Optical Imaging in the Field of Molecular Imaging

Roh, Jae Kyu; Kim, Dong Eog

doi:2004.47.2.127

J Korean Med Assoc > Volume 47(2); 2004 > Article

Special Issue

Journal of the Korean Medical Association 2004;47(2):127-132.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5124/jkma.2004.47.2.127

Optical Imaging in the Field of Molecular Imaging

¹Department of Neurology, Seoul National University College of Medicine and Hospital, Korea. rohjk@snu.ac.kr
²Center for Molecular Imaging Research, Harvard Medical School, Korea. kdongeog@partners.org

Abstract

Molecular imaging is leading an important role in the era of molecular medicine. Optical imaging, a rising star in the filed of molecular imaging, largely consists of fluorescent imaging and bioluminescent imaging. In the fluorescence imaging, an illuminating light excites fluorescent reporters in the living subject, and a charged coupled device (CCD) camera collects an emission light of shifted wavelength. In the bioluminescent imaging, reporter genes code for the luciferase that is responsible for fireflies' glow. After the injection of the substrate iuciferin, animals carrying the luciferase gene are imaged with a supersensitive CCD camera to pick up the small number of photons transmitted through tissues. It has been shown that well aimed and creatively built reporters let researchers explore and answer a lot of biologically important questions in living subjects. Despite its relatively short history, optical imaging is rapidly being implemented in various clinical areas as well as research fields.

Key Words: Molecular imaging, Optical imaging, Fluorescent imaging, Bioluminescent imaging, Molecular medicine