Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease which can affect different organs throughout the body and is battled by nearly 4 million Americans in the United States. Up to 50% of patients with SLE develop renal abnormalities during the disease’s progression. Not only are biopsies invasive and carry their own complications, but the procedure requires patients to stay in the hospital overnight, increasing costs. Additionally, other methods and biomarkers for monitoring SLE are not accurate enough to guide treatment. A team at the University of Colorado, led by Drs. Joshua Thurman and Michael Holers, has developed a molecular imaging method to noninvasively detect inflammation in kidneys and other organs. The technology centers around a positron emission tomography (PET) probe which detects complement C3d, a marker that is typically quantified during biopsies. The radiolabeled mAb can be detected by PET and distinguish kidneys with lupus-like disease from healthy controls.