Ultrasound molecular imaging, with its unique imaging principles, can precisely detect disease-related biomarkers at the cellular and molecular levels. For example, in tumor diagnosis, it can target tumor-specific antigens with imaging, achieving a detection sensitivity significantly higher than traditional ultrasound, exceeding 80%.
In cardiovascular disease diagnosis, ultrasound molecular imaging can clearly observe early endothelial dysfunction by imaging specific adhesion molecules on the surface of vascular endothelial cells. Studies have shown that it can detect potential lesions 1-2 years earlier than conventional examination methods. In the diagnosis of neurological diseases, ultrasound molecular imaging utilizes nanoscale ultrasound contrast agents to visualize areas of neuroinflammation through the blood-brain barrier, achieving a detection rate of approximately 90% for small inflammatory lesions in the brain. For liver diseases, ultrasound molecular imaging, through targeted imaging of hepatic stellate cell activation markers, can accurately determine the degree of liver fibrosis. Based on elastography, it can precisely measure liver tissue stiffness, providing important evidence for clinical treatment planning. In the diagnosis of kidney diseases, molecular ultrasound imaging, through imaging specific transport proteins in renal tubular epithelial cells, helps in the early detection of renal tubular dysfunction. Studies have shown that its accuracy in diagnosing early renal tubular injury can reach approximately 75%.
In the field of autoimmune diseases, molecular ultrasound imaging can image sites of immune complex deposition. Combined with ultrasound elastography, it can quantify changes in the stiffness of diseased tissue, aiding in the determination of the disease's active phase. In the diagnosis of infectious diseases, molecular ultrasound imaging can rapidly identify pathogen types through targeted ultrasound imaging of specific antigens on the pathogen's surface, with a diagnostic specificity exceeding 85%, providing strong support for rational drug use in clinical practice. In the diagnosis of respiratory diseases, molecular ultrasound imaging, using novel ultrasound contrast agents, can image the perfusion of small blood vessels in the lungs, which is of significant value in the diagnosis of early lung inflammation, pulmonary embolism, and other diseases, with a diagnostic accuracy rate of 70%-80%. For musculoskeletal diseases, ultrasound molecular imaging can perform molecular-level imaging of minute lesions within soft tissues such as muscles, tendons, and ligaments. For example, in the early diagnosis of tendinitis, it can detect microstructural changes, providing a basis for timely treatment.
In the diagnosis of obstetric and gynecological diseases, ultrasound molecular imaging can improve the accuracy and specificity of diagnoses such as placenta accreta and adenomyosis by imaging specific molecular markers in the diseased tissue. The diagnostic accuracy for placenta accreta can reach approximately 95%.