Noninvasive methods to study drug distribution

Positron emission tomography (PET) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) are two techniques that allow the noninvasive monitoring of drug distribution in living systems (humans, animals), and dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) provides noninvasive physiological information relevant for drug distribution. PET yields series of cross-sectional images that can be used to monitor the absolute radioactivity concentrations in tissues pixel-by-pixel, but does not allow direct identification of each of the products present. MRS produces spectra showing changes in the concentration of both the parent drug and of the metabolites separately for a sensitive volume, but does not provide a simple means for measuring absolute concentrations. dMRI, which measures the changes in the rates of relaxation of water, proportional to the concentrations of the contrast agent (usually Gd-DTPA), readily allows the determination of functional changes in cross-sectional images down to a pixel-by-pixel level. All of these methods are of special interest to evaluate the amounts of drug that can reach the target tissue, penetrate it, remain present at such targets for a sufficient length of time, and how they are metabolized at the target site. Such information may be of particular interest in the study of solid malignant tumors and may become very relevant for determining better treatment strategies. This article presents examples of successful studies of tissue pharmacokinetics with MRS and dMRI. The following article is devoted to PET.