ESR 7 | Title: In vivo imaging of disease activity in immune mediated diseases |
Research Objectives: | |
Description of work: Molecular imaging of immune-mediated diseases such as JIA is expected to provide new insight into (local) inflammatory activity and deliver tissue biomarkers for non-invasive (serial) assessment of disease activity. This needs the identification and imaging of inflammatory molecular targets being regulated in the course of inflammation and being correlated to disease severity. This ESR will be introduced to state-of-the-art and emerging molecular imaging techniques to visualize the dynamics of immune cells and of molecular targets in inflammed tissues. Based on a project branch involving well-characterized atherosclerosis models from the EIMI, the project will specifically involve serial small animal PET and SPECT in murine models of immune-mediated diseases such as JIA. Cells will be labeled either in vitro or in vivo by 18F-FDG or 111In-oxine enabling to track cell dynamics in the whole body. Molecular targets for imaging include matrix-metalloproteinases (MMPs), integrins and others, where EIMI has already established molecular imaging probes. Results of molecular in vivo imaging will be validated against histology, immunohistochemistry and in vitro assays and compared to existing biomarkers of disease activity.Personal Information Sheet ESR07 – Mahesh Kondapuram
Presentation ESR07 Mahesh Kondapuram
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