Applications of Small Animal Imaging with PET, PET/CT, and PET/MR Imaging.

Small animal techniques of PET, MR imaging, and CT are most frequently applied in preclinical oncology research, but cardiovascular and neurologic research protocols can also take advantage of these innovative approaches. PET is used to provide functional information about disease activity. Using small animal PET and MR imaging, one can observe the response of a disease condition to a new therapeutic agent or the development of disease, significantly reducing the number of animals employed and increasing the reliability of the results. By employing the same technology (PET, MR imaging, or CT) in the experimental setting and in clinical practice, the step between preclinical science and clinical applications in human patients is shortened.