Pat Price - Overview

The Cancer Research UK and MRC PET Oncology Group is developing new molecular imaging technologies based on positron emission tomography (PET) to quantitate in vivo, in model systems and in man, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic endpoints. This will lead to in vivo target identification, confirmation of mechanisms of action, as well as physiological and clinical endpoints.

The Group works with the Cancer Research UK New Drug Development Committee to develop novel in vivo endpoints to parallel early clinical trials.

Current pharmacodynamic endpoints that are being assessed include angiogenesis, apoptosis, signal transduction, gene expression and others.

The Group is currently based at the MRC Cyclotron Unit at Hammersmith Hospital but will move to a purpose-built building at the Christie Hospital site in Manchester as part of a L20 million initiative in molecular imaging, in 2003.

The Group serves as a national resource for molecular imaging and has expertise in radiochemistry, metabolic analysis, pre-clinical developments including in vivo model systems, pre-clinical imaging, image processing and kinetic analysis, as well as clinical science.