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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Radionuclide therapy shows long-term benefit in patients with neuroendocrine tumors

Peptide radionuclide therapy (PRRT) demonstrated long-term effectiveness in patients with malignant neuroendocrine tumors, reported authors of a study published in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

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Medical societies publish consensus document on iodine-131 therapy in thyroid cancer

The joint statement—published in Thyroid—was put out by American Thyroid Association, the European Association of Nuclear Medicine, the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging and the European Thyroid Association.

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PET study shows promise for treating lethal brain cancers

Johns Hopkin’s researchers have created a PET-based approach that can direct cancer drugs to precise points in the brains of mice, according to a study published in the May 1 edition of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine. If proven effective in humans, the researchers believe their technique could help patients with difficult brain tumors, such as glioblastomas.

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Another study confirms 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET’s important role in prostate cancer care

The prospective single-center study, published April 30 in the American Journal of Roentgenology, adds more weight to the growing literature suggesting PSMA-11’s vital role in prostate cancer management.

 

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NIH awards $5.1M for PET-based method to reduce CVD risk

“With imaging, we’ll be able to identify vulnerable plaque, deliver treatment directly to it, and see whether the treatment is effective," said award recipient Yongjian Liu, PhD, with Washington University in St. Louis.

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NorthStar closes $100M in financing to expand domestic Mo-99 production

The company received $75 million at closing from funds managed by Oberland Capital Management. NorthStar has the option to draw another $25 million before December 31, 2020.

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PET/CT radiotracer benefits clinicians, prostate cancer patients

18F-DCFPyL PSMA PET/CT imaging accurately localized biochemically recurrent prostate cancer and prompted clinicians to change their management plans in more than 80% of patients, according to a recent study in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

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DOE land transfer puts company on-track for domestic Mo-99 facility

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently transferred land in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, to Coquí Radio Pharmaceuticals, pushing the company closer to establishing a domestic production of Molybdenum-99 (Mo-99), an isotope used in many molecular imaging exams.

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