| 摘要 |
Radiographic system and method for noninvasively assessing the response of tissue to a compound, such as a therapeutic compound, in vivo. In one embodiment, a non-radioactive, radio-opaque imaging agent accumulates in tissue in proportion to the tissue concentration of a predefined cellular target. The imaging agent is administered to a live organism, and after an accumulation interval, radiographic images are acquired. The image processing procedure isolates the radiographic density contributed solely by differential tissue accumulation of the imaging agent. A compound is administered to the organism, and after a selected interval, a second radiographic image of the tissue is acquired. Differences in radiographic density between the images reflect changes in the concentration of the cellular target that have occurred after administration of the compound. The system and method may be used to assess therapeutic efficacy of compounds in the drug discovery process, in clinical trials, and in the evaluation of clinical treatment. |
