• Affibody molecules
• Axl receptor tyrosine kinase
• Gastric cancer
• Molecular imaging
• Targeted therapy

• Humans
• Stomach Neoplasms/drug therapy
• Stomach Neoplasms/metabolism
• Stomach Neoplasms/pathology
• Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases/metabolism
• Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases/antagonists & inhibitors
• Axl Receptor Tyrosine Kinase
• Animals
• Proto-Oncogene Proteins/metabolism
• Proto-Oncogene Proteins/antagonists & inhibitors
• Mice
• Molecular Targeted Therapy/methods
• Cell Proliferation/drug effects
• Molecular Imaging/methods
• Mice, Nude
• Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
• Cell Line, Tumor
• Apoptosis
• Mice, Inbred BALB C
• Recombinant Fusion Proteins
• Signal Transduction/drug effects

• No.81972550 National Natural Science Foundation of China
• No. Y20210941 Wenzhou Basic Scientific Research Projects

• Fluorescence
• Fluorescent antibody
• IBD
• Molecular endoscopy
• Molecular imaging
• Mucosa
• Prediction of response
• Target cell

• Humans
• Inflammatory Bowel Diseases/diagnostic imaging
• Inflammatory Bowel Diseases/diagnosis
• Molecular Imaging/methods
• Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal/methods
• Precision Medicine/methods
• Intestinal Mucosa/diagnostic imaging
• Intestinal Mucosa/pathology

• IBD BASIC RESEARCH
• IBD CLINICAL
• IMAGING
• MOLECULAR IMMUNOLOGY

• Humans
• Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized/therapeutic use
• Intestinal Mucosa/pathology
• Intestinal Mucosa/diagnostic imaging
• Intestinal Mucosa/metabolism
• Intestinal Mucosa/drug effects
• Gastrointestinal Agents/therapeutic use
• Inflammatory Bowel Diseases/drug therapy
• Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal

• Colorectal cancer
• Fluorescent probe
• Mitochondrion-specific photosensitizer
• Photodynamic therapy
• Precise visualization
• Theranostics
• Viscosity

• 82272067 National Natural Science Foundation of China
• M-0696 National Natural Science Foundation of China
• 81974386 National Natural Science Foundation of China
• 2022JJ80052 National Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province
• 2022JJ30920 National Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province
• National Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province

• Anti-tumor necrosis factor antibody
• IL-23
• Molecular resistance
• Therapy
• Ulcerative colitis

• Barrett’s adenocarcinoma
• advanced endoscopy
• molecular imaging

• Clinical application
• Confocal laser endomicroscopy
• Endocytoscopy
• Microscopic feature
• endoscopy

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the leading causes of cancer related death in the western world. Its successful treatment requires early detection and removal of precursor lesions as well as individualized treatment of advanced disease. During recent years, molecular imaging techniques have shown promising results to improve current clinical practice. For instance, molecular endoscopy resulted in higher detection rates of precursors in comparison to conventional endoscopy in preclinical and clinical studies. Molecular confocal endomicroscopy allowed a further classification of suspect lesions as well as the prediction and monitoring of the therapeutic response. In this review, we summarize recent achievements for molecular imaging of CRC in preclinical studies, initial clinical trials and the remaining challenges for future translation into clinical practice.

• Raman
• adenoma
• colorectal cancer
• confocal endomicroscopy
• endoscopy
• fluorescence
• molecular imaging
• near-infrared imaging

Endoscopy is the mainstay of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) evaluation and the pillar of colorectal cancer surveillance. Endoscopic equipment, both hardware and software, are advancing at an incredible pace. Virtual chromoendoscopy is now widely available, allowing the detection of subtle inflammatory changes, thus reducing the gap between endoscopic and histologic assessment. The progress in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) has been remarkable, and numerous applications are now in an advanced stage of development. Computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) systems are likely to reshape most of the evaluations that are now prerogative of human endoscopists. Furthermore, sophisticated tools such as endocytoscopy and probe-based confocal laser endomicroscopy (pCLE) are enhancing our assessment of inflammation and dysplasia. Finally, pCLE combined with molecular labeling could pave the way to a new paradigm of personalized medicine. This review aims to summarize the main changes that occurred in the field of IBD endoscopy and to explore the most promising novelties.

• Crohn’s disease
• artificial intelligence
• capsule endoscopy
• confocal laser endomicroscopy
• endocytoscopy
• endoscopy
• inflammatory bowel disease
• molecular endoscopy
• ulcerative colitis
• virtual chromoendoscopy

High-definition endoscopy is one essential step in the initial diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) characterizing the extent and severity of inflammation, as well as discriminating ulcerative colitis (UC) from Crohn's disease (CD). Following general recommendations and national guidelines, individual risk stratification should define the appropriate surveillance strategy, biopsy protocol and frequency of endoscopies. Beside high-definition videoendoscopy the application of dyes applied via a spraying catheter is of additional diagnostic value with a higher detection rate of intraepithelial neoplasia (IEN). Virtual chromoendoscopy techniques (NBI, FICE, I-scan, BLI) should not be recommended as a single surveillance strategy in IBD, although newer data suggest a higher comparability to dye-based chromoendoscopy than previously assumed. First results of oral methylene blue formulation are promising for improving the acceptance rate of classical chromoendoscopy. Confocal laser endomicroscopy (CLE) is still an experimental but highly innovative endoscopic procedure with the potential to contribute to the detection of dysplastic lesions. Molecular endoscopy in IBD has taken application of CLE to a higher level and allows topical application of labeled probes, mainly antibodies, against specific target structures expressed in the tissue to predict response or failure to biological therapies. First pre-clinical and in vivo data from label-free multiphoton microscopy (MPM) are now available to characterize mucosal and submucosal inflammation on endoscopy in more detail. These new techniques now have opened the door to individualized and highly specific molecular imaging in IBD in the future and pave the path to personalized medicine approaches. The quality of evidence was stated according to the Oxford Center of evidence-based medicine (March 2009). For this review a Medline search up to January 2021 was performed using the words “inflammatory bowel disease,” “ulcerative colitis,” “crohn's disease,” “chromoendoscopy,” “high-definition endoscopy,” “confocal laser endomicroscopy,” “confocal laser microscopy,” “molecular imaging,” “multiphoton microscopy.”

• chromoendoscopy
• confocal laser microscopy
• high-definition endoscopy
• molecular endoscopy
• multiphoton microscopy

• Colitis
• Disease severity
• In vivo imaging
• Molecular probe
• Neutrophils
• Topical administration

• Administration, Topical
• Colitis/chemically induced
• Colitis/diagnosis
• Fluorescent Dyes
• Humans
• Neutrophils
• Tissue Distribution

• CD44v6
• Peptide probe
• gastric cancer (GC)
• in vivo imaging
• phage display

• Cancer
• Cell-penetrating peptides
• Clinical studies
• Drug delivery
• Pharmacotherapy

The advent of anti-TNF agents as the first approved targeted therapy in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients has made a major impact on our existing therapeutic algorithms. They have not only been approved for induction and maintenance treatment in IBD patients, but have also enabled us to define and achieve novel therapeutic outcomes, such as combination of clinical symptom control and endoscopic remission, as well as mucosal healing. Nevertheless, approximately one third of treated patients do not respond to initiated anti-TNF therapy and these treatments are associated with sometimes severe systemic side-effects. There is therefore the currently unmet clinical need do establish predictive markers of response to identify the subgroup of IBD patients, that have a heightened probability of response. There have so far been approaches from different fields of IBD research, to descry markers that would empower us to apply TNF-inhibitors in a more rational manner. These markers encompass findings from disease-related and clinical factors, pharmacokinetics, biochemical markers, blood and stool derived parameters, pharmacogenomics, microbial species, metabolic compounds, and mucosal factors. Furthermore, changes in the intestinal immune cell composition in response to therapeutic pressure of anti-TNF treatment have recently been implicated in the process of molecular resistance to these drugs. Insights into factors that determine resistance to anti-TNF therapy give reasonable hope, that a more targeted approach can then be utilized in these non-responders. Here, IL-23 could be identified as one of the key factors determining resistance to TNF-inhibitors. Growing insights into the molecular mechanism of action of TNF-inhibitors might also enable us to derive critical molecular markers that not only mediate the clinical effects of anti-TNF therapy, but which level of expression might also correlate with its therapeutic efficacy. In this narrative review, we present an overview of currently identified possible predictive markers for successful anti-TNF therapy and discuss identified molecular pathways that drive resistance to these substances. We will also point out the necessity and difficulty of developing and validating a diagnostic marker concerning clinically relevant outcome parameters, before they can finally enter daily clinical practice and enable a more personalized therapeutic approach.

• anti-TNF
• inflammatory bowel diseases
• personalized medicine
• prediction
• response

• Anti-TNF therapy
• Apoptosis
• Crohn’s disease
• IL23
• Intestine
• Resolution of inflammation

• angiogenesis
• barrett
• early detection
• imaging
• oesophageal cancer
• tumor

• colorectal cancer
• endoscopy
• inflammatory bowel diseases
• molecular imaging

• Barrett’s esophagus
• Colorectal cancer
• Crohn’s disease
• Endoscopy
• Inflammatory bowel diseases
• Molecular imaging
• Ulcerative colitis

Fluorescence tumor imaging using exogenous fluorescent tumor‐targeting agents has potential to improve early tumor detection. The fluorescent contrast agent indocyanine green (ICG) is used in medical diagnostics. The aim of the present study is to investigate the tumor imaging capability and the imaging mechanism of i.v. administered ICG in a mouse model of colitis‐associated colon cancer. To do this, an azoxymethane/dextran sodium sulfate‐induced colon cancer mouse model was used. Ex vivo imaging experiments were carried out 1 hour after i.v. injection of ICG. The ICG fluorescence was observed in the colon tumor tissues, with sufficient tumor to normal tissue ratio, correlating with tumor malignancy. In the tumor tissues, ICG fluorescence was localized in the vascular interstitial tissue. Immunofluorescence microscopy revealed that tumor cells formed tight junctions normally, suggesting an inability of tumor cellular uptake of ICG. In contrast, tumor tissues increased the CD31‐immunoreactive endothelial cell area, and accumulated stromal cells immunoreactive for COX‐2 and tumor cell population immunoreactive for inducible nitric oxide synthase. In vivo vascular permeability assay revealed that prostaglandin E₂ promoted the endothelial cell permeability of ICG. In conclusion, our data indicated that fluorescence contrast‐enhanced imaging following i.v. administered ICG can be applied to the detection of colon tumors in a mouse colitis‐associated colon cancer model. The tumor tissue preference of ICG in the present model can be attributed to the enhanced vascular leakage of ICG involving inflammatory mediators, such as COX‐2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase, in conjunction with increased tumor vascularity.

• colitis-associated colon cancer
• fluorescence imaging
• indocyanine green
• tumor malignancy
• vascular permeability

In recent years, various technological developments markedly improved imaging of mucosal inflammation in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases. Although technological developments such as high-definition-, chromo-, and autofluorescence-endoscopy led to a more precise and detailed assessment of mucosal inflammation during wide-field endoscopy, probe-based and stationary confocal laser microscopy enabled in vivo real-time microscopic imaging of mucosal surfaces within the gastrointestinal tract. Through the use of fluorochromes with specificity against a defined molecular target combined with endoscopic techniques that allow ultrastructural resolution, molecular imaging enables in vivo visualization of single molecules or receptors during endoscopy. Molecular imaging has therefore greatly expanded the clinical utility and applications of modern innovative endoscopy, which include the diagnosis, surveillance, and treatment of disease as well as the prediction of the therapeutic response of individual patients. Furthermore, non-invasive imaging techniques such as computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, scintigraphy, and ultrasound provide helpful information as supplement to invasive endoscopic procedures. In this review, we provide an overview on the current status of advanced imaging technologies for the clinical non-invasive and endoscopic evaluation of mucosal inflammation. Furthermore, the value of novel methods such as multiphoton microscopy, optoacoustics, and optical coherence tomography and their possible future implementation into clinical diagnosis and evaluation of mucosal inflammation will be discussed.

• Crohn’s disease
• confocal endomicroscopy
• endoscopy
• inflammatory bowel disease
• mucosal inflammation
• multiphoton microscopy
• narrow-band imaging
• ulcerative colitis

The fluorescent contrast agent indocyanine green (ICG) is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for clinical applications. We previously reported that cultured human colon tumor cells preferentially take up ICG by endocytic activity in association with disruption of their tight junctions. The present study explored ICG availability in fluorescence imaging of the colon to identify proliferative lesions during colonoscopy. The cellular uptake of ICG in cultured rat colon tumor cells was examined using live-cell imaging. Colon lesions in rats administered an ICG-containing enema were further assessed in rats with azoxymethane-induced colon carcinogenesis, using in vivo endoscopy, ex vivo microscopy, and immunofluorescence microscopy. The uptake of ICG by the cultured cells was temperature-dependent. The intracellular retention of the dye in the membrane trafficking system suggested endocytosis as the uptake mechanism. ICG administered via enema accumulated in colon proliferative lesions ranging from tiny aberrant crypt foci to adenomas and localized in proliferating cells. Fluorescence endoscopy detected these ICG-positive colonic proliferative lesions in vivo. The immunoreactivity of the tight-junction molecule occludin was altered in the proliferative lesions, suggesting the disruption of the integrity of tight junctions. These results suggest that fluorescence contrast-enhanced imaging following the administration of an ICG-containing enema can enhance the detection of mucosal proliferative lesions of the colon during colonoscopy. The tissue preference of ICG in the rat model evaluated in this study can be attributed to the disruption of tight junctions, which in turn promotes endocytosis by proliferative cells and the cellular uptake of ICG.

• colon tumor
• endoscopy
• fluorescence imaging
• indocyanine green
• tight junction

A versatile biomarker for detecting colonic adenoma and colon cancer has yet to be developed. Colon cancer secreted protein-2 (CCSP-2) is a protein specifically expressed and secreted in colon adenomas and cancers. We developed a fluorescent imaging method based on CCSP-2 targeting for a more sensitive and specific detection of colorectal tumors. CCSP-2 expression was evaluated in human colon adenoma and colorectal specimens. Anti–CCSP-2 antibody was labeled with a near-infrared fluorescent dye, FPR-675, and molecular imaging of surgical human colorectal tumors was performed. Immunohistochemistry identified CCSP-2 expression in 87.0% of colorectal cancer specimens and 89.5% of colon adenoma specimens. Fluorescence imaging of surgical human colon specimens after spraying treatment with the probe permitted a clear distinction of cancer from paired normal colon tissue (target-to-background ratio, 4.09 ± 0.42; P < .001). CCSP-2 targeting imaging was also evaluated in patient-derived colon cancer xenograft mouse and liver metastasis murine models. CCSP-2–positive colon cancer xenografts and liver metastases were visualized by near-infrared fluorescence imaging after intravenous injection of the probe, which showed significantly higher fluorescence. Our results show that CCSP-2 is a promising marker for colorectal tumor detection in clinical settings and that a CCSP-2–targeting molecular imaging strategy might improve the diagnosis of colorectal tumors in metastatic or recurrent cancers and aid in early colonoscopic detection of premalignant lesions.

• COLONOSCOPY
• CROHN'S COLITIS
• DYSPLASIA
• IMAGING
• ULCERATIVE COLITIS

• cancer
• endocytosis
• fluorescence imaging
• indocyanine green
• tight junction

Gastrointestinal luminal endoscopy is of paramount importance for diagnosis, monitoring and dysplasia surveillance in patients with both, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Moreover, with the recent recognition that mucosal healing is directly linked to the clinical outcome of patients with inflammatory bowel disorders, a growing demand exists for the precise, timely and detailed endoscopic assessment of superficial mucosal layer. Further, the novel field of molecular imaging has tremendously expanded the clinical utility and applications of modern endoscopy, now encompassing not only diagnosis, surveillance, and treatment but also the prediction of individual therapeutic responses. Within this review, we describe how novel endoscopic approaches and advanced endoscopic imaging methods such as high definition and high magnification endoscopy, dye-based and dye-less chromoendoscopy, confocal laser endomicroscopy, endocytoscopy and molecular imaging now allow for the precise and ultrastructural assessment of mucosal inflammation and describe the potential of these techniques for dysplasia detection.

• Ulcerative colitis
• Crohn’s disease
• Advanced endoscopic imaging
• Chromoendoscopy
• Mucosal healing
• Colitis associated cancer
• Confocal laser endomicroscopy
• Endocytoscopy
• Molecular imaging

• Chromogenic Compounds
• Colitis, Ulcerative/diagnostic imaging
• Colitis, Ulcerative/pathology
• Crohn Disease/diagnostic imaging
• Crohn Disease/pathology
• Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal/methods
• Humans
• Intestines/diagnostic imaging
• Intestines/pathology
• Microscopy, Confocal
• Molecular Imaging/methods
• Predictive Value of Tests
• Prognosis

Endoscopy is an essential diagnostic and therapeutic modality in the clinical care of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients. Endoscopic therapy can be used for treatment of disease-related strictures, surveillance and resection of intraepithelial neoplasia, and treatment of fistulas or disease-related complications, and is currently being evaluated regarding its capacity in in vivo molecular imaging procedures.

A literature search using Medline and Science Citation Index was performed in March 2015. All studies on endoscopic therapy in IBD published from 1980 to 2015 (March) were reviewed. Potential studies were initially screened by title and abstract. The terms ‘endoscopy IBD’, ‘endoscopy therapy IBD’, ‘dilatation IBD’, ‘strictureplasty Crohn's disease’, ‘endoscopy therapy fistula’, ‘endoscopy toxic megacolon’, ‘endoscopy dysplasia IBD’, ‘endoscopy complications IBD’, and ‘molecular imaging IBD’ were used in the search. A total of 115 articles were studied to construct this review.

Dilatation is most useful in short anastomotic strictures, but can be also undertaken in colonic strictures. Strictures in ulcerative colitis are always suspicious for neoplasia and should be evaluated carefully. Lesions with intraepithelial neoplasia can be resected when complete removal can be assured. The finding of carcinoma or high-grade dysplasia in a random biopsy is an indication for colectomy. If intraepithelial neoplasia is present in random biopsy specimens, colectomy should similarly be recommended. Endoscopic therapy of Crohn's fistulas is a possible emerging technology. In vivo molecular imaging is currently being studied in IBD patients and offers promising therapeutic opportunities.

Therapeutic endoscopy is indispensable in the management of IBD. It has to be carefully evaluated against alternative surgical options but often offers an effective therapeutic approach.

© 2015 S. Karger GmbH, Freiburg

• Crohn's disease
• Endoscopic therapy
• Endoscopy
• Inflammatory bowel diseases
• Ulcerative colitis

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) comprise the two major entities Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis and endoscopic imaging of the gastrointestinal tract has always been an integral and central part in the management of IBD patients. Within the recent years, mucosal healing emerged as a key treatment goal in IBD that substantially decides about the clinical outcome of IBD patients, thereby demanding for a precise, timely and detailed endoscopic assessment of the mucosal inflammation associated with IBD. Further, molecular imaging has tremendously expanded the clinical utility and applications of modern endoscopy, now encompassing not only diagnosis, surveillance, and treatment but also the prediction of individual therapy response. Within this review we describe novel endoscopic approaches and advanced endoscopic imaging methods for the diagnosis, treatment and surveillance of IBD patients. We begin by providing an overview over novel and advanced imaging techniques such as magnification endoscopy and dye-based and dye-less chromoendoscopy, endomicroscopy and endocytoscopy. We then describe how these techniques can be utilized for the precise and ultrastructural assessment of mucosal inflammation and dysplasia development associated with IBD and outline how they have enabled the endoscopist to gain insight onto the cellular level in real-time. Finally, we provide an outlook on how molecular imaging has rapidly evolved in the recent past and can be used to make individual predictions about the therapeutic response towards biological treatment.

• Gastrointestinal endoscopy
• Crohn’s disease
• Ulcerative colitis
• Inflammatory bowel diseases
• Colon
• Colorectal neoplasms

• Chromogenic Compounds/administration & dosage
• Colitis, Ulcerative/pathology
• Crohn Disease/pathology
• Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal/methods
• Epithelial Cells/pathology
• Humans
• Image Enhancement
• Intestinal Mucosa/pathology
• Microscopy, Confocal
• Molecular Imaging
• Predictive Value of Tests

• CD44v
• cancer targeting
• peptide probe
• phage display

• Endomicroscopy
• Gastric atrophy
• Gastric cancer
• Helicobacter pylori
• Intestinal metaplasia
• Molecular imaging

• CD44
• Gastric cancer
• Molecular docking
• Molecular imaging
• Peptide probe
• Phage display
• Tissue array

Distinction between Crohn’s disease of the colon-rectum and ulcerative colitis or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) type unclassified can be of pivotal importance for a tailored clinical management, as each entity often involves specific therapeutic strategies and prognosis. Nonetheless, no gold standard is available and the uncertainty of diagnosis may frequently lead to misclassification or repeated examinations. Hence, we have performed a literature search to address the problem of differential diagnosis in IBD colitis, revised current and emerging diagnostic tools and refined disease classification strategies. Nowadays, the differential diagnosis is an untangled issue, and the proper diagnosis cannot be reached in up to 10% of patients presenting with IBD colitis. This topic is receiving emerging attention, as medical therapies, surgical approaches and leading prognostic outcomes require more and more disease-specific strategies in IBD patients. The optimization of standard diagnostic approaches based on clinical features, biomarkers, radiology, endoscopy and histopathology appears to provide only marginal benefits. Conversely, emerging diagnostic techniques in the field of gastrointestinal endoscopy, molecular pathology, genetics, epigenetics, metabolomics and proteomics have already shown promising results. Novel advanced endoscopic imaging techniques and biomarkers can shed new light for the differential diagnosis of IBD, better reflecting diverse disease behaviors based on specific pathogenic pathways.

• Crohn’s disease
• Ulcerative colitis
• Inflammatory bowel disease unclassified
• Advanced endoscopic imaging
• Biomarkers
• Histopathology

• Colitis, Ulcerative/diagnosis
• Colitis, Ulcerative/therapy
• Crohn Disease/diagnosis
• Crohn Disease/therapy
• Diagnosis, Differential
• Diagnostic Techniques, Digestive System
• Humans
• Predictive Value of Tests
• Prognosis

• Chromoendoscopy
• Confocal endomicroscopy
• IBD

While flexible endoscopy is essential for macroscopic evaluation, confocal laser endomicroscopy (CLE) has recently emerged as an endoscopic method enabling visualization at a cellular level. Two systems are currently available, one based on miniprobes that can be inserted via a conventional endoscope or via a needle guided by endoscopic ultrasound. The second system has a confocal microscope integrated into the distal part of an endoscope. By adding molecular probes like fluorescein conjugated antibodies or fluorescent peptides to this procedure (either topically or systemically administered during on-going endoscopy), a novel world of molecular evaluation opens up. The method of molecular CLE could potentially be used for estimating the expression of important receptors in carcinomas, subsequently resulting in immediate individualization of treatment regimens, but also for improving the diagnostic accuracy of endoscopic procedures by identifying otherwise invisible mucosal lesions. Furthermore, studies have shown that fluorescein labelled drugs can be used to estimate the affinity of the drug to a target organ, which probably can be correlated to the efficacy of the drug. However, several of the studies in this research field have been conducted in animal facilities or in vitro, while only a limited number of trials have actually been carried out in vivo. Therefore, safety issues still needs further evaluations. This review will present an overview of the implications and pitfalls, as well as future challenges of molecular CLE in gastrointestinal diseases.

• Confocal laser endomicroscopy
• Endoscopy imaging
• Colorectal carcinoma
• Barrett’s esophagus
• Gastric carcinoma
• Inflammatory bowel disease

• Biomarkers/analysis
• Endoscopes, Gastrointestinal
• Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal/instrumentation
• Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal/methods
• Gastrointestinal Diseases/diagnosis
• Gastrointestinal Diseases/metabolism
• Gastrointestinal Diseases/pathology
• Gastrointestinal Diseases/therapy
• Gastrointestinal Tract/chemistry
• Gastrointestinal Tract/pathology
• Humans
• Microscopy, Confocal/instrumentation
• Microscopy, Confocal/methods
• Molecular Imaging/instrumentation
• Molecular Imaging/methods
• Patient Selection
• Precision Medicine
• Predictive Value of Tests
• Prognosis

• (110.0110) Imaging systems
• (170.2150) Endoscopic imaging
• (170.3880) Medical and biological imaging
• (170.4580) Optical diagnostics for medicine

• Animals
• Humans
• Molecular Imaging/methods
• Molecular Targeted Therapy/methods
• Multimodal Imaging

• fluorescence
• molecular diagnostic imaging
• wide-field fluorescence imaging
• flexible endoscopy
• scanning fiber endoscope
• multispectral imaging
• autofluorescence
• target-to-background ratio
• fluorescein
• cancer detection
• real-time imaging
• contrast enhancement

• Animals
• Barrett Esophagus/pathology
• Brain Chemistry
• Endoscopy/methods
• Esophagus/chemistry
• Female
• Image Processing, Computer-Assisted/methods
• Male
• Mice
• Mice, SCID
• Molecular Imaging/methods
• Neoplasms, Experimental
• Optical Imaging/methods
• Phantoms, Imaging
• Swine

• R01 EB016457 NIBIB NIH HHS
• U54 CA163059 NCI NIH HHS
• U54CA163059 NCI NIH HHS

Real-time visualization of the molecular signature of cells can be achieved with advanced targeted imaging techniques using molecular probes and fluorescence endoscopy. This molecular optical imaging in gastrointestinal endoscopy is promising for improving the detection of neoplastic lesions, their characterization for patient stratification, and the assessment of their response to molecular targeted therapy and radiotherapy. In inflammatory bowel disease, this method can be used to detect dysplasia in the presence of background inflammation and to visualize inflammatory molecular targets for assessing disease severity and prognosis. Several preclinical and clinical trials have applied this method in endoscopy; however, this field has just started to evolve. Hence, many problems have yet to be solved to enable the clinical application of this novel method.

• Endoscopy
• Fluorescence probe
• Intestinal diseases
• Molecular imaging