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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New research expands PET imaging time window for patients with rare neuroendocrine tumors

In light of their findings, University of Copenhagen experts also believe 64Cu-labeled PET tracers will become more commonplace for clinical use.

January 26, 2021

Amyloid blood testing could cause 50% drop in PET scans required for Alzheimer’s trials

That’s according to a study of more than 400 dementia-free British citizens, shared recently in Brain.

January 25, 2021

Pfizer agrees to new PET license, supply deal with cancer imaging firm ImaginAb

As part of the contract, Los Angeles-based ImaginAb will provide Pfizer will its 89Zr CD8 immuno-PET agent, which is used to image CD8 T cells in cancer patients.

January 7, 2021

NorthStar’s recent FDA approval enables a fourfold increase in Mo-99 production

This marks the first and only commercial-scale application of concentrated molybdenum-98 technology, the Beloit, Wisconsin-based firm said recently.

January 6, 2021

New copper PET tracer one-two punch identifies deadly tumors and boosts survival

“This offers the potential to provide diagnostic imaging using copper-64 to plan individualized treatments with copper-67 agents for a wide range of cancer patients," Australian researchers explained in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

December 21, 2020
Shovel

Medical isotope firm Shine breaks ground on new 54,000-square-foot facility

By 2022, the company said its facility will be fully operational and capable of producing more than 300,000 doses of lutetium-177 each year.

December 18, 2020

Novel PET imaging tracer helps researchers diagnose rare form of lymphoma

MRI is the current standard imaging modality used for this disease, but it falls short in many key areas, German researchers explained recently.

December 14, 2020
Brain

ACR, Alzheimer’s Association launch new amyloid brain PET study focused on underserved populations

The investigation builds off the larger IDEAS Study and will include at least 4,000 Black and Hispanic patients out of the estimated 7,000 total participants.

December 10, 2020
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Around the web

Cardiovascular Business
AI improves CT assessments, boosts care for real-world heart patients

Automated AI-generated measurements combined with annotated CT images can improve treatment planning and help referring physicians and patients better understand their disease, explained Sarah Jane Rinehart, MD, director of cardiac imaging with Charleston Area Medical Center.

Cardiovascular Business
AI predicts cardiovascular risk during CT scans—no invasive tests or contrast required

Two advanced algorithms—one for CAC scores and another for segmenting cardiac chamber volumes—outperformed radiologists when assessing low-dose chest CT scans. 

Radiology Business
Google teams with Bayer to address radiologist burnout via AI

"Gen AI can help tackle repetitive tasks and provide insights into massive datasets, saving valuable time," Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud, said Tuesday. 

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