Preclinical molecular imaging: from the laboratory bench to the patient.

Preclinical molecular imaging plays a key role in the study of diseases and the development – evaluation - validation of novel treatments and diagnostic techniques. The actual aim is to facilitate the translation of novel therapies and diagnostic agents into patients by providing in vivo proof-of-principle data in animal models of diseases and accordingly match some of the legal requirements before human clinical trials. The real power of preclinical imaging stems in the fact that the in vivo data are collected non-invasively thus making longitudinal studies possible. The evolution of the disease or the actual impact of innovative treatments can be evaluated in the same animal over a long period of time. The major modalities used in preclinical molecular imaging (all present in our laboratory) are the positron emission tomography (microPET), the x-ray tomodensitometry (microCT) and the magnetic resonance imaging (microMRI). The Cyclotron Research Centre (CRC) at ULg is a multidisciplinary laboratory which relies on i.e. a medical cyclotron for radioisotope productions, a radiochemistry unit for the development of new radiopharmaceuticals and process automations, a GMP unit for the radiopharmaceutical productions, a preclinical imaging unit and a clinical imaging unit (with MRI, PET, EEG, TMS…). All expertise and qualified staff are present on site. The CRC has all permissions and approvals for radiopharmaceutical productions and human clinical trials. During this presentation will take the recent development of the first SV2A radioligand [18F]UCB-H to illustrate how the CRC can bring new ideas from the laboratory bench to the patient.