Biochemistry of Medical Imaging

Base Knowledge

Cell biology

Teaching Methodologies

 T – The teaching methods include using audiovisual media in lectures, the discussion of short case-studies dedicated to metabolic biochemistry (inborn errors of metabolism), the study of biomarkers for diagnosing and monitoring the treatment, and also  exercises to apply theoretical contents.

TP – Students are encouraged to apply the knowledge acquired in the development of work through advanced search, critical review and discussion dedicated to radiopharmaceuticals.

Learning Results

The intended learning outcomes of the curricular unit of Biochemistry of Medical Imaging are the following:

1- The study of the structural and functional aspects of the cell biomacromolecules;

2- The study of the cell bioenergetics, the main biochemical metabolic routes and its integration and regulation;

3- The fundamentals of radiopharmaceuticals and its integration in the metabolic pathways;

4- Understanding the use of different imaging techniques to obtain specific information about the metabolic pathways of different tissues and organs , which are the basis of possible uses in imaging.

At the end of this curricular unit, the student should be able to:

1.Identify the chemical structure of the biomacromolecules and relate structure to function,

2. Describe the mechanisms involved in the use of radiopharmaceuticals, either in clinical practice or under development;

3. Describe the relation between the cell bioenergetics and the metabolism, and its regulation;

4-Describe the main metabolic pathways, the key-enzymes and regulatory hormones;

5 – Differentiate the metabolic specificities of the different tissues;

6- Solve exercises and short-case studies of metabolism, and identify diagnostic biomarkers;

7- Select one metabolic target to be used to address an image translating its metabolic activity.

 

Program

1. BIOMOLECULES  

– Amino acids and proteins; Enzymes; Carbohydrates; Lipids; Hormones

– Structure versus funtion

2. RADIOPHARMACEUTICALS                                                                                                            

– Use of radiopharmaceuticals – Basic principles

3.CELL BIOENERGETICS, METABOLISM and BIOMARKERS

3.1 Metabolism of carbohydrates                                                            

3.2 Metabolism of lipids                                                                             

3.3 Metabolism of proteins                                                                         

3.4 Metabolism of micronutrients                                                       

3.5 INTEGRATION OF METABOLISM, REGULATION AND ADAPTATION                                               

– Tissue/organ specifications

4. Use of radiopharmaceuticals in metabolic assessment                                                             

– SPECT radiopharmaceuticals

– PET radiopharmaceuticals

5. Spectroscopy in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance imaging                                               

Curricular Unit Teachers

Isabel Maria de Aguilar Cabral de Andrade Ramalho

Internship(s)

NAO

Bibliography

 

Primary bibliography

Halpern MJ, Freire AP, Quintas A. Bioquímica: Organização Molecular da Vida, ed. Lidel.

Lehninger Principles of Biochemistry (D.L. Nelson & M. M. Cox) 5ª Ed.,

Nuclear Medicine in Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment (P. Ell, S. Gambhir) 3ª Ed., Churchill Livingstone, 2004.

Molecular Nuclear Medicine. The Chalenge of Genomics and Proteomics to Clinical Practice (L. E. Feinendegen et al. eds), Springer, 2003

Nuclear Medicine: The Requisites (Janis P. O’Malley and James H. Thrall), 4 edition, Elsevier Saunders, 2014

The pathophysiologic basis of nuclear medicine, 2nd Edition, (Abdelhamid H. Elgazzar) Springer, 2006