Developments in whole-body molecular imaging of live subjects

New molecular imaging technologies are being developed specifically for ima ging animal models of human disease. Positron emission tomography (PET) in particular allows in vivo biochemistry to be studied with a high degree of sensitivity and specificity, and provides direct in vivo information on mol ecular and cellular pathways that underlie disease mechanisms and therapeut ics. However, clinical PET systems have inadequate resolution for imaging s mall animals. Thus, specialized high-resolution PET hardware and software a re now being developed.