Targeted imaging: an important biomarker for understanding disease progression in the era of personalized medicine

• Published in: Drug discovery today Vol. 13; no. 17; pp. 748 - 759
• Main Authors: Eckelman, William C., Reba, Richard C., Kelloff, Gary J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2008; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Animals; Binding, Competitive - drug effects; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers; Diagnostic Imaging - trends; Disease Progression; General pharmacology; Genetic Diseases, Inborn - diagnosis; Genetic Diseases, Inborn - genetics; Humans; Medical sciences; Mice; Mice, Knockout; Pharmaceutical technology. Pharmaceutical industry; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Positron-Emission Tomography; Radioactive Tracers; Radioisotopes; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; Pharmaceutical technology; Targeting; Biological marker; Review; Radioisotope; Malignant tumor; Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging; Research and development; Target; Surveillance; Distribution; Genetics; Evolution; Medical imagery; Pharmacokinetics; Genome; Mechanism of action; Radioisotopic product; Cancer
• ISSN: 1359-6446; 1878-5832
• DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2008.05.009

The key to applying targeted imaging to personalized medicine is the choice of the right radiolabeled probe for the right target for the right disease following the lead of pharmaceutical development. The imaging approach differs depending on whether the target is a single disease control point (e.g. a specific receptor or transport protein linked to the mechanistic activity of a drug) or a general disease control point applicable to a number of treatment paradigms (e.g. proliferation, angiogenesis, inflammation). But in either case, the number of control points must be small given the time constraints on molecular imaging procedures in the clinic. Regardless of the choice, the radiotracer must be validated as binding to the target with the appropriate pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics for effective external imaging. Such an imaging agent developed in concert with drug development has a built in synergy that will accelerate the drug development process, targeted imaging and personalized medicine as well. The key to applying targeted imaging to personalized medicine is the choice of a radiolabeled probe for a disease control point.