"Semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) have several photo-physical advantages over organic dyes making them good markers in biomedical application. We used CdSe/ZnS QDs with maximum emission wavelength of 590nm (QD590) linked to alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) monoclonal antibody (Ab) to detect AFP in cytoplasm of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell line HCCLM6. For the in vivo studies, we used QD-AFP-Ab probes for targeted imaging of human HCC xenograft growing in nude mice by injecting them into the tail vein.

"PURPOSE: A small-cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) is found in 50% of patients with Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS). We evaluated screening to optimize screening strategy for SCLC. It is important to detect these tumors early in newly diagnosed patients with LEMS to offer optimal patient treatment.

"Pancreatic cancer is a serious disease with poor patient outcome, often as a consequence of late diagnosis in advanced stages. This is in large part due to the lack of diagnostic tools for early detection. To address this deficiency, we have investigated novel molecular near-infrared fluorescent (NIRF) in vivo imaging techniques in clinically relevant mouse models of pancreatic cancer. Genome wide gene expression profiling was used to identify cathepsin cystein proteases and matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) as targets for NIRF imaging.

"Molecular imaging of receptors expressed on the surface of tumor cells is becoming a major field of investigation in clinical oncology, especially for the detection of cancer at its earliest stages. Nowadays, MRI, microcomputed tomography (microCT), ultrasound, positron emission tomography (PET), optical coherence tomography (OCT), and other major imaging systems are available to scientists and clinicians. Each technique has advantages and limitations, thus making them complementary.

"Ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles and magnetic resonance imaging provide a non-invasive method to detect and label tumor cells. These nanoparticles exhibit unique properties of superparamagnetism and can be utilized as excellent probes for magnetic resonance imaging. Most work has been performed using a magnetic resonance scanner with high field strength up to 7 T.

"Pancreatic cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in Japan. Small pancreatic cancers have some abnormal findings on ultrasonography, and diagnosis with endosonography is useful. Positron emission tomography and contrast-enhanced ultrasonography are expected to serve as new modalities for the early detection of pancreatic cancer. The identification of high-risk individuals is necessary to perform efficient screening. Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms and chronic pancreatitis are important risk factors for pancreatic cancer."

"Imaging of lymphangiogenesis and angiogenesis requires robust and unambiguous markers of lymphatic and blood vessels. Although much progress has been made in recent years in identifying molecules specifically expressed on lymphatic and blood vessels, no perfect marker has been found that works reliably in all species, tissues, vascular beds, and in all physiological and pathologic conditions. The heterogeneity of expression of markers in both blood and lymphatic vessels reflects underlying differences in the phenotype of endothelial cells.

"The purpose of the present study was to assess if small animal PET is useful for serially monitoring the development of a human anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) murine xenograft and for the early selection of tumour bearing animals. The human ALCL Karpas 299 cell line was subcutaneously injected in 6-week-old NOD/SCID (non-obese diabetic/NCrCrl- Prkdc) mice (10(7) cells/mouce in 150 pil FBS) at the right flank level.