• Journal of Radiopharmaceuticals and Molecular Probes
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.56-65
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• 2021

TSPO, an 18-kDa translocator protein, is a peripheral-type benzodiazepine receptor that has been associated to a variety of biological activities such as apoptosis, steroidogenesis, and cell proliferation. Because TSPO overexpression has been found in various forms of cancer, it has recently become one of the most appealing biological targets for cancer therapies and detection. In order to create new optical imaging agents for improved diagnostics, we synthesized a novel dimeric fluorescent TSPO ligand based on PRB28 structure and SCy5.5. Following the preparation of the novel TSPO ligand, in vivo and ex vivo imaging tests were performed to examine the tumor uptake characteristics of the fluorescent TSPO ligand in a glioma animal model, and it was found that novel TSPO ligand was accumulated in glioma. These results suggested that novel dimeric fluorescent TSPO ligand will be applied to detect glioma.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.209-223
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• 2002

By considering the biological properties of a tumor, it should be possible to realize better results in cancer therapy. PET imaging offers the opportunity to measure tumor growth non-invasively and repeatedly as an early assessment of response to cancer therapy. Measuring cellular growth instead of energy metabolism showed offer significant advantages in evaluating therapy. Thymidine and its derivative nucleoside compounds can be changed to mono, di- and tri- phosphate compounds by thymidine kinase and then be incorporated into DNA. Their bindings are increased in highly proliferating cells due to the high DNA synthesis rate. To evaluate cell proliferation, many kinds of thymidine and uridine derivatives have been labeled with positron emitter and radioactive iodine. Compared to radiopharmaceuticals which have radioisotope labeled base ring such as pyirmidine, the radiopharmacuticals which have radioisotope labeled sugar ring are more stable in vivo and have metabolic resistance. The biological properties such as DNA incorporation ratios are highly dependent on their chemical structures and metabolic processes. This overview describes synthesis of radiopharmaceuticals and their biological properties for imaging of tumor cell proliferation.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.237-249
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• 2019

Confirming the direct link between neural circuit activity and animal behavior has been a principal aim of neuroscience. The genetically encoded calcium indicator (GECI), which binds to calcium ions and emits fluorescence visualizing intracellular calcium concentration, enables detection of in vivo neuronal firing activity. Various GECIs have been developed and can be chosen for diverse purposes. These GECI-based signals can be acquired by several tools including two-photon microscopy and microendoscopy for precise or wide imaging at cellular to synaptic levels. In addition, the images from GECI signals can be analyzed with open source codes including constrained non-negative matrix factorization for endoscopy data (CNMF_E) and miniscope 1-photon-based calcium imaging signal extraction pipeline (MIN1PIPE), and considering parameters of the imaged brain regions (e.g., diameter or shape of soma or the resolution of recorded images), the real-time activity of each cell can be acquired and linked with animal behaviors. As a result, GECI signal analysis can be a powerful tool for revealing the functions of neuronal circuits related to specific behaviors.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2008.11a
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• pp.1446-1449
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• 2008

Immune system is composed of multiple cells with distinct functions, and immune responses are orchestrated by complex and dynamic cell-cell interactions. Therefore, each cell behavior and function should be understood under right spatio-temporal context. Studying such complexity and dynamics has been challenging with conventional biological tools. Recent development of new technologies such as state of art imaging instruments and microfabrication techniques compatible with biological systems have provided many exciting opportunities to dissect complex and dynamic immune cell interactions; new microscopy techniques enable us to observe stunning dynamics of immune system in real time. Microfabrication permits us to manipulate microenvironments governing molecular/cellular dynamics of immune cells to study detailed mechanisms of phenomena observed by microscopy. Also, microfabrication can be used to engineer microenvironments optimal for specific imaging techniques. In this presentation, I am going to present an example of how these two techniques can be combined to tackle challenging problems in immunology. Obviously, this strategy can readily be applied to many different fields of biology other than immunology.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.43-48
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• 1995

A high speed optic scanner capable of 16 frames/sec imaging has been developed for the realization of the infrared thermal Imaging system with a single element infrared sensor. The high speed optic scanner is composed of a rotating polygon mirror for horizontal scanning, a flat mirror mounted on a galvanometer for vertical scanning, and a spherical mirror. It has been experimentally found that the optic scanner is capable of 16 framesllsec imaging with the frame matrix size of 256 x 64.

• Bioinformatics and Biosystems
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.17-27
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• 2006

Recent progress in the development of non-invasive imaging technologies continues to strengthen the role of molecular imaging biological research. These tools have been validated recently in variety of research models, and have been shown to provide continuous quantitative monitoring of the location(s), magnitude, and time-variation of gene delivery and/or expression. This article reviews the use of radionuclide, magnetic resonance, and optical imaging technologies as they have been used in imaging gene delivery and gene expression for molecular imaging applications. The studies published to date demonstrate that noninvasive imaging tools will help to accelerate pre-clinical model validation as well as allow for clinical monitoring of human diseases.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.34 no.10
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• pp.2937-2941
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• 2013

Fluorescence imaging is considered as one of the most powerful techniques for monitoring biomolecule activities in living systems. Near-infrared (NIR) light is advantageous for minimum photodamage, deep tissue penetration, and minimum background autofluorescence interference. Herein, we have developed a new NIR fluorescent dye, namely, RB-1, based on the Rhodamine B scaffold. RB-1 exhibits excellent photophysical properties including large absorption extinction coefficients, high fluorescence quantum yields, and high photostability. In particular, RB-1 displays both absorption and emission in the NIR region of the "biological window" (650-900 nm) for imaging in biological samples. RB-1 shows absorption maximum at 614 nm (500-725 nm) and emission maximum at 712 nm (650-825 nm) in ethanol, which is superior to those of traditional rhodamine B in the selected spectral region. Furthermore, applications of RB-1 for fluorescence imaging in living cells and small animals were investigated using confocal fluorescence microscopy and in vivo imaging system with a high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR = 10.1).

• Proceedings of the KOSOMBE Conference
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• v.1994 no.05
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• pp.9-15
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• 1994

In last few decades, medical imaging techniques have been developed startling progress. Especially in MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging), many imaging techniques such as chemical shift imaging, flow imaging, diffusion and perfusion imaging, fast imaging, susceptibility imaging and functional imaging have been studied and many of them were well known as useful diagnostic instruments. In this paper, recently developing techniques, i.e., NMR microscopy, fringe field imaging and functional imaging will be presented.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.185-193
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• 2008

An experimental comparison of the detection properties between imaging plate and film for recording the electron diffraction pattern was carried out on a radiation-sensitive material, an aluminum trihydroxide(gibbsite, ${\gamma}-Al(OH)_3$), through the electron beam irradiation. Because the imaging plate has a wide dynamic range sufficient for recording extremely low- and high-electron intensities, the range of spatial frequency for the diffraction pattern acquired by the imaging plate was extended to two times larger than the range by the film, especially at a low electron dose condition(${\leq}0.1\;e^-/{\mu}m^2$). It is also demonstrated that the imaging plate showed better resolving power for discriminating fine intensity levels even in saturated transmitted beam. Hence, in the respect of investigating the structures of radiation-sensitive materials and cryo-biological specimens, our experimental demonstrations suggest that the imaging plate technique may be a good choice for those studies, which have to use an extremely low electron intensity for recording.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2009

Many types of small animal imaging modalities, like micro-CT, micro-PET, and micro-SPECT, have been recently developed worldwide. Small animal imaging systems are now recognized as indispensable tools to validate efficacy and safety of new drugs or new therapeutic methods using the animal disease models. With increasing demands for small animal imaging in biomedical research, multimodal small animal imaging systems, like micro-PET/CT or micro PET/MRI, are now also being developed. Small animal imaging with spatial resolution and sensitivity comparable to human imaging is quite challenging since laboratory small animals are much smaller than human beings. Research activities in Korea on small animal imaging systems are reviewed in this paper. In the field of micro-CT and micro-PET, many world-class technologies have been developed successfully in Korea. It is expected that the developed animal imaging system technologies can be used in the development of clinical imaging systems in Korea in the near future.