Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 4, 2026

In Vivo Immunofluorescence Localization for Assessment of Therapeutic and Diagnostic Antibody Biodistribution in Cancer Research
08:53

In Vivo Immunofluorescence Localization for Assessment of Therapeutic and Diagnostic Antibody Biodistribution in Cancer Research

Published on: September 16, 2019

Antibodies for molecular imaging of cancer

Anna M Wu1, Tove Olafsen

  • 1Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA. awu@mednet.ucla.edu

Cancer Journal (Sudbury, Mass.)
|June 10, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Antibodies are increasingly vital for cancer therapy and imaging. Antibody-based imaging offers sensitive, noninvasive molecular characterization of cell surface phenotypes, guiding cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Immunology
  • Medical Imaging

Background:

  • Antibodies are established targeted therapeutics in oncology.
  • Their role is expanding into cancer imaging as molecular probes.
  • Advances in antibody technology and imaging instrumentation are key drivers.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To highlight the expanding role of antibodies in cancer imaging.
  • To discuss the potential of antibody imaging for in vivo molecular characterization.
  • To underscore the impact on cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing antibodies as molecular imaging probes to interrogate cell surfaces.
  • Identifying cell surface biomarkers for targeted imaging.
  • Leveraging advances in antibody engineering and imaging technologies like radioimmunoscintigraphy and immunoPET.

Main Results:

  • Antibodies enable sensitive, noninvasive in vivo interrogation of cell surface phenotypes.
  • Optimized antibodies facilitate the generation of effective noninvasive imaging probes.
  • Developments in instrumentation and radionuclides support broader implementation of antibody imaging.

Conclusions:

  • Antibody imaging provides a powerful tool for molecular characterization in cancer.
  • This technology can significantly guide clinical decisions, including diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy selection.
  • Antibody imaging is crucial for monitoring treatment response in cancer patients.

More Related Videos

MR Molecular Imaging of Prostate Cancer with a Small Molecular CLT1 Peptide Targeted Contrast Agent06:54

MR Molecular Imaging of Prostate Cancer with a Small Molecular CLT1 Peptide Targeted Contrast Agent

Published on: September 3, 2013

Harnessing the Bioorthogonal Inverse Electron Demand Diels-Alder Cycloaddition for Pretargeted PET Imaging10:47

Harnessing the Bioorthogonal Inverse Electron Demand Diels-Alder Cycloaddition for Pretargeted PET Imaging

Published on: February 3, 2015

Related Concept Videos

Targeted Cancer Therapies02:57

Targeted Cancer Therapies

The targeted cancer therapies, also known as “molecular targeted therapies,” take advantage of the molecular and genetic differences between the cancer cells and the normal cells. It needs a thorough understanding of the cancer cells to develop drugs that can target specific molecular aspects that drive the growth, progression, and spread of cancer cells without affecting the growth and survival of other normal cells in the body.
There are several types of targeted therapies against specific...
Imaging Studies II: Positron Emission Tomography and Scintigraphy01:25

Imaging Studies II: Positron Emission Tomography and Scintigraphy

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a medical imaging technique that provides crucial insights into the body's physiological functions at a molecular level. It is an indispensable resource for diagnosing, staging, and monitoring various illnesses, notably cancer, neurological disorders, and cardiovascular conditions.
Fundamental Principles of PET