Oncogenes, cancer and imaging.

At the dawn of the 21st century, nuclear oncology is undergoing a formidable and rapid mutagenesis. The progress in radiochemistry, radiopharmacy and, foremost, the advances in molecular oncology are the determinant mutagenic factors. Mutation, amplification, deletion or translocation of deoxyribonucleic acid segments in proto-oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes also called anti-oncogenes account for the uncontrolled cell growth and proliferation resulting in cancer. The astonishing developments in peptide and nucleic acid chemistry have opened the door for the development of new, highly specific probes such as antisense, aptamer and peptidomimetic molecules to image the oncogenes and anti-oncogenes transcriptional (messenger ribonucleic acid) and translational (protein) products involved in carcinogenesis. In this article, I shall review the basic molecular mechanisms of carcinogenesis and describe the molecular probes that are currently being developed.