Journal of Nuclear Medicine, published on August 28, 2020 as doi:10.2967/jnumed.120.241984 Quo Vadis Molecular Imaging? Jan Grimm1,2*, Fabian Kiessling3,4*, Bernd J. Pichler5,6* (*authors contributed equally and are listed in alphabetical order) 1Molecular Pharmacology Program & Department of Radiology Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA 2Pharmacology Program & Department of Radiology, Weil Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA 3Institute for Experimental Molecular Imaging, University Hospital Aachen, RWTH Aachen University, Center for Biohybrid Medical Systems (CBMS), Forckenbeckstr. 55, 52074 Aachen, Germany 4Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Medicine, MEVIS, Am Fallturm 1, 28359 Bremen, Germany 5Werner Siemens Imaging Center, Department of Preclinical Imaging and Radiopharmacy, Eberhard Karls University, Tuebingen, Germany 6Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC 2180) "Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies", University of Tübingen, Germany Corresponding authors: Jan Grimm: Molecular Pharmacology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA; phone: +1-646-888-3191;
[email protected] Fabian Kiessling: Institute for Experimental Molecular Imaging, RWTH Aachen University, Forckenbeckstrasse 55, D-52074 Aachen; phone: +49-241-8080116; fax: +49-241-803380116;
[email protected] Bernd Pichler: Werner Siemens Imaging Center, Department of Preclinical Imaging and Radiopharmacy, Röntgenweg 13, 72076 Tübingen, Germany, phone: +49-7071-29- 83427;
[email protected] 1 Abstract Molecular Imaging (MI) yields important insights into relevant biological signatures at an organ-specific and systemic level, which is not achievable with conventional imaging methods and thus provides an essential link between preclinical and clinical research. In this context, new diagnostic probes and imaging methods, revealing comprehensive functional and molecular information, are being provided by MI research, several of which have found their way into clinical application.