The World Molecular Imaging Society (WMIS) is collaborating with the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the NIH, to promote best practices for co-clinical trials to speed the discovery of more and better treatments for cancer and other diseases.

Over the past two years, WMIS and the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) have shared their interest with NCI to promote best practices for co-clinical trials and met in September 2014 to finalize an agreement that WMIS, with the assistance of the AAPM, would explore how to promote best practice for quantitative imaging for co-clinical trials.

Co-clinical trials are defined as parallel or sequential trials of combination therapy in patients and in mouse and human-in-mouse models of appropriate genotypes to represent the patients. The initiative is designed to help establish best practices for quantitative imaging methods and imaging protocols that are applied to both mouse and human-in-mouse models. The research resources are expected to improve the correlation of results from mouse models with prospective and/or retrospective clinical trial data. The clinical goals are to support effective mouse/human co-clinic therapy and prevention trials.

"Molecular imaging and the emerging field of theranostics are essential to the successful implementation of precision medicine. WMIS, with its international forum for discussing all aspects of molecular imaging and related fields, is in an unique position to take the lead in global discussion, innovation and scientific collaboration, from preclinical studies to first-in-human imaging trials," said Hedvig Hricak M.D., Ph.D., chairman, department of radiology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer, and member of WMIS.

WMIS will include two spotlight sessions on precision medicine and co-clinical trials during the upcoming 8th Annual World Molecular Imaging Congress. The theme of the meeting is Precision Medicine, Visualized, which embodies current and future roles of molecular imaging in basic science, translational medicine and healthcare. The WMIC meeting will take place Sep. 2-5 in Honolulu, Hawaii.

"The WMIS is committed to bringing key technologies that enable the study of biology in the complexity of living systems to the greater scientific community, and to advancing the imaging tools that will help patients who suffer from the most devastating diseases. Our key focus for 2015 is precision medicine and disseminating knowledge, new tools and technologies that help expand the development of this theme on a global scale is the aim of WMIS and we work with our international colleagues to ensure that our voice reflects the advances taking place around the world," said Dr. Jason Lewis, professor and vice chair for research, Emily Tow Jackson chair at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and president of the WMIS.