Molecular Imaging of Fibrosis

Abstract Fibrosis is the accumulation of extracellular matrix components that make up scar tissue and is a common result of chronic tissue injury. Fibrotic diseases are responsible for a large burden of human illness, and the development of new methods to image fibrosis and fibrogenesis is a large unmet clinical need. This chapter provides an overview of molecular probes for fibrosis imaging by magnetic resonance imaging positron emission tomography and single-photon emission computed tomography. It starts by introducing the molecular processes involved in the development of fibrosis and identifying corresponding imaging targets. It then describes the application of the targeting molecular probes to image fibrotic processes in different organs or diseases. At the end of the chapter, the role of molecular imaging in answering unmet challenges in fibrosis and the next steps needed to translate molecular imaging into human fibrotic diseases are discussed.