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Molecular imaging in the development of cancer therapeutics
Johannes Czernin1, Wolfgang A Weber, Harvey R Herschman
1Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA. jczernin@mednet.ucla.edu
Abstract:
Researchers have made great progress in defining genetic and molecular alterations that contribute to cancer. New therapeutic targets have been identified and targeted therapeutic agents have been developed, but our ability to evaluate potential drugs has not kept pace. Molecular imaging technologies that monitor biological processes and/or measure levels of targeted macromolecules can contribute significantly to preclinical and clinical drug evaluation. This article describes the drug discovery process, economic problems facing drug discovery and development, and successes and failures in this realm. We briefly describe the available molecular imaging tools, with emphasis on positron emission tomography. We discuss biological processes that are altered in tumors and can be measured by molecular imaging; examples include gene expression, signal transduction, tumor cell metabolism, proliferation, apoptosis, hypoxia, and angiogenesis. We conclude with a proposal to integrate molecular imaging into the drug development process.
Insights
Molecular imaging can significantly improve cancer drug evaluation by monitoring biological processes. Integrating tools like positron emission tomography into drug development accelerates the assessment of targeted therapies.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Medical Imaging
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Significant advancements in identifying cancer's genetic and molecular drivers.
- Development of targeted therapies has outpaced drug evaluation capabilities.
- Molecular imaging offers a solution for monitoring biological processes in drug development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the challenges in evaluating new cancer drugs.
- To introduce molecular imaging as a tool for drug evaluation.
- To propose integrating molecular imaging into the drug development pipeline.
Main Methods:
- Review of the drug discovery and development process, including economic challenges.
- Description of available molecular imaging technologies, focusing on positron emission tomography.
- Discussion of tumor-associated biological processes measurable by molecular imaging.
Main Results:
- Molecular imaging can monitor key tumor processes like gene expression, metabolism, proliferation, apoptosis, hypoxia, and angiogenesis.
- Positron emission tomography is a key molecular imaging tool for drug evaluation.
- Current drug evaluation methods lag behind therapeutic advancements.
Conclusions:
- Molecular imaging is crucial for effective preclinical and clinical drug evaluation.
- Integrating molecular imaging into drug development can overcome current limitations.
- This approach promises to enhance the assessment of novel targeted cancer therapies.
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