ijms-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Molecular Imaging in Diabetes, Obesity and Infections

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Pathology, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2019) | Viewed by 24506

Special Issue Editor

Department of Radiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX 75390-8542, USA
Interests: molecular imaging of fat metabolism; bone metabolism; molecular imaging of infections; clinical trials in molecular imaging and nuclear medicine
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Molecular imaging is an exciting field that can be defined as the visualization and/or measurement of biological or biochemical processes at cellular and molecular levels. It is performed in preclinical models and in living human subjects. By necessity, molecular imaging is multi-disciplinary, applying synthetic and radiochemistry, molecular biology, (patho)physiology, and multiple imaging techniques. It leverages both endogenous and exogenous imaging probes to generate detectable signals. Molecular imaging techniques include optical and optoacoustic methods, ultrasound, molecular computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and spectroscopy. Molecular imaging is used to diagnose diseases, assess treatment responses, and define the underlying pathophysiology of a disease process. To this end, molecular imaging has been used to non-invasively visualize aberrant tumor metabolism, bacterial infections, beta-cell mass and function, and adipocyte metabolism. This Special Issue focuses on developing and implementing molecular imaging strategies for research in obesity, diabetes, infectious diseases, and tumor metabolism. We welcome original research and review articles.

Prof. Orhan K. Öz
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • radionuclide probes
  • SPECT imaging
  • PET imaging
  • MRI
  • optical imaging
  • tumor metabolism
  • beta cells
  • diabetes
  • obesity
  • bacterial infections

Related Special Issue

Published Papers (5 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

12 pages, 2373 KiB  
Article
Metabolically Active Brown Adipose Tissue Is Found in Adult Subjects with Type 1 Diabetes
by Olof Eriksson, Ram Kumar Selvaraju, Marie Berglund and Daniel Espes
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(23), 5827; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms20235827 - 20 Nov 2019
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2732
Abstract
Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is characterized by the loss of insulin-producing cells and hence insulin secretion and metabolic control. In addition to insulin, there are a number of hormones and cytokines that influence metabolism, and many of these can be secreted from brown [...] Read more.
Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is characterized by the loss of insulin-producing cells and hence insulin secretion and metabolic control. In addition to insulin, there are a number of hormones and cytokines that influence metabolism, and many of these can be secreted from brown adipose tissue (BAT). However, the presence and activity of BAT in T1D have not been studied, despite the fact that preclinical studies have shown that transplantation of BAT in mouse models of T1D can restore metabolic control. The metabolic activity of BAT, white adipose tissue (WAT), and skeletal muscle was investigated in patients with T1D (n = 11) by 2-deoxy-2-(18F)fluoro-D-glucose PET/CT after cold stimulation. Functional BAT was detected in 4 out of 11 individuals with T1D with a prevalence of 36%. The glucose utilization rate in the supraclavicular BAT regions ranged from 0.75–38.7 µmol × min−1 × 100 g−1. The glucose utilization per gram tissue was higher in BAT when compared with both WAT (p = 0.049) and skeletal muscle (p = 0.039). However, no correlation between BAT activity and metabolic control or insulin requirements was found. In conclusion, for the first time, cold-induced BAT was detected in patients with T1D with a wide range in metabolic activity. Contrary to findings in animal models, the metabolic activity of BAT had negligible impact on insulin requirements or metabolic control in T1D under normal physiological conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Imaging in Diabetes, Obesity and Infections)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

20 pages, 5832 KiB  
Review
Imaging Inflammation and Infection in the Gastrointestinal Tract
by Alex N. Frickenstein, Meredith A. Jones, Bahareh Behkam and Lacey R. McNally
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(1), 243; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms21010243 - 30 Dec 2019
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 4668
Abstract
A variety of seemingly non-specific symptoms manifest within the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, particularly in the colon, in response to inflammation, infection, or a combination thereof. Differentiation between symptom sources can often be achieved using various radiologic studies. Although it is not possible to [...] Read more.
A variety of seemingly non-specific symptoms manifest within the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, particularly in the colon, in response to inflammation, infection, or a combination thereof. Differentiation between symptom sources can often be achieved using various radiologic studies. Although it is not possible to provide a comprehensive survey of imaging gastrointestinal GI tract infections in a single article, the purpose of this review is to survey several topics on imaging of GI tract inflammation and infections. The review discusses such modalities as computed tomography, positron emission tomography, ultrasound, endoscopy, and magnetic resonance imaging while looking at up-an-coming technologies that could improve diagnoses and patient comfort. The discussion is accomplished through examining a combination of organ-based and organism-based approaches, with accompanying selected case examples. Specific focus is placed on the bacterial infections caused by Shigella spp., Escherichia coli, Clostridium difficile, Salmonella, and inflammatory conditions of diverticulitis and irritable bowel disease. These infectious and inflammatory diseases and their detection via molecular imaging will be compared including the appropriate differential diagnostic considerations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Imaging in Diabetes, Obesity and Infections)
Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 2152 KiB  
Review
Molecular Imaging of Diabetic Foot Infections: New Tools for Old Questions
by Camilo A. Ruiz-Bedoya, Oren Gordon, Filipa Mota, Sudhanshu Abhishek, Elizabeth W. Tucker, Alvaro A. Ordonez and Sanjay K. Jain
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(23), 5984; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms20235984 - 28 Nov 2019
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 7370
Abstract
Diabetic foot infections (DFIs) are a common, complex, and costly medical problem with increasing prevalence. Diagnosing DFIs is a clinical challenge due to the poor specificity of the available methods to accurately determine the presence of infection in these patients. However, failure to [...] Read more.
Diabetic foot infections (DFIs) are a common, complex, and costly medical problem with increasing prevalence. Diagnosing DFIs is a clinical challenge due to the poor specificity of the available methods to accurately determine the presence of infection in these patients. However, failure to perform an opportune diagnosis and provide optimal antibiotic therapy can lead to higher morbidity for the patient, unnecessary amputations, and increased healthcare costs. Novel developments in bacteria-specific molecular imaging can provide a non-invasive assessment of the infection site to support diagnosis, determine the extension and location of the infection, guide the selection of antibiotics, and monitor the response to treatment. This is a review of recent research in molecular imaging of infections in the context of DFI. We summarize different clinical and preclinical methods and the translational implications aimed to improve the care of patients with DFI. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Imaging in Diabetes, Obesity and Infections)
Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 3149 KiB  
Review
Radiochemical Approaches to Imaging Bacterial Infections: Intracellular versus Extracellular Targets
by Justin D. Northrup, Robert H. Mach and Mark A. Sellmyer
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(22), 5808; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms20225808 - 19 Nov 2019
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 3783
Abstract
The discovery of penicillin began the age of antibiotics, which was a turning point in human healthcare. However, to this day, microbial infections are still a concern throughout the world, and the rise of multidrug-resistant organisms is an increasing challenge. To combat this [...] Read more.
The discovery of penicillin began the age of antibiotics, which was a turning point in human healthcare. However, to this day, microbial infections are still a concern throughout the world, and the rise of multidrug-resistant organisms is an increasing challenge. To combat this threat, diagnostic imaging tools could be used to verify the causative organism and curb inappropriate use of antimicrobial drugs. Nuclear imaging offers the sensitivity needed to detect small numbers of bacteria in situ. Among nuclear imaging tools, radiolabeled antibiotics traditionally have lacked the sensitivity or specificity necessary to diagnose bacterial infections accurately. One reason for the lack of success is that the antibiotics were often chelated to a radiometal. This was done without addressing the ramifications of how the radiolabeling would impact probe entry to the bacterial cell, or the mechanism of binding to an intracellular target. In this review, we approach bacterial infection imaging through the lens of bacterial specific molecular targets, their intracellular or extracellular location, and discuss radiochemistry strategies to guide future probe development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Imaging in Diabetes, Obesity and Infections)
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

21 pages, 5283 KiB  
Review
Imaging Metabolically Active Fat: A Literature Review and Mechanistic Insights
by Joseph Frankl, Amber Sherwood, Deborah J. Clegg, Philipp E. Scherer and Orhan K. Öz
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(21), 5509; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms20215509 - 05 Nov 2019
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 5534
Abstract
Currently, obesity is one of the leading causes death in the world. Shortly before 2000, researchers began describing metabolically active adipose tissue on cancer-surveillance 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in adult humans. This tissue generates heat through mitochondrial uncoupling and [...] Read more.
Currently, obesity is one of the leading causes death in the world. Shortly before 2000, researchers began describing metabolically active adipose tissue on cancer-surveillance 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in adult humans. This tissue generates heat through mitochondrial uncoupling and functions similar to classical brown and beige adipose tissue in mice. Despite extensive research, human brown/beige fat’s role in resistance to obesity in humans has not yet been fully delineated. FDG uptake is the de facto gold standard imaging technique when studying brown adipose tissue, although it has not been rigorously compared to other techniques. We, therefore, present a concise review of established and emerging methods to image brown adipose tissue activity in humans. Reviewed modalities include anatomic imaging with CT and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); molecular imaging with FDG, fatty acids, and acetate; and emerging techniques. FDG-PET/CT is the most commonly used modality because of its widespread use in cancer imaging, but there are mechanistic reasons to believe other radiotracers may be more sensitive and accurate at detecting brown adipose tissue activity. Radiation-free modalities may help the longitudinal study of brown adipose tissue activity in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Imaging in Diabetes, Obesity and Infections)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop