Multimodality molecular imaging applies imaging modalities beyond visualizing anatomy and morphology to include the ability of imaging gene expression, receptors, signaling pathways, apoptosis, angiogenesis, hypoxia, multidrug resistance, metabolism, and the extracellular matrix (ECM). Imaging modalities used in molecular imaging are computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI), optical imaging, positron emission tomography (PET), single-photon-emission computerized tomography (SPECT), and ultrasound (US). Anatomic and morphologic imaging applications have long played an important role in the diagnosis of disease and in assessing response to treatment. Multimodality molecular imaging enables noninvasive visualization of biomolecules and molecular pathways within their respective anatomic and morphologic context, which facilitates biomedical imaging studies and clinical imaging applications of disease-specific biomolecules and pathways in cancer, cardiovascular disease, and inflammation, among others. This lecture will give an overview of the most important concepts and applications in multimodality molecular imaging for beginners.

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