[MOS] March 10, 2009

[Zina Queen]

Seminar on

Modern Optics and Spectroscopy

Molecular Theranostics and 21st century healthcare

Roderic Pettigrew,
  National Institutes of Health

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

12:00 - 1:00 p.m.


The diagnosis and treatment of most diseases are distinctly separate 
yet related processes. In some instances, definitive treatment may 
not begin for days to weeks after diagnosis. This delay is not only 
time and resource inefficient but can lead to further delays in 
treatment, and lessen the treatment's effectiveness.  Advances in 
interdisciplinary science have created many opportunities for (1) 
improving our understanding of cellular and molecular events, (2) the 
development of technologies to diagnosis disease at the cell and 
molecular levels and (3) translation of this knowledge into targeted 
therapeutics. Remarkable innovations have led to the emergence of 
such diagnostic and therapeutic technologies and combining these into 
a single procedure, termed "molecular theranostics", is a viable goal 
for medicine in the 21st century.  Achieving this goal would help 
facilitate and optimize preemptive medicine in which serious 
consequences of diseases are prevented by early detection and 
definitive treatment. Thus, the emerging field of molecular 
theranostics will play an increasingly important role in the 
transformation of healthcare.



Grier Room, MIT Bldg 34-401
Refreshments served after the lecture
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