Nuclear Imaging Strategies to Evaluate Cytokine Production in Autoimmune, Inflammatory, and Neoplastic Diseases: A Review of Current Preclinical Research

Cytokines are small proteins that directly regulate immune cell proliferation and signaling. An improved understanding of cytokine expression in specific microenvironments provides critical insights into essential physiologic and pathophysiologic responses to disease and infection. Standard methods used to detect and quantify cytokines are not fully suitable for this purpose, given their limited sensitivity and capacity to address cytokine heterogeneity and short biologic half-lives. In contrast, nuclear imaging modalities (e.g., PET, SPECT) can be used to detect cytokine binding in situ in real time. In this review, we discuss some of the most promising preclinical nuclear imaging agents that have been developed to target specific cytokines. These agents may ultimately be used in the clinical setting to monitor disease progression and responses to treatments for cancer and autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.