Bacterial infections are the main cause of patient morbidity and mortality worldwide. Diagnosis can be difficult and delayed as well as the identification of the etiological pathogen, necessary for... Show moreBacterial infections are the main cause of patient morbidity and mortality worldwide. Diagnosis can be difficult and delayed as well as the identification of the etiological pathogen, necessary for a tailored antibiotic therapy. Several non-invasive diagnostic procedures are available, all with pros and cons. Molecular nuclear medicine has highly contributed in this field by proposing several different radiopharmaceuticals (antimicrobial peptides, leukocytes, cytokines, antibiotics, sugars, etc.) but none proved to be highly specific for bacteria, although many agents in development look promising. Indeed, factors including the number and strain of bacteria, the infection site, and the host condition, may affect the specificity of the tested radiopharmaceuticals. At the Third European Congress on Infection/Inflammation Imaging, a round table discussion was dedicated to debate the pros and cons of different radiopharmaceuticals for imaging bacteria with the final goal to find a consensus on the most relevant research steps that should be fulfilled when testing a new probe, based on experience and cumulative published evidence. Show less
Welling, M.M.; Duijvestein, M.; Signore, A.; Weerd, L. van der 2011
Studies on stem cell are rapidly developing since these cells have great therapeutic potential for numerous diseases and has generated much promise as well as confusion due to contradictory results... Show moreStudies on stem cell are rapidly developing since these cells have great therapeutic potential for numerous diseases and has generated much promise as well as confusion due to contradictory results. Major questions in this research field have been raised as to how and in which numbers stem cells home to target tissues after administration, whether the cells engraft and differentiate, and what their long-term fate is. To answer these questions, reliable in vivo tracking techniques are essential. In vivo molecular imaging techniques using magnetic resonance imaging, bioluminescence, and scintigraphy have been applied for this purpose in experimental studies. The aim of this review is to discuss various radiolabeling techniques for early stem cell tracking, the need for validation of viability and performance of the cells after labeling, and the routes of administration in experimental animal models. In addition, we evaluate current problems and directions related to stem cell tracking using radiolabels, including a possible role for their clinical implementation. J. Cell. Physiol. 226: 1444-1452, 2011. (C) 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. Show less
Welling, M.M.; Duijvestein, M.; Signore, A.; Weerd, L. van der 2010
