ABSTRACT
This chapter describes recent developments in molecular imaging using magnetic resonance imaging to detect gene activity. Molecular medicine encompasses diagnostics and treatments that are focused specifically on the proteomic and genetic levels. The idea is to induce the expression and assembly of the primary ferritin magnetic resonance imaging reporter in cells using molecular-genetic methods. Cellular therapeutics are currently applied to various diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular, neurological, hematological, and immunological disorders. A wide variety of cell types are being examined for future therapeutic uses, including blood cells, myoblasts, bone marrow cells, cardiomyocytes, chondrocytes, dendritic cells, fibroblasts, hepatocytes, pancreatic islets, keratinocytes, and stem cells. The success of cellular therapeutics, such as immunotherapy and stem cell transfers, can be highly variable among patients, and imaging can provide a means for real-time monitoring of therapeutic progression. Therapeutic cells have enormous potential for treating disease because of their ability to carry out complex functions and their responsiveness to surrounding tissues.
