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An Overview of non-invasive molecular imaging

Ramesh C. Gupta

Molecular imaging is an important part of their tool box. In past decades, the role of many genes in biological processes like cancer has been investigated at the DNA level, RNA level, and protein level. Immunohistochemical staining’s revealed protein expression patterns in (pathogenic) tissue sections from human- and experimental animal origin. Labelling of antibodies with fluorescent dyes allowed investigating protein subcellular localization and localization with other molecules by (confocal laser scan) fluorescence microscopy. Until recently, obtaining cells or tissue samples from biopsies, resection material, or sacrificed experimental animals has been a requisite to perform these studies. By now, this limitation can be circumvented by making use of genetically engineered fluorescently tagged proteins whose movement and interactions with other proteins can be monitored in living cells in vitro.