Molecular Imaging of Bacterial Infections in vivo: The Discrimination between Infection and Inflammation

• DOI: 10.3390/informatics1010072
• Publication Date: 2014-05-30T16:00:34Z
• Authors: Heather Eggleston; Peter Panizzi
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; Staphylococcus aureus; 03 medical and health sciences; inflammation; endocarditis; Information technology; molecular imaging; T58.5-58.64; infection; 3. Good health

Molecular imaging by definition is the visualization of molecular and cellular processes within a given system. The modalities and reagents described here represent a diverse array spanning both pre-clinical and clinical applications. Innovations in probe design and technologies would greatly benefit therapeutic outcomes by enhancing diagnostic accuracy and assessment of acute therapy. Opportunistic pathogens continue to pose a worldwide threat, despite advancements in treatment strategies, which highlights the continued need for improved diagnostics. In this review, we present a summary of the current clinical protocol for the imaging of a suspected infection, methods currently in development to optimize this imaging process, and finally, insight into endocarditis as a model of infectious disease in immediate need of improved diagnostic methods.