MR and optical approaches to molecular imaging

With an increasing understanding of the molecular basis of disease, various new imaging targets have recently been defined that potentially allow for an early, sensitive, and specific diagnosis of disease or monitoring of treatment response. Different approaches to depict these molecular structures in vivo are currently being explored by the molecular imaging community. We briefly review methodologies for molecular imaging by magnetic resonance imaging and optical methods. Special emphasis is put on different contrast agent designs (e.g., targeted and smart probes). New technical developments in optical imaging are briefly discussed. In addition, current research results are put into a clinical perspective to elucidate the potential merits one might expect from this new research field.