Cancer immunotherapy, including checkpoint blockade and cellular therapy, has become a cornerstone in cancer treatment. However, understanding the factors driving patient response or resistance to these therapies remains challenging. The dynamic interplay between the immune system and tumors requires new approaches for characterization. Biopsies and blood tests provide valuable information, but their limitations have led to increased interest in positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography imaging to complement these strategies. The noninvasive nature of PET imaging makes it ideal for monitoring the dynamic tumor immune microenvironment. This review discusses various PET imaging approaches, including immune cell lineage markers, immune functional markers, immune cell metabolism, direct cell labeling, and reporter genes, highlighting their potential in targeted immunotherapies and cell-based approaches. Although PET imaging has limitations, its integration into diagnostic strategies holds promise for improving patient outcomes and accelerating drug development in cancer immunotherapy.
Keyphrases
- pet imaging
- positron emission tomography
- computed tomography
- single cell
- cell therapy
- pet ct
- magnetic resonance imaging
- stem cells
- dna damage
- high resolution
- genome wide
- cancer therapy
- cell cycle
- case report
- papillary thyroid
- contrast enhanced
- climate change
- young adults
- gene expression
- cell proliferation
- mass spectrometry
- machine learning
- fluorescence imaging
- dual energy
- social media
- human health
- big data
- dna methylation
- photodynamic therapy
- artificial intelligence
- deep learning