Can we see inflammation as it happens?

Coordinators: R. Huber (UzL), J.-B. Hövener (CAU), K. Kusche (UzL)

Inflammation changes cells, tissues and metabolism. Conventional medical imaging can show many structural changes, but often provides only a snapshot. New imaging technologies could reveal the biological processes behind inflammation in much greater detail.

RTF-VII develops methods to visualize inflammation at different scales – from mechanical changes in individual cells to metabolic processes within organs. These include advanced optical imaging, atomic force microscopy, molecular contrast agents and metabolic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

The goal is to detect and characterize inflammation more precisely and, where possible, dynamically. In the future, these technologies could provide new ways to assess disease activity, understand disease mechanisms and monitor how patients respond to treatment.