Using a molecular sensor that finds the protein fibrinogen in the blood-brain barrier, researchers are able to detect early signs of multiple sclerosis (MS) before any outward symptoms of disease. This could lead to better therapies provided earlier in the disease process, according to a study published Nov. 29 in the Annals of Neurology.

Targeting the loss of blood-brain barrier cells now implicated in the development of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) may lead to a new diagnostic paradigm and a way forward for drug therapies that improve neurovascular health, according to a study published Dec. 13 in Nature Communications.

An investigative SPECT/CT imaging agent targets tumor cells via a vitamin B12 carrier, according to research published online Dec. 12 by the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

The growth of brain tumor initiating cells positively linked to glioma development and recurrence may be altered by an immunotherapy, according to a study published online Dec. 8 by Nature Neuroscience.

Navidea Biopharmaceuticals, makers of technetium-99m tilmanocept injection, otherwise known as Lymphoseek, announced FDA status for fast-track approval for the detection of lymph node involvement in head and neck cancers, according to a statement Dec. 10.

Preliminary results of a clinical trial for the chemotherapy drug docetaxel indicate that hormone-sensitive metastatic prostate cancer patients who added hormone therapy to the mix experienced significantly prolonged survival, according to a Dec. 5 statement by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

A new imaging agent is showing potential for the early detection of Parkinson’s disease (PD) by identifying a functional loss of dopamine neurons, according to a study published online Nov. 28 by the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

The current global market for molecular imaging technology is estimated at $2.2 billion this year and is expected to increase at a compound annual growth rate of 6.2 percent, according to a November 2013 market research report from BCC Research.