Molecular Imaging

Molecular imaging (also called nuclear medicine or nuclear imaging) can image the function of cells inside the body at the molecular level. This includes the imaging modalities of positron emission computed tomography (PET) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging. How does PET and SPECT imaging work? Small amounts of radioactive material (radiopharmaceuticals) injected into a patient. These can use sugars or chemical traits to bond to specific cells. The radioactive material is taken up by cells that consume the sugars. The radiation emitted from inside the body is detected by photon detectors outside the body. Computers take the data to assemble images of the radiation emissions. Nuclear images may appear fuzzy or ghostly rather than the sharper resolution from MRI and CT.  But, it provides metabolic information at a cellular level, showing if there are defects in the function of the heart, areas of very high metabolic activity associated with cancer cells, or areas of inflammation, data not available from other modalities. These noninvasive imaging exams are used to diagnose cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, bone disorders and other disorders. 

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‘Liquid biopsy’ could identify multiple neurodegenerative disorders

Aethlon and subsidiary Exosome Sciences, both based in San Diego, Calif., announced earlier this month that the companies have isolated blood-borne biomarkers implicated in multiple neurodegenerative diseases.

Human copper transporter agent effective for both melanoma PET imaging and therapy

A novel theranostic agent has the ability to target melanoma and provide radionuclide therapy in preliminary investigation, according to a study published March 13 in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

Varian acquires Velocity clinical oncology data aggregation software

Varian is acquiring assets of Atlanta-headquartered cancer clinic software company, Velocity Medical Solution, including imaging data aggregation software to improve long-term radiation therapy patient management, Varian announced March 12.

Gold marks the spot in new proton beam tumor tracking system

A partnership between Hitachi and Hokkaido University in Tokyo has led to the first molecular tumor-tracking proton therapy system, Hitachi announced today.

Alzheimer’s Association grants $8M to Harvard researcher

The largest grant ever provided by the Alzheimer’s Association has been given to Reisa Sperling, MD, a professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School in Boston, to fund its Longitudinal Evaluation of Amyloid Risk and Neurodegeneration study.

MedImmune and MD Anderson unite for improved immunotherapies

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and MedImmune, the bioresearch development subsidiary of AstraZeneca, have entered into a collaborative effort to develop new cancer immunotherapies, MD Anderson announced yesterday.

Ga-68 DOTATATE gets orphan drug status for neuroendocrine cancer imaging

Neuroendocrine tumor imaging just got a boost with both U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA) orphan drug designation for gallium-68 DOTATATE, used in PET imaging of neuroendocrine cancer.

NOPR results say sodium fluoride PET changes management of prostate cancer

After waiting patiently for sodium F-18 fluoride PET/CT data to come out of the National Oncological PET Registry (NOPR), clinicians are now clear that that the scan benefits patients by changing their course of care, at the very least, 12 percent of the time, according to a review published March 10 in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

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