Cell Labelling Method from Microscopy Adapted for Use in Whole-Body Imaging

Processes and structures within the body that are normally hidden from the eye can be made visible through medical imaging. Scientists use imaging to investigate the complex functions of cells and organs and search for ways to better detect and treat diseases. In everyday medical practice, images from the body help physicians diagnose diseases and monitor whether therapies are working. To be able to depict specific processes in the body, researchers are developing new techniques for labelling cells or molecules so that they emit signals that can be detected outside the body and converted into meaningful images. A research team at the University of Münster has now adapted a cell labelling strategy currently used in microscopy — the so-called SNAP-tag technology — for use in whole-body imaging with positron emission tomography (PET).