The Molecular Imaging and Contrast Agent Database or MICAD is a freely accessible online source of information on ''in vivo''
molecular imaging
Molecular imaging is a field of medical imaging that focuses on imaging molecules of medical interest within living patients. This is in contrast to conventional methods for obtaining molecular information from preserved tissue samples, such as h ...
agents. It was established as a key component of the "Molecular Libraries and Imaging" program of the NIH Roadmap, a set of major inter-agency initiatives accelerating medical research and the development of new, more specific therapies for a wide range of diseases.
Molecular Imaging and Contrast Agent Database
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Content
MICAD includes agents developed for imaging modalities such as positron emission tomography (PET), single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT
Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT, or less commonly, SPET) is a nuclear medicine tomographic imaging technique using gamma rays. It is very similar to conventional nuclear medicine planar imaging using a gamma camera (that is, ...
), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to form pictures of the anatomy and the physiological processes of the body. MRI scanners use strong magnetic fields, magnetic field gradients, and radio waves ...
), ultrasound
Ultrasound is sound waves with frequencies higher than the upper audible limit of human hearing. Ultrasound is not different from "normal" (audible) sound in its physical properties, except that humans cannot hear it. This limit varies ...
, computed tomography, optical imaging Medical optical imaging is the use of light as an investigational imaging technique for medical applications. Examples include optical microscopy, spectroscopy, endoscopy, scanning laser ophthalmoscopy, laser Doppler imaging, and optical coherence ...
, and planar gamma imaging. It contains textual information, references, numerous links to MEDLINE and to other relevant resources from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI).
Process
MICAD is edited by a team of scientific editors and curators at the National Library of Medicine, NIH. It is being developed under the guidance of a trans-NIH panel of experts in the field. Members of the imaging community are invited to contribute to the MICAD database by writing and submitting entries (chapters) on agents of their choice for online publication. The MICAD staff will work with individual guest authors to prepare the chapters. Interested members of the imaging community should contact the MICAD staff at micad@ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
References
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Online databases
Medical imaging
Molecular biology