Cellular & Molecular Imaging

Brief Description: A Glance at Molecular Imaging Research at Vanderbilt

Molecular imaging (MI) is both a rapidly emerging research tool and a clinical discipline aimed at noninvasive, quantitative characterization of in vivo molecular events that occur at cellular and sub-cellular levels. This highly interdisciplinary field is driven by continued advances in imaging hardware, identification of new biologically-relevant imaging targets, and improved imaging probes that are developed from novel chemistries. Undoubtedly, MI will continue to play an increasingly important role in the study of disease, diagnosis, and therapy.

Today, researchers commonly employ MI to characterize the subtleties of disease initiation and progression, as well as to aid in the evaluation of experimental therapeutics. Clinically, MI continues to aid early disease detection, diagnosis, staging, and the evaluation of the efficacy of numerous types of therapy. A short list of the biological processes that can be followed longitudinally with MI includes gene and/or receptor expression, glucose metabolism, proliferation, apoptosis, hypoxia, and angiogenesis (more information below). (Please also visit our Cancer Imaging program web page for further information.

Despite recent advances, the field of MI will not realize its full potential without the development of additional highly-specific MI agents, accompanied by increased understanding of their targeting significance in diseased states. New and improved methodologies are also required. The VUIIS Program in Cellular and Molecular Imaging is committed to take a leading role in advancing all aspects of MI. Projects currently underway include the evaluation of novel MI tracers in small animal models of disease, as well as tracer discovery and development (see our Chemistry and Radiochemistry page for details). Numerous projects transcend the boundaries between basic pre-clinical, translational, and clinical science and include all MI modalities (such as optical, PET, SPECT, ultrasound, and MR imaging).

VUIIS is strongly committed to training the next generation of imaging scientists, emphasizing MI education for students, post-doctoral fellows, and interested faculty. The educational arm of the Program in Cellular and Molecular Imaging is known as the Molecular Imaging Initiative (MII). If you are interested in learning more about Molecular Imaging or are interested in MI training, please visit this page.

Current Projects

• Receptor expression
• Cellular proliferation
• Apoptosis
• Glucose metabolism
• Optical Imaging
• Angiogenesis
• Clinical Trial Modeling
• Novel Imaging Probe Discovery and Development
• Cell metabolism

Vanderbilt In Vivo Cellular and Molecular Imaging Center (ICMIC)

The National Cancer Institute has awarded a $7.5 million grant to VUIIS and the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center to establish a new In Vivo Cellular and Molecular Imaging Center. The ICMIC will provide enhanced scientific and technical resources to develop innovative molecular imaging studes of cancer biology and to advance translational imaging research in cancer care, with a special focus on imaging biomarkers that can be used to predict and measure whether patients respond to specific treatments. This grant supports an outstanding team of investigators from several disciplines and several specialized resources.

For information, click here to visit the ICMIC webpage.