on-going, soon-to-start and future trials.
Among such projects are:
• Retrospective analysis of the use of PET/CT in immunocompromised patients (ongoing)
• Evaluate available, non-FDG PET tracers in immunocompromised patients as well as more general in infection, inflammation and rejection.
• Develop new specific tracers for visualization of immune response.
• Implement molecular imaging (prospective trial) in the surveillance of immunocompromised patient based on an individual risk profile.
Lead researchers