Positron Emission Tomography
(PET)
PET
allows the formation of quantitative images of rates of physiological
or biochemical processes in vivo. In contrast to structural
imaging (CT, MRI), PET can be used to examine dynamic changes in
selected functional processes, and its quantitative potential not
only enables the localisation of functional changes but also the
assessment of their magnitude. Transformation of regional tissue
radioactivity measured by the PET scanner into the rate of a physiological
or biochemical process requires use of sophisticated designs, accurate
calibrations and computational models to describe the radiation
detection process as well as the kinetics of the radiotracer in
the organ of interest.
Research Focus
The
group has developed extensive methodology (experimental design,
mathematical modeling, statistical estimation), theoretical and
applied, for the quantitative estimation of physiological parameters
from PET studies. Current research focuses on computational chemistry
and molecular modeling, neuroinformatics and data mining, image
reconstruction and kinetic modeling, multimodal integration and
imaging genetics/genomics.
History of the Centre
In
1955 the Medical Research Council (MRC) installed the world's first
medical cyclotron at the Hammersmith Hospital, London. This was
a pivotal moment in the history of medical research, which paved
the way for an array of diagnostic tests and treatments that have
benefited patients around the world. The medical cyclotron has led
to a revolution in clinical diagnosis, drug discovery and the understanding
of medical diseases and their treatment. Three cyclotrons are in
operation at the centre and 1000 PET scans are carried out a year
for research purposes.
- Key Facts about the Centre
-
- Development of the stripping film technique for autoradiography
- 81mKr used as a lung ventilation imaging agent,
which became the gold standard
- SPM (statistical parametric mapping) was originated at Hammersmith
and is now used worldwide for analysis of activation studies
using PET, SPECT and fMRI
- Development of white blood cell radiolabelling with lllln
for imaging of inflammation, now used in hospitals worldwide
- World-first generation of 15O-labelled water for
blood flow studies
- Many first applications of new radiotracers in neurological
disease, including 11C-diprenorphine and pain, 11C-WAY-100635
and depression, 11C-PK11195 and neuroinflammation,
18F-DOPA and cell grafts in Parkinson's and 11C-raclopride
and reward
- The Reference Tissue Model (RTM) for the quantitative analysis
of dynamic PET data
- Proof-of-concept studies for novel drugs including temozolomide
as a novel anticancer agent, ziprasidone for psychosis, pindolol
for depression and entacpone for Parkinson's disease.
- Development of predictive methods for clinical outcome and
prognosis in coronary heart disease
- Measurement of regional blood flow in the lung of pulmonary
heart patients
- First controlled neuron therapy trial of cancer patients based
on pre-clinical studies to optimise dose fractionation
- Seminal studies of the pathophysiology of stroke and brain
disorganisation following stroke recovery
- Development and application of 15O water activation
methodology to image functional neuroanatomy of mood disorders,
syndromes of schizophrenia, and other neuropsychiatric symptoms
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