Nuclear Medicine News and Research

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Nuclear medicine is a branch or specialty of medicine and medical imaging that uses radioactive isotopes (radionuclides) and relies on the process of radioactive decay in the diagnosis and treatment of disease. In nuclear medicine procedures, radionuclides are combined with other chemical compounds or pharmaceuticals to form radiopharmaceuticals.

PET imaging of cerebral cannabinoid CB1 receptors with [11C]JHU75528

A team of Johns Hopkins researchers developed a new radiotracer - a radioactive substance that can be traced in the body - to visualize and quantify the brain's cannabinoid receptors by positron emission tomography (PET).

6 Jun 2006

Sleeping pill rouses people in a permanent vegetative state

South African researchers have found that a drug commonly used as a sleeping pill can temporarily revive people in a permanent vegetative state to the point where they can have conversations.

25 May 2006

High glucose-uptake tumors can be identified with PET scans

Cervical cancers that take up a lot of blood sugar, or glucose, are more resistant to treatment than those that are less glucose-hungry, according to research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

4 Apr 2006

Study shows that cell transplantation therapy may improve brain receptor function in patients who suffered from cerebral stroke

Japanese researchers have found a piece of the "missing link" about how bone marrow stromal cells restore lost neurologic function when transplanted into animals exhibiting central nervous system disorders, according to a study in the March issue of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

21 Mar 2006

Study offers piece of missing link needed in understanding receptor function possibly providing safe, ethical source for replacing brain cells

19 Mar 2006

Prevalence and patterns of physiologic muscle uptake detected with whole-body PET

Muscle activity - from turning a page in a book to shoveling snow - impacts positron emission tomography results, says study in journal of nuclear medicine technology.

9 Mar 2006

PET and MR imaging reveals white matter degeneration in Huntington's

Using both brain function (PET) and anatomical structure (MR) imaging studies, Italian researchers - within the context of an Italian-British collaboration - discovered that degenerative and dysfunctional events occur in individuals many years before the onset of Huntington's disease - particularly in the brain's white matter - an area not previously considered primarily involved with the disease.

24 Feb 2006

Early prediction of endocrine therapy effect in advanced breast cancer patients using nuclear medicine imaging

Innovative use of somatostatin receptor scintigraphy (SRS), a nuclear medicine imaging technique looking at how the body functions at the molecular level, may provide near immediate selection of breast cancer patients for endocrine therapy and offers a new tool in fighting the disease

23 Jan 2006

Administering stem cells to patients with myocardial infarction leads to a reduction of the size of the infarct

This week, doctors at the Catholic University of Leuven, connected with the University Hospital - Gasthuisberg, the Stem Cell Institute Leuven (SCIL), and the Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), are publishing a major breakthrough in the treatment of patients with acute myocardial infarction.

9 Jan 2006

Combining fMRI and PET scanning creates a way to compare different measurements of the brain's function concurrently

Clinical researchers from the University of Pennsylvania Health System (UPHS) are the first to combine fMRI and PET scanning in radiology, creating a way to compare different measurements of the brain's function concurrently. This analysis could lead to better diagnosis and treatment in patients suffering from brain disorders, like Alzheimer's disease.

12 Oct 2005

PET imaging with FDG represents one of the most promising tools for diagnosis of Alzheimer's

Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging--with the radiotracer fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)--is a promising tool in detecting Alzheimer's disease in patients who have mild cognitive impairment (MCI), according to a study reported in the October issue of the Society of Nuclear Medicine's Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

5 Oct 2005

Experimental radioactive compound can show images of heart damage up to 30 hours after a brief interruption of blood flow and oxygen

The discovery may help physicians in emergency rooms and in their offices determine whether a patient's chest pain, which may have subsided hours earlier, is related to heart disease or something else, such as indigestion.

27 Sep 2005

Contrast-enhanced MRI is better than SPECT in detecting heart damage in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

SPECT nuclear medicine studies are currently the most common way to look for myocardial damage in these patients; however; a new study, published in the August issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology, found that MRI is a more comprehensive examination than SPECT.

10 Aug 2005

Endorphin system may hold the key to understanding and treating bulimia nervosa

The role of the brain's opioid receptor system - or endorphin system - may hold the key to understanding and treating bulimia nervosa, according to research reported in the Society of Nuclear Medicine's August issue of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

9 Aug 2005

Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging can identify effectiveness of chemotherapy early in high-risk breast cancer patients

The effectiveness of chemotherapy in patients with advanced breast cancer can be evaluated earlier by using 18F-FDG positron emission tomography (PET) imaging over other conventional imaging procedures, according to an article in the July issue of the Society of Nuclear Medicine's Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

26 Jul 2005

Researchers use PET/CT for molecular imaging of the heart

For the first time, researchers used positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) for imaging the subcellar function of the heart - from its subcellular function to its morphologic appearance. The results of the study were reported at the Society of Nuclear Medicine's 52nd Annual Meeting June 18–22 in Toronto.

20 Jun 2005

New discoveries in treatment for patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

Three scientific studies - each highlighting new discoveries in treatment for patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma - were announced at the Society of Nuclear Medicine's 52nd Annual Meeting June 18–22 in Toronto.

20 Jun 2005

Computer program that enhances the diagnostic accuracy of positron emission tomography (PET)

German scientists developed a computer program that enhances the diagnostic accuracy of positron emission tomography (PET) scans with Alzheimer's patients, opening the door for earlier treatment of this progressive brain disorder. Details of their findings were provided at the Society of Nuclear Medicine's 52nd Annual Meeting in Toronto.

20 Jun 2005

Obesity is associated with an impairment of coronary circulatory function

A team of University of California, Los Angeles researchers found that positron emission tomography (PET) can provide important information on the relationship between heart function and obesity. Their findings were reported at the Society of Nuclear Medicine's 52nd Annual Meeting June 18–22 in Toronto.

20 Jun 2005

PET might be a promising tool for early prediction of response to chemotherapy for ovarian can

Noninvasive positron emission tomography (PET) imaging may allow earlier prediction of a patient's response to chemotherapy for ovarian cancer, according to research reported at the Society of Nuclear Medicine's 52nd Annual Meeting June 18–22 in Toronto.

20 Jun 2005

Nuclear Medicine News and Research

Further Reading

PET imaging of cerebral cannabinoid CB1 receptors with [11C]JHU75528

Sleeping pill rouses people in a permanent vegetative state

High glucose-uptake tumors can be identified with PET scans

Study shows that cell transplantation therapy may improve brain receptor function in patients who suffered from cerebral stroke

Study offers piece of missing link needed in understanding receptor function possibly providing safe, ethical source for replacing brain cells

Prevalence and patterns of physiologic muscle uptake detected with whole-body PET

PET and MR imaging reveals white matter degeneration in Huntington's

Early prediction of endocrine therapy effect in advanced breast cancer patients using nuclear medicine imaging

Administering stem cells to patients with myocardial infarction leads to a reduction of the size of the infarct

Combining fMRI and PET scanning creates a way to compare different measurements of the brain's function concurrently

PET imaging with FDG represents one of the most promising tools for diagnosis of Alzheimer's

Experimental radioactive compound can show images of heart damage up to 30 hours after a brief interruption of blood flow and oxygen

Contrast-enhanced MRI is better than SPECT in detecting heart damage in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Endorphin system may hold the key to understanding and treating bulimia nervosa

Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging can identify effectiveness of chemotherapy early in high-risk breast cancer patients

Researchers use PET/CT for molecular imaging of the heart

New discoveries in treatment for patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

Computer program that enhances the diagnostic accuracy of positron emission tomography (PET)

Obesity is associated with an impairment of coronary circulatory function

PET might be a promising tool for early prediction of response to chemotherapy for ovarian can

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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