ABSTRACT
I. Introduction 210
II. Platforms for Gene Expression Imaging 210
A. Radionuclide-Based Methods 210
PET 210
Non-PET 211
B. Optical Imaging 211
C. Magnetic Resonance Imaging 212
III. Strategies for Gene Expression Imaging 213
A. Endogenous Gene Expression 213
B. Exogenous Gene Expression 214
C. PET Imaging for Reporter Gene Expression 214
IV. Gene Expression Studies of the Lungs with PET 219
A. PET Imaging to Detect the Time-Course of Transgene
Expression in the Lungs 219
B. PET Imaging to Evaluate Methods of Vector
Delivery to the Lungs 221
C. PET Imaging to Evaluate the Intrapulmonary Distribution of
Transgene Expression 222
D. Quantitation of Reporter Gene Expression in the Lungs
with PET Imaging 224
V. Applications 229
References 230
I. Introduction
The possibility and promise of being able to follow the expression of biology
modifying genes noninvasively in whole animals, including humans, is one of
the most exciting aspects of the developing revolution in “molecular imaging.”
So far, most studies of “gene expression imaging” follow the expression of
target genes via visualization of in vivo gene “reporters” (1-4). Already these
techniques have begun to impact the fields of cancer research and gene thera-
peutics (1,5-8). A relatively small number of studies also show how these
imaging methods can be used to study the expression of genes within the lungs.
