[AVX Seminar] Nuclear Tools For Molecular Imaging And Theranostics
Isabel Santos, Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias Nucleares, IST & FCUL
| When |
04 Dec, 2014
from
11:00 am to 12:00 pm |
|---|---|
| Where | Auditorium |
| Add event to your calendar |
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AVX Seminar
Title: Nuclear Tools for Molecular Imaging and Theranostics
Speaker: Isabel Santos
Affiliation: Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias Nucleares, IST & FCUL
Abstract: Cancer is one the major life threatening diseases and a growing number of new malignant tumors is diagnosed every year. Traditional cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and external radiotherapy are often hindered by toxicity, lack of specificity and efficacy and development of resistance. The outstanding achievements of molecular and cellular biology, led to a better understanding of the mechanisms that mediate physiological processes and disease and a myriad of differences in the biological make-up of cancers compared with their healthy- tissue counterparts have been catalogued. Thus, specific targeting of tumoral tissues, with molecular or nanosized selective tools is increasingly considered a promising strategy in the diagnosis and management of cancer, compared with earlier less-specific approaches. The nuclear tools and methodologies, due to their high sensitivity, specificity and non – invasive characteristics have already made an enormous contribution to diagnosis (Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography - SPECT and positron Emission Tomography – PET) and molecular therapy (radio-immunotherapy, peptide receptor radionuclide therapy). Merging molecular imaging and molecular therapy to theranostics is a novel and promising approach that may improve even more the diagnosis, therapy and follow-up of cancer. Apart from the continuing improvement in equipment and technology, the success story of nuclear molecular imaging, systemic therapy and theranostics is strongly dependent on the availability of powerful and target-specific nuclear tools - radiopharmaceuticals.
In this presentation, we will discuss and present the nuclear techniques used for diagnosis and therapy as well as the basic concepts that support the design and preclinical evaluation of nuclear tools for molecular imaging and theranostics.
