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Recent Advances in Molecular Imaging and Therapy

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Pathology, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 August 2026) | Viewed by 3850

Editor

Department of Radiology, Diagnostic and Research PET/MR Center, Nemours Children’s Health, Wilmington, DE 19803, USA
Interests: radiochemistry; neuroimaging; organic chemistry; nuclear medicine; molecular imaging
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Since the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved lutetium Lu 177 dotatate for the treatment of pediatric patients 12 years and older with somatostatin receptor (SSTR)-positive gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors in 2024, and further approved Gozellix (Ga-68 gozetotide injection) as a radioactive diagnostic agent for prostate cancer imaging in 2025, over 60 radiopharmaceuticals have been certified for the diagnosis or treatment of cancers, neurodegenerative disorders, and cardiovascular diseases.

Molecular imaging and its accompanying therapy are playing an increasingly important roles in the development of predictive, preventive, personalized, and participatory medicine. However, many challenges, including target selection, subject polymorphism, imaging specificity, early diagnosis, technical hurdles, prognosis, and long-term toxicity, still limit the wide clinical translation of molecular imaging agents and therapeutics.

We are pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue, which focuses on recent advances in molecular imaging and therapy. Your original research and review papers have the potential to significantly advance our understanding and application of various imaging modalities and therapeutic strategies. We welcome all contributions, including basic, translational, and clinical research. Suitable subjects range from target selection and lead drug identification to in vitro evaluation, in vivo validation, bench-to-bedside transition, and clinical investigation. Molecular imaging and therapeutic research that correlates imaging findings or treatment outcomes with molecular-level biomarkers will fit the scope of the International Journal of Molecular Sciences particularly.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Xuyi Yue
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • molecular imaging
  • therapy
  • clinical translation
  • precision medicine
  • radiotheranostics

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Review

46 pages, 3434 KB  
Review
Radiolabeled Antimicrobials for Infection Imaging: A Scoping Review
by Sichen Liu, James Townley and Chuen-Yen Lau
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2026, 27(12), 5313; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27125313 - 11 Jun 2026
Viewed by 443
Abstract
Imaging of infections has the potential to improve clinical outcomes, but pathogen-specific imaging strategies are currently unavailable. Given their target specificity, antimicrobials may be useful as molecular imaging ligands to target infections. Despite substantial development efforts, no antimicrobial-based ligands are approved for clinical [...] Read more.
Imaging of infections has the potential to improve clinical outcomes, but pathogen-specific imaging strategies are currently unavailable. Given their target specificity, antimicrobials may be useful as molecular imaging ligands to target infections. Despite substantial development efforts, no antimicrobial-based ligands are approved for clinical use. This scoping review comprehensively surveys radiolabeled antimicrobials across antibacterial, antimycobacterial, antiviral, and antifungal drug classes, examining their progression through the translational pipeline. The review utilized PubMed and Google Scholar databases (1970–2025), following PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. Two reviewers independently screened titles, abstracts, and full-text articles; data were extracted, and content duplicates were removed. In total, 143 preclinical and 25 clinical articles met the selection criteria. In clinical studies, most tracers showed suboptimal specificity for infections, while some proved useful for pharmacokinetic characterization. Among preclinical studies, radiolabeled plazomicin and echinocandins (caspofungin and anidulafungin) exhibited the greatest number of preferred characteristics. In conclusion, ideal antimicrobial pharmacologic properties can be counterproductive for imaging, where rapid background clearance and a high target-to-non-target ratio (T/NT) are essential. Many radioligands demonstrate good tissue penetration but suboptimal washout, limiting their diagnostic value. In vivo pharmacokinetic applications during active infections are promising, though significant challenges remain for infection imaging. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Molecular Imaging and Therapy)
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51 pages, 720 KB  
Review
Alpha and Beta Emitters in Translational Nuclear Medicine: Clinical Advances, Challenges, and Future Direction
by Hanieh Karimi, Thomas H. Shaffer, Erik Stauff, Vinay V. R. Kandula, Heidi H. Kecskemethy, Lauren W. Averill and Xuyi Yue
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2026, 27(5), 2290; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27052290 - 28 Feb 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2758
Abstract
Radiopharmaceutical therapy (RPT) has emerged as a transformative modality in oncology, particularly for patients with metastatic or inoperable tumors. By leveraging molecularly targeted carriers conjugated to cytotoxic radionuclides, RPT enables precise delivery of ionizing radiation to tumor sites while minimizing off-target effects. Central [...] Read more.
Radiopharmaceutical therapy (RPT) has emerged as a transformative modality in oncology, particularly for patients with metastatic or inoperable tumors. By leveraging molecularly targeted carriers conjugated to cytotoxic radionuclides, RPT enables precise delivery of ionizing radiation to tumor sites while minimizing off-target effects. Central to this approach are alpha (α) and beta (β) particle-emitting radionuclides. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of all clinically relevant alpha and beta emitters and incorporates the most recent advances from 2017–2025, offering a comprehensive and up-to-date perspective. Alpha and beta emitters hold significant promises for the future, especially in nuclear medicine, energy, and environmental monitoring. Medically, these emitters are at the forefront of targeted radiotherapy, offering new hope for cancer treatment. Alpha emitters such as Actinium-225 and Radium-223 are gaining attention for their high linear energy transfer, which allows them to effectively kill cancer cells while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissues. Beta emitters, including Lutetium-177 and Iodine-131, are already widely used for treating thyroid cancer, neuroendocrine tumors, and prostate cancer. They offer a longer range in tissue penetration than alpha particles, making them suitable for larger or more diffuse tumors. Alpha and beta emitters hold tremendous promise in targeted radiotherapy. However, current research is limited by an incomplete understanding of resistance pathways, insufficient long-term safety and efficacy data, and underdeveloped personalized treatment frameworks. As production technologies improve and safety protocols advance, these emitters will likely play an even more prominent role in both health care and scientific innovation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Molecular Imaging and Therapy)
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