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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Your brain: Use it or lose it

Patients with advanced education showing early signs of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) were found to be less vulnerable to neural damage associated with the disease, according to a review in the March publication of Neurology.

SNMMI, Alzheimer’s Association ramp up amyloid talks with CMS

 A March 22 teleconference between the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI), Alzheimer's Association and other stakeholders discussed new appropriate use recommendations concerning amyloid imaging for the evaluation of Alzheimer's disease to be reviewed by CMS.

PET/CT fleshes out extent of inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are conventionally evaluated with endoscopy and histology, but imaging with 18F-FDG PET/CT could provide a more thorough picture of intestinal inflammation, according to a study published in the March edition of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

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Lymph node-targeting tracer pinpoints more metastatic breast cancer

The newly approved imaging agent, Lymphoseek, sought out 94 percent of found breast cancer metastases to the sentinel lymph nodes, according to a study published in the March edition of the Annals of Surgical Oncology.

FDA, EMA to review florbetaben

The FDA and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) have accepted Piramal Imaging’s applications for review of the investigational PET amyloid imaging agent [18F] florbetaben.

SNMMI unveils online resource for reducing radiation dose

 The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging has launched an online reference library geared for physicians and imaging professionals as well as the general public to advocate that the lowest possible dose be used for diagnostically accurate imaging.

Alzheimer’s likely takes more than two decades to develop

A prospective study published in the April issue of The Lancet showed how beta-amyloid burden in the brain relates to the long-term progression of cognitive decline, cerebral atrophy and other indications of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). “Beta-amyloid deposition is slow and protracted, likely to extend for more than two decades,” the authors wrote.

PET/MR holds promise for a range of diseases

The emergence of PET/MR imaging has been solidly underway for a few years and the combination of the two modalities represents significant improvements to PET alone, namely MR’s excellent soft-tissue contrast and ability to capture not only physiologic but also biochemical and metabolic data. A review in the March issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine presents an updated perspective on how PET/MR is moving forward.

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