ABSTRACT

Imaging modalities have long been indispensable tool in clinical and preclinical practice or drug development. Increasingly, in vivo imaging of small laboratory animals has gained importance as a critical component of preclinical biomedical research as well. The most used modalities for small-animal in vivo imaging applications are based on nuclear medicine techniques (especially, positron emission tomography [PET] and single photon emission computed tomography [SPECT]), computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Each modality has intrinsic strengths and limitations, and the choice of the imaging modality depends on the parameter of interest. Recently, aiming to overcome the limitations of each imaging modality, multimodality devices designed to provide complementary information upon the pathophysiological process under study have emerged popularity. The combination of high-resolution modalities, like microCT or microMRI, with highly sensitive techniques providing functional information, such as microPET or microSPECT, will continue to broaden the horizons of research in such areas as infection, oncology, cardiology, and neurology, contributing not only to the understanding of the underlying mechanisms of disease but also providing efficient and unique tools for evaluating new chemical entities and development of candidate drugs.