WMIC 2014: Angiogenesis, nanotheranostics and stem cell imaging

This year’s World Molecular Imaging Congress (WMIC), the Annual Meeting of the World Molecular Imaging Society (WMIS), brought the most cutting edge research and technology in preclinical research and molecular imaging technology to the World Trade Center in Seoul, Korea, from Sept. 17-20. Featured plenaries included a Highlight Lecture on imaging and angiogenesis; the emerging marriage of nanomedicine and theranostics in the research community; advances in multi-modality imaging systems that combine PET, SPECT, MRI and optical imaging techniques; molecular imaging of oxidative stress and infection; and new methods in stem cell imaging.

Michal Neeman, PhD, from the department of biological regulation at the Weizmann Institute of Science, Clore Center for Biological Physics and the Krenter Institute for Imaging and Genomics in Israel led the Highlight Lecture on the work that Neeman’s group is doing in mapping the regulatory network that controls the proliferation and homeostasis of blood vessels and lymphatic vessels. Imaging techniques are essential for non-invasive evaluation of the entire pathway of angiogenesis and vascular remodeling, which can then be used to validate novel biomarkers and therapeutics in oncology and beyond.

Plenary speaker Ick Chan Kwon, PhD, director of the Global RNAi Carrier Initiative at the Center for Theragnosis, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, gave a presentation on the role of molecular imaging in nanotheranostics, which encompasses all the current research in companion diagnostics united with bio-friendly nano materials for improved drug biodistribution, pharmacokinetics and the potential for real-time quantitative assessment of therapeutic uptake and other parameters for better drug discovery and efficacy.

Niren Murthy, PhD, professor of bioengineering, University of California at Berkeley, led a presentation on molecular imaging of infectious diseases and oxidative stress. Two types of PET agents are being investigated: F-18 maltodextrins, which track down bacteria in the body, including smaller numbers of E.coli (as few as 105 colony forming units) than can currently be imaged using FDG; and the second group of agents are hydrocyanines, a group of dyes that can image radical oxidants in a range of contexts, from lung injury to inflammation from an implant device.

Heike Daldrup-Link, MD, PhD, associate professor of radiology at Stanford University in Calif. presented research on stem cell imaging. According to the WMIS, more than 4,000 clinical trials involving stem cells are ongoing around the world for the development of treatments for a spectrum of 1,400 diseases. Stem cell imaging allows researchers to gauge the therapeutic value of a given treatment, but, in addition, imaging has several front-end benefits such as detecting cellular migration, evaluating the strength of cell grafts, and for imaging cellular proliferation and the presence of contaminating pluripotent cells. Stem cell imaging can also aid in the development of biomarkers to further monitor stem cell therapies and the viability of resulting tissues.

Michael E. Phelps, PhD, a Norton Simon Professor, chair of the department of molecular and medical pharmacology, and director of the Crump Institute for Molecular Imaging at the University of California Los Angeles brought PET into the spotlight with a presentation on how to get back to the basics to improve this powerful technology in vivo. Phelps presented how PET has overcome and continues to navigate the challenges of technological development, cost, and regulatory and reimbursement hurdles. The WMIS estimates that about 5,000 clinical PET and hybrid PET systems and some 600 preclinical scanners are in operation globally. Phelps urged the molecular imaging community to develop a new foundation for future PET development including better integration and contribution of in vitro and in vivo imaging, improved translation of tracers and therapeutics from preliminary research to clinical use, savvier chemistry that leverages advanced PET technology, and better resources for clinical trials and commercialization.

Several researchers specializing in hyperpolarized MRI received the WMIS gold medal for cutting-edge developments in molecular imaging. Read our special feature on hyperpolarized MRI here: