LAUSR

Our understanding of complex diseases remains rudimentary and limits our ability to make rational and effective treatment choices. Although molecular technologies have dramatically improved our insights into pathological mechanisms of disease, molecular biology approaches fall short of deconvolving the complex signaling pathways involved in disease within living organisms and, while operating at the microscopic scale, have limited capability for interrogating heterogeneity in space and over time. On the other hand, diagnostic imaging methods, particularly including positron emission tomography (PET), support non-invasive probing of metabolic and signaling pathways on a whole-body scale, but are constrained by the physical limits of spatial and contrast resolution of current instrumentation. Recent advances in extended fieldof-view PET/CT systems will, however, expand the spatiotemporal performance of molecular imaging through highlysensitive, dynamic, whole-body (DWB) imaging. We contend that the combination of DWB-PET with targeted use of established molecular biology approaches holds the promise of deepening our understanding of pathological mechanisms of disease and, thereby, guide treatment decisions more effectively. Such “Applied Systems Biology” approach is likely to advance our understanding of complex interactions during pathophysiological processes and help personalize therapies.