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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NRC okays U.S. isotope plant construction application

SHINE Medical Technologies, a Wisconsin-based producer of medical isotope technologies, announced Dec. 3 that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Committee (NRC) has accepted the second and final portion of their application for a construction permit to build an accelerator plant for medical isotopes including molybdenum-99, which would in turn create a U.S. supply of technetium-99.

Several new genes identified in Alzheimer’s pathology

A Large-scale DNA analysis has led to the discovery of 11 new genes involved in the development of Alzheimer’s disease, according to a study published Oct. 27 in Nature Genetics.

Early detection of MS possible with novel molecular sensor

Using a molecular sensor that finds the protein fibrinogen in the blood-brain barrier, researchers are able to detect early signs of multiple sclerosis (MS) before any outward symptoms of disease. This could lead to better therapies provided earlier in the disease process, according to a study published Nov. 29 in the Annals of Neurology.

Blood-brain barrier cells could unlock new Alzheimer’s disease diagnostics and therapy

Targeting the loss of blood-brain barrier cells now implicated in the development of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) may lead to a new diagnostic paradigm and a way forward for drug therapies that improve neurovascular health, according to a study published Dec. 13 in Nature Communications.

New vitamin B12 cancer biomarker on the block

An investigative SPECT/CT imaging agent targets tumor cells via a vitamin B12 carrier, according to research published online Dec. 12 by the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

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Drug treatment could suppress cancer cells in the brain

The growth of brain tumor initiating cells positively linked to glioma development and recurrence may be altered by an immunotherapy, according to a study published online Dec. 8 by Nature Neuroscience.

Lymphoseek lands FDA fast track

Navidea Biopharmaceuticals, makers of technetium-99m tilmanocept injection, otherwise known as Lymphoseek, announced FDA status for fast-track approval for the detection of lymph node involvement in head and neck cancers, according to a statement Dec. 10.

Prostate cancer patients live longer by combining chemo with hormone therapies

Preliminary results of a clinical trial for the chemotherapy drug docetaxel indicate that hormone-sensitive metastatic prostate cancer patients who added hormone therapy to the mix experienced significantly prolonged survival, according to a Dec. 5 statement by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

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