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Radiomics aims to develop novel biomarkers and provide relevant deeper subvisual information about pathology, immunophenotype, and tumor microenvironment. It uses automated or semiautomated quantitative analysis of high‐dimensional images to improve characterization, diagnosis, and prognosis. Recent years have seen a rapid increase in radiomics applications in nuclear medicine, leading to some promising research results in digestive system oncology, which have been driven by big data analysis and the development of artificial intelligence. Although radiomics advances one step further toward the non‐invasive precision medical analysis, it is still a step away from clinical application and faces many challenges. This review article summarizes the available literature on digestive system tumors regarding radiomics in nuclear medicine. First, we describe the workflow and steps involved in radiomics analysis. Subsequently, we discuss the progress in clinical application regarding the utilization of radiomics for distinguishing between various diseases and evaluating their prognosis, and demonstrate how radiomics advances this field. Finally, we offer our viewpoint on how the field can progress by addressing the challenges facing clinical implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The knowledge of interactions among functional proteins helps researchers understand disease mechanisms and design potential strategies for treatment. As a general approach, the fluorescent and affinity tags were employed for exploring this field by labeling the Protein of Interest (POI). However, the autofluorescence and weak binding strength significantly reduce the accuracy and specificity of these tags. Conversely, HaloTag, a novel self-labeling enzyme (SLE) tag, could quickly form a covalent bond with its ligand, enabling fast and specific labeling of POI. These desirable features greatly increase the accuracy and specificity, making the HaloTag a valuable system for various applications ranging from imaging to immobilization of POI. Notably, the HaloTag technique has already been successfully employed in a series of studies with excellent efficiency. In this review, we summarize the development of HaloTag and recent advanced investigations associated with HaloTag, including in vitro imaging (e.g., POI imaging, cellular condition monitoring, microorganism imaging, system development), in vivo imaging, biomolecule immobilization (e.g., POI collection, protein/nuclear acid interaction and protein structure analysis), targeted degradation (e.g., L-AdPROM), and more. We also present a systematic discussion regarding the future direction and challenges of the HaloTag technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, there have been significant innovations in the development of nanoparticle‐based vaccines and vaccine delivery systems. For the purposes of both design and evaluation, these nanovaccines are imaged using the wealth of understanding established around medical imaging of nanomaterials. An important insight to the advancement of the field of nanovaccines can be given by an analysis of the design rationale of an imaging platform, as well as the significance of the information provided by imaging. Nanovaccine imaging strategies can be categorized by the imaging modality leveraged, but it is also worth understanding the superiority or convenience of a given modality over others in a given context of a particular nanovaccine. The most important imaging modalities in this endeavor are optical imaging including near‐infrared fluorescence imaging (NIRF), emission tomography methods such as positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with or without computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance (MR), the emerging magnetic particle imaging (MPI), and finally, multimodal applications of imaging which include molecular imaging with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and photoacoustic (PA) imaging. One finds that each of these modalities has strengths and weaknesses, but optical and PET imaging tend, in this context, to be currently the most accessible, convenient, and informative modalities. Nevertheless, an important principle is that there is not a one‐size‐fits‐all solution, and that the specific nanovaccine in question must be compatible with a particular imaging modality. This article is categorized under:Nanotechnology Approaches to Biology > Nanoscale Systems in BiologyTherapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Oncologic DiseaseTherapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Infectious Disease [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Without a standard test for pancreatic carcinomas, this highly lethal disease is normally diagnosed at its advanced stage, leading to a low survival rate of patients. Trophoblast cell-surface antigen 2 (Trop-2), a transmembrane glycoprotein, is associated with cell proliferation and highly expressed in most of solid epithelial tumors, including pancreatic cancer. A non-invasive method of imaging Trop-2 would greatly benefit clinical diagnosis and monitoring of pancreatic cancer. In the current study, 89Zr-labeled anti-Trop-2 antibody (AF650) was recruited for the systemic evaluation of Trop-2 as an immunoPET target for pancreatic cancer imaging. Methods: AF650 was conjugated with desferrioxamine (DFO) and then radiolabeled with 89Zr. Trop-2 expression levels were determined in three pancreatic cancer cell lines (BxPC-3, MIA PaCa-2, and AsPC-1) via western blot, flow cytometry, saturation binding assay, and immunofluorescence staining. The targeting capacity of 89Zr-DFO-AF650 was evaluated in mouse models with subcutaneous xenograft of pancreatic cancers via PET imaging and bio-distribution studies. In addition, a Trop-2-positive orthotopic cancer model was recruited for further validating the targeting specificity of 89Zr-DFO-AF650. Results: BxPC-3 cells expressed high levels of Trop-2, while AsPC-1 and MIA PaCa-2 cells expressed low levels of Trop-2. Additionally, 89Zr-DFO-AF650 exhibited high specificity to Trop-2 in BxPC-3 cells (Kd = 22.34 ± 2.509 nM). In subcutaneous xenograft models, about 28.8 ± 7.63%ID/g tracer accumulated in the BxPC-3 tumors at 120 h post injection, which was much higher than those reaching MIA PaCa-2 (6.76 ± 2.08%ID/g) and AsPC-1 (3.51 ± 0.69%ID/g) tumors (n = 4). More importantly, 89Zr-DFO-AF650 could efficiently distinguish primary tumors in the orthotopic BxPC-3 cancer model, showing high correlation between PET imaging and bio-distribution and sensitivity. Conclusions: 89Zr-DFO-AF650 can be effectively used to detect pancreatic cancer via Trop-2-mediated immunoPET in vivo, clearly revealing the great potential of Trop-2-based non-invasive imaging in pancreatic cancer detection and treatment monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]