Quantitative Assay Development for PET

Abstract

Positron emission tomography (PET) is a novel imaging tool that permits noninvasive visualization of molecular (biochemical) and biological events in a living subject. Due to its highly unique capabilities, it permits the development of quantitative assays that are currently not possible using most other approaches. For the purposes of this chapter,the process of developing a PET assay is defined as the collection of approaches for the quantitative estimation of a specific molecular (biochemical) and/or biological process in a living subject. The approaches are a toolbox of sorts that helps to integrate the data obtained from PET so that quantitative information about the process can be extracted from the data. The process of interest may be the expression of a specific gene, upregulation of a specific cell protein, concentration of receptors on the cell surface, decrease in regional perfusion, increase in glucose utilization, decrease in oxygen consumption, or a whole host of other possible events. The goal of a PET assay is to accurately quantitate one or more of the processes just mentioned through the use of novel positron-labeled probes (tracers) as well as appropriate image acquisition, data analysis, and data modeling methodology.