Evaluating Gene and Cell Therapy

Cardiac imaging modalities such as computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), positron emission tomography (PET), and ultrasound have seen major advances over the past 3 decades. In the clinical setting, these modalities can provide outstanding data regarding organ structure and physiologic function. However, as molecular medicine transitions from bench to bedside in the forms of gene and cellular therapies, novel, noninvasive imaging technologies need to be developed to monitor and evaluate the efficacy of these treatments at the genetic and biochemical levels. This need has given rise to a new and rapidly evolving discipline called “molecular imaging.”1

心脏成像模式，如计算机断层扫描（CT）、磁共振成像（MRI）、单光子发射计算机断层扫描（SPECT）、正电子发射断层扫描（PET）和超声，在过去30年中有了重大进展。在临床环境中，这些模式可以提供有关器官结构和生理功能的出色数据。然而，随着分子医学以基因和细胞疗法的形式从实验室走向临床，需要开发新的无创成像技术，以便在基因和生化水平上监测和评估这些治疗的效果。这种需求催生了一个新的且迅速发展的学科，称为“分子成像”。