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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NIH funds development of 3 national cryo-electron microscopy centers

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced efforts to widen the scientific community's access to cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) through its Transformative High Resolution Cryo-Electron Microscopy program.  

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Canadian particle accelerator produces Tc-99m isotopes

A team at the University of Alberta in Canada has devised a method utilizing a cyclotron particle accelerator to produce the radioactive tracer technetium-99m—the parent of Molybdenum-99. It may be able to produce enough radioactive isotope for the entire province, CBC.ca reports.

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NIH merges microscopes to generate clearer images of processes inside cells

Scientists at the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) announced they had merged two microscope technologies to generate clearer images of rapid processes occurring inside human cells.

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Tau PET tracer found effective in 1st in-human study of its kind

A team of Johns Hopkins University researchers—conducting the first in-human PET study of three novel tau radiopharmaceuticals in Alzheimer’s disease patients—found [18F]RO-948 was the most capable for characterizing tau pathology in the disease.

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SNMMI urges Aetna to alter coverage of 2 PET tracers

The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) addressed two letters to Aetna recommending the health insurance giant alter its radiopharmaceutical coverage policy to include PET imaging agents dotatate and fluciclovine.

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Homemade microscope shows cancer virus clinging to human DNA

A high-tech microscope developed by scientists at the University of Virginia (UVA) School of Medicine has captured images of cancer-causing viruses clinging to human DNA, according to a UVA Health System release.

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MRI shows immune cells healing brain's lining after a concussion

According to a National Institutes of Health (NIH) news release published April 17, NIH scientists observed in real time how immune system cells cooperatively fix the damaged lining of the brain after a concussion.

Study finds brain continues to produce new cells into old age, contradicting recent findings

Columbia University researchers recently found that the human brain continues to produce hundreds of new neurons every day, even into old age, according to an article by the Los Angeles Times.

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