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. 

Knoxville Company Successfully Achieves Commercial Use of its Next-Generation Biomarker Generator

(Knoxville, TN, UNITED STATES) April 11, 2013– ABT Molecular Imaging, Inc., in Knoxville, TN, has successfully achieved the installation and clinical use of its next-generation Biomarker Generator by the Sveta Marina University Hospital in Bulgaria. ABT’s next-generation product integrates a compact accelerator and micro-chemistry with integrated quality control, for single-dose biomarker production.

Lilly grabs Siemens’ tau tracers

Eli Lilly and Company has acquired a pair of PET tracers from Siemens. The investigational tracers are designed to target the tau deposits that are the hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. Avid Radiopharmaceuticals, Lilly’s wholly owned subsidiary, will develop and validate the tracers, according to Lilly.

Lilly Acquires Novel Tau Tangle Diagnostic Program to Bolster Alzheimer's Disease Research and Development

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) today announced it has acquired two investigational positron emission tomography (PET) tracers from Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc. The tracers are intended to image tau (or neurofibrillary) tangles in the brain, one of two known hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease. Based on studies of samples obtained at autopsy, the amount and location of tau tangles in an Alzheimer's disease patient's brain is thought to correlate with the severity of the disease. There are currently no approved diagnostics to detect tau tangles in living patients, creating challenges for scientists working to understand the progression of the disease and how therapies may impact it.

Add it up: Quantifying myocardial perfusion reserve w/ SPECT viable

Researchers are developing a method of quantitative myocardial perfusion imaging that analyzes myocardial perfusion reserve using SPECT with advanced cadmium zinc telluride crystal detectors to unlock extent of coronary artery disease, according to a study published April 11 by The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

Developments in genomics and molecular diagnosis: A snapshot

Bioinformatics technology has launched a revolution in DNA sequencing. Genetics experts are highlighting a range of genomics research by metagenomic analysis, genetic expressions in certain cancers and in infectious disease, according to a series of studies published in the April edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Aiming for the ideal: Standardizing cancer FDG PET/CT imaging

Now that hybrid PET/CT systems are thoroughly mainstream, standardization of practice has moved into the spotlight. A thorough F-18 FDG PET/CT oncological report should include much more than just what meets the eye, according to the authors of a comprehensive review published in the May issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

Novel fluorine amyloid imaging agent good as gold (standard)

Amyloid imaging is now promising earlier Alzheimer’s disease diagnoses and potential anti-amyloid therapies in the not-too-distant future. The radiotracer C-11 Pittsburgh compound-B (C-11 PiB) has been proven effective for amyloid PET imaging and has outperformed many F-18 bound biomarkers, but the radiotracer F-18 NAV4694 is showing a binding pattern that nearly mirrors that of C-11 PiB with all the logistical perks of a fluorine-based agent, according to research being published in the June edition of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

PERCIST bests EORTC for monitoring response to therapy

PET Response Criteria in Solid Tumors (PERCIST) provides similar outcomes to the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) criteria for quantifying response to anticancer treatment using PET/CT, but PERCIST may provide a clearer protocol conducive for widespread adoption, according to a review of the two models published in the April edition of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.