Marc D. Normandin, PhD: No financial relationships to disclose
Positron emission tomography (PET) is an imaging modality which allows in vivo monitoring of administered radiotracers. Compounds are labeled with positron-emitting radioisotopes which emit photons that are detected by specialized cameras which generate 3D images representing the spatial distribution of the radiotracer concentration in the body. Dynamic PET data sets include a temporal component that represents the evolution of the radiotracer concentrations over time. Tracer kinetic modeling methods can be applied to dynamic PET data sets for determination of local uptake and clearance rates. Depending on the chemical form of the radiotracer and modeling technique applied, the estimated parameters can be used to quantify physiological processes such as blood flow, metabolism, or expression of specific targets such as enzymes, neuroreceptors, and misfolded proteins. This presentation will introduce the fundamentals of PET imaging, review the principles of tracer kinetic modeling as used in PET, and highlight practical applications relevant to drug development including in vivo measurement of target engagement and receptor occupancy, patient selection and stratification for trials, and monitoring of disease progression and response to therapy.
