Positron Emission Tomography News and Research

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PET scanning provides great insight into immune response

A commonly used probe for Positron Emission Tomography scanning and a new probe developed by researchers at UCLA reveal different functions in diverse cells of the immune system, providing a non-invasive and much clearer picture of an immune response in action.

19 May 2010

Novel imaging techniques improve post heart attack survival rates in mouse model

Human adult stem cells injected around the damage caused by a heart attack survived in the heart and improved its pumping efficiency for a year in a mouse model, researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center report online ahead of publication in Circulation Research.

10 May 2010

Whole body MRI helps physicians diagnose and treat breast cancer: Study

Whole body magnetic resonance imaging should be the imaging modality of choice for the detection of breast cancer metastases (when the cancer has spread beyond the breast) as it is highly accurate and can detect bone metastases while a patient is still asymptomatic (shows no symptoms), according to a study to be presented at the ARRS 2010 Annual Meeting in San Diego, CA.

6 May 2010

Use of combined PET/CT can confirm suspected colorectal cancer recurrence at early stage: Study

The use of combined positron emission tomography and computed tomography can confirm a suspected colorectal cancer recurrence at an early stage, helping significantly in treatment planning and improved targeted patient care, according to a study to be presented at the ARRS 2010 Annual Meeting in San Diego, CA.

6 May 2010

Decreasing radiotherapy doses given to 'cold spots' can help reduce side-effects

Fine-tuning radiotherapy to take into account which parts of a patient's tumor are growing fastest could improve control of cancer while subjecting patients to lower doses of radiation, Dutch researchers reported today at the 2nd European Lung Cancer Conference.

5 May 2010

Understanding the biology of postpartum blues

Greater levels of a brain protein called monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) - may explain why postpartum blues and clinical depression are so common after childbirth according to an important study published today in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

5 May 2010

Research roundup: Managing nursing home patients, streamlining medical billing, financial disclosures

Saving Billions Of Dollars--And Physicians' Time--By Streamlining Billing Practices - "The U.S. system of billing third parties for health care services is complex, expensive, and inefficient," write the authors, who analyzed Massachusetts General Physicians Organization staffing and cost data in fiscal year 2006.

3 May 2010

Molecular imaging can help physicians identify aortic dissection: Research

According to research published in the May issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine, molecular imaging can help physicians identify aortic dissection-an often fatal blood vessel condition-and help guide treatment.

3 May 2010

Imaging costs for Medicare cancer patients on the rise

A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association analyzed data from Medicare cancer patients to determine the change in imaging use for this group.

29 Apr 2010

Cancer-related expenditures increase faster than any other area of health care: JAMA

From 1999 through 2006 the use of diagnostic imaging for Medicare patients with cancer increased, with use of positron emission tomography increasing the most significantly, according to a study in the April 28 issue of JAMA. Imaging costs for these patients also increased, outpacing the rate of increase in total costs among Medicare beneficiaries with cancer.

28 Apr 2010

New imaging protocol to visualize activity of brain's reward circuitry in individuals addicted to drugs

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory have developed an imaging protocol that allows them to visualize the activity of the brain's reward circuitry in both normal individuals and those addicted to drugs. The technique could lead to better insight into why people take recreational drugs as well as help determine which treatment strategies might be most effective.

27 Apr 2010

Enhancing residence time improves drug effectivity: Study

Studies led by Stony Brook University professor of chemistry Peter J. Tonge indicate that modifications that enhance the time a drug remains bound to its target, or residence time, may lead to better diagnostic and therapeutic agents.

26 Apr 2010

Radiolabeled hedgehog can differentiate stem-like cancer cells, identify aggressive tumors

At the American Association for Cancer Research 101st Annual Meeting 2010, scientists and clinicians will present more than 6,300 abstracts dealing with innovative aspects of biology, technology and emerging therapies.

19 Apr 2010

Enhancing drug residence time may help develop better diagnostic, therapeutic agents

Research conducted at the Stony Brook University Institute for Chemical Biology & Drug Discovery that enhances the time a drug remains bound to its target, or residence time, may prove to be an important step in developing better diagnostic and therapeutic agents based partly on longer drug residence time.

17 Apr 2010

SNM continues to stress the need for Congress to implement long-term fix

On April 16, the President signed a bill granting temporary relief from looming cuts to Medicare reimbursement rates. Although a positive step, the medical community-along with millions of patients-continues to face significant threats to medical coverage for critical diagnostic imaging tests and therapeutics.

17 Apr 2010

Comparing effectiveness of PET and other molecular imaging techniques: SNM receives $48,000 AHRQ grant

SNM has been awarded a $48,000 grant from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to hold a conference to develop research on the comparative effectiveness of positron emission tomography (PET) and other molecular imaging techniques. The primary emphasis will be on the diagnosis and management of cancer patients, but both cardiology and neurology questions will also be addressed.

15 Apr 2010

Study investigates cerebral cortical response to biliary stimulation

The cortical response to esophageal, stomach or rectal stimulation has been studied using several different modalities including evoked potentials, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and positron emission tomography. However, there is no information concerning the cerebral cortical response to sensory signals that originate in the biliary tract in humans.

13 Apr 2010

GE Healthcare to present results of phase 2 study of flutemetamol at HAI Meeting

GE Healthcare will today present results from its multicenter phase 2 study of flutemetamol at the 4th annual Human Amyloid Imaging Meeting in Toronto, Canada. Flutemetamol is a positron emission tomography imaging agent in development by GE Healthcare, in the field of brain imaging.

12 Apr 2010

Avid Radiopharmaceuticals, PETNET Solutions collaborate in manufacture of Florbetapir F 18

Avid Radiopharmaceuticals, Inc. and PETNET Solutions, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Siemens Medical Solutions, USA, Inc., marked the first dose shipped from a PETNET Solutions manufacturing facility as part of its collaboration with Avid on Florbetapir F 18 (18F-AV-45 or Florbetapir), Avid's molecular imaging agent for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of β-amyloid deposits in the brain, a key pathological component of Alzheimer's disease.

8 Apr 2010

Researchers commence Phase 2 research study to test CERE-110 for AD

Researchers at Banner Sun Health Research Institute are about to start the first Phase 2 research study to test a gene transfer agent for Alzheimer's disease. AD is a degenerative and ultimately fatal disorder affecting as many as five million Americans and that number is expected to soar to more than 11 million by 2040.

7 Apr 2010