TOWARD IMAGING GLYCOTOOLS BY CLICK COUPLING - Click Chemistry in Glycoscience: New Developments and Strategies - page 177

TOWARD IMAGING GLYCOTOOLS BY
CLICK COUPLING

YVES CHAPLEUR, CHRISTINE VALA, FRAN¸OISECHRETIEN, AND
SANDRINE LAMANDE-LANGLE

7.1 INTRODUCTION

In the last century, medical imaging has become an invaluable tool in medicine.
Since the first X-ray image recording of Mrs Roentgen's hand in 1895, acquisition of
human body images considerably helped physicians to make a diagnosis. In addition
to the pioneering X-ray examination, several other techniques are now at disposition
such as ultrasonic imaging, magnetic resonance and nuclear imaging techniques.
Taken together, these techniques allowed the emergence of a new field in medicine,
the so-called molecular imaging. This new multidisciplinary field at the interface of
molecular biology and imaging allows the visualization of cellular functions or the
follow-up of biological processes at the molecular level without interference.
Applications of this technique are increasing every day, ranging from cancer,
neurological disorders and cardiovascular disease diagnosis to treatment evaluation
and improvement at the preclinical and clinical stages. In contrast to medical imaging,
molecular imaging makes use of biomarkers as target- or process-specific probes. The
chemical interaction between the biomarker and its environment induces localized
molecular changes at the origin of image alteration. These noticeable differences
allow the visualization of fine modifications paving the way to early diagnosis and
fast pharmacological developments. As a technology able to explore and measure
the chemistry of life in a noninvasive manner, this new science undoubtedly strongly
contributes to the development of biomedicine. Not surprisingly, molecular imaging