Molecular Imaging and Contrast Agent Database

The Molecular Imaging and Contrast Agent Database (MICAD) is a freely accessible online source of information on in vivo molecular imaging

Molecular imaging

Molecular imaging originated from the field of radiopharmacology due to the need to better understand the fundamental molecular pathways inside organisms in a noninvasive manner.- Overview :...

 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.

MICAD includes agents developed for imaging modalities such as positron emission tomography

Positron emission tomography

Positron emission tomography is nuclear medicine imaging technique that produces a three-dimensional image or picture of functional processes in the body. The system detects pairs of gamma rays emitted indirectly by a positron-emitting radionuclide , which is introduced into the body on a...

 (PET), single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound

Ultrasound

Ultrasound is cyclic sound pressure with a frequency greater than the upper limit of human hearing. Ultrasound is thus not separated from "normal" sound based on differences in physical properties, only the fact that humans cannot hear it. Although this limit varies from person to person, it is...

, computed tomography, optical imaging

Optical imaging

Optical imaging is an imaging technique.Optics usually describes the behavior of visible, ultraviolet, and infrared light used in imaging.Because light is an electromagnetic wave, similar phenomena occur in X-rays, microwaves, radio waves. Chemical imaging or molecular imaging involves inference...

, 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).

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.