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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PET/MR clinical applications growing

Once limited to research novelty, PET/MR has expanded significantly, and in particular in neuroimaging applications and oncologic use—especially for imaging head and neck tumors, according to a review in the September issue of Current Radiology Reports.

Amyloid plaque linked to arterial stiffness and hypertension

Healthy elderly patients with hardened arteries were up to four times more likely to have amyloid plaque in the brain, according to research published Oct. 16 in Neurology.

High-dose MIBG therapy stabilizes neuroendocrine tumors

Dose-intensification of systemic cancer therapy with I-131 metaiodobenzylguanidine (I-131 MIBG) may be ideal for palliative treatment of neuroendocrine tumors, according to a study published Oct. 7 in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

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Probing for peripheral vascular disease with PET and SPECT

There is growing interest in applying molecular imaging techniques for the detection of peripheral vascular disease (PVD). A range of scanner-tracer combinations can be used for perfusion, angiogenesis and atherosclerotic imaging, according to a review published online Oct. 7 in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

PET tracer could aid in prevention of epilepsy drug resistance

An estimated 30 percent of epileptics experience drug resistance. A PET agent may one day be used to track physiological mechanisms of resistance, according to a study published online Oct. 3 in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

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First-in-human cannabinoid PET imaging aims for neuro-inflammation

A novel cannabinoid type 2 receptor ligand that binds to microglial and immuno cells could be a hit for neuro-inflammatory imaging, according to a study published in the August 2013 issue of Molecular Imaging and Biology.

Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Week promotes recent advances

This week, Oct. 6-12, is Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Week and the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) and the SNMMI Technologist Section (SNMMI-TS) are rallying the medical community to raise public awareness about the industry.

PET myocardial blood flow finds under-diagnosed multivessel CAD

Evaluating myocardial blood flow (MBF) with stress-rest cardiac PET teases out more multivessel CAD than with cardiac PET or SPECT alone, both of which tend to underestimate severity of disease, according the proceedings of the 2013 American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC) 2013 Annual Meeting held Sept. 26-29 in Chicago.

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