Fluorescently labelled monoclonal antibodies for real-time molecular imaging
Fluorescent molecular imaging is a novel form of molecular imaging. In molecular imaging, a reporter molecule is conjugated to a carrier molecule that can bind to specifically to cells or tissue with specific molecular properties. Radioactive imaging has been in use for several years already, and provides high sensitivity and the possibility for full-body scans, but the resolution provided is low and developing the images takes time. This makes it difficult to use during an operation or endoscopy procedure. Fluorescent imaging can fill this gap. This new technique uses fluorescent light instead of radiation, which allows for high-resolution real-time images, by letting specific pieces of tissue light up when imaged by a special camera. Molecules that are used to light up the tissue are known as tracers, and need to be developed according to the rules for medicinal products in order to be used for testing in clinical trials. Several tracers were developed for detecting tumor during surgery and endoscopy, as well as in inflammatory diseases of the gut. This technique can be used for detection of afflicted tissue, scanning for missed spots after surgery, more precise sampling of tissue through biopsy, or to investigate the properties of drugs in their target area.