Abstract
The specialised medical field of Nuclear Medicine is concerned with the use of unsealed sources of radioactivity either to diagnose or treat a range of diseases. In this regard it can be distinguished from the field of Radiotherapy which uses sealed radioactive sources for treatment. The range of diseases in which Nuclear Medicine plays a role is wide and includes, among others, the fields of microbiology, endocrinology, neurology, oncology and cardiovascular medicine. However, cancer probably represents the most important and growing area of application for this modality. Nuclear Medicine employs radiopharmaceuticals. These are radiolabelled ligands that have the ability to interact with molecular targets that are relevant in the aetiology or treatment of cancer and in many respects Nuclear Medicine can be considered the archetype for the application of 'Molecular Medicine'. An example of a Nuclear Medicine Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan is shown in Fig. 2. There is great interest in developing new radioligands that allow us to image the expression of the ever increasing range of biological pathways being discovered in the post-genomic area. Designing effective radiopharmaceuticals, however, requires an understanding of a number of radiopharmaceutical sciences including aspects of chemistry, physics, cell and molecular biology, and physiology.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
