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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MRI/PET scans reveal racial disparities in Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers

The findings suggest the evaluation of molecular biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease should be adjusted for race, as African American patients were found to have lower levels of tau—a key biomarker used to identify the disease, according to research published online Jan. 7 in JAMA Neurology.

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Real-time fluoroscopic, nuclear imaging may aid IR procedures

A team of Dutch researchers has developed a real-time hybrid fluoroscopic and nuclear imaging detector that may aid interventional radiology (IR) procedures such as radioembolization, according to authors of a Jan. 8 study published in Radiology.

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Optical imaging system visualizes molecular features of breast cancer tissue in real-time

A team of researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has developed a portable optical imaging system that can visualize molecular features of breast tissue after it's been surgically removed from a patient, according to research published Dec. 19 in Science Advances.

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PSMA PET/CT has ‘remarkable’ impact on radiotherapy in prostate cancer patients

PSMA PET/CT detected more lesions in patients with prostate cancer and resulted in more changes in management than CT alone when utilized prior to radiotherapy, reported authors of a Dec. 14 study in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

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Whole-body PET/MRI helps stage high-risk prostate cancer patients

In patients with prostate cancer, accurate primary staging is important for developing a treatment strategy. A study published in the December issue of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine found whole-body PET/MRI may offer a “one-stop-shop” to do so.

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Missouri university awarded $6.3M to develop novel PET tracers

The Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis (WUSTL) was awarded a five-year, $6.3 million grant to establish a new research center to develop and test novel PET tracers.

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AI method generates high-quality amyloid PET images using less radiation

Artificial intelligence (AI) can generate high-quality amyloid PET images from simultaneously acquired MR images and ultra-low-dose PET data, according to a Dec. 11 study published in Radiology.

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PET imaging may help personalize tuberculosis meningitis treatment

PET imaging may hold promise for personalizing treatment in patients with tuberculosis meningitis (TBM), a rare disease that leaves some survivors with permanent brain damage, reported researchers from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore.

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