Positron Emission Tomography News and Research

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SPORE-funded Kidney Cancer Program at UT Southwestern reports wide array of tumor models to date

Funded by a Specialized Program of Research Excellence award from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the Kidney Cancer Program at UT Southwestern's Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center reports the largest and most diverse catalog of kidney cancer tumor models to date.

29 Nov 2021

Using PET scans to predict recurrence in Hodgkin lymphoma

One of the primary tools that oncologists use to stage cancers is the PET (positron emission tomography) scan, an imaging test that uses a small amount of radioactive sugar to detect metabolically active areas within the body.

21 Nov 2021

UAB researchers show how to identify non-responding tumors and improve immunotherapy response

Immunotherapy using checkpoint inhibitors can work well to treat cancer, but only a minority of patients respond to therapy.

28 Oct 2021

Accumulation of amyloid beta and reduction of serotonin may trigger late-life depression

Looking for ways to image the human brain for the earliest signs of aging and cognitive decline, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers recently identified a pattern that links the accumulation of amyloid beta (Aβ) proteins (associated with cognitive decline later in life) with a reduction of serotonin, the brain chemical that improves mood.

7 Oct 2021

Early accumulation of tau proteins in the brain more effective at predicting memory impairment

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have compared how well different Alzheimer's biomarkers predict the progression of the disease and its effect on memory.

1 Oct 2021

Researchers develop new mouse model for studying non-Demented with Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer's is a neurodegenerative disease that features the accumulation of the beta-amyloid peptide and Tau protein in the brain, which are associated with deficits in the neuronal connections and with dementia.

28 Sep 2021

New imaging technology for detecting MALT lymphomas could save patients numerous gastroscopies

A new imaging technique for the detection of MALT lymphomas, malignant tumours of the lymphatic system, could probably save patients numerous gastroscopies. A study group of MedUni Wien achieved a high imaging accuracy by way of PET/MR and by using a PET Tracer directed against a certain cell receptor. The results are currently published in the top journal "Blood" of the American Society of Hematology.

24 Sep 2021

UMass Lowell researcher awarded $2.7 million NIH grant to shed light on Alzheimer's disease

The National Institutes of Health has awarded $2.7 million to a UMass Lowell researcher studying how Alzheimer's disease evolves.

22 Sep 2021

New imaging technique can change the landscape of prostate cancer detection and treatment

Prostate-specific membrane antigen, or PSMA, -targeted PET imaging for prostate cancer has been a breakthrough diagnosis tool in locating prostate cancer tumors for more precise treatment.

16 Sep 2021

Brain scans can help estimate the time when a person will start showing signs of dementia

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have developed an approach to estimating when a person with no cognitive symptoms will start showing signs of Alzheimer's dementia based on data from brain scans and the person's age.

16 Sep 2021

Newly identified mechanism can accelerate the development of STING-activating drugs using imaging

A new study from scientists at the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center found that emerging drugs that activate the protein STING, a well-established regulator of immune cell activation, substantially alter the activity of metabolic pathways responsible for generating the nucleotide building blocks for DNA.

7 Sep 2021

Scientists decipher missing pieces of the reward system puzzle to increase motivation

Our motivation to put effort into achieving a goal is controlled by a reward system wired in the brain. However, many neuropathological conditions impair the reward system, diminishing the will to work.

6 Aug 2021

Expert highlights the progress and challenges in developing blood tests for Alzheimer's disease

Given the progress in therapeutics for Alzheimer's disease (AD), including the recent approval of aducanumab – the first anti-amyloid immunotherapy approved by the FDA for the disease – there is a need for simple blood tests that could be used to ensure accurate diagnosis and assess therapeutic progress.

6 Aug 2021

Gene therapy delivered into the brain may be safe, effective in treating rare neurological disorder

A new study published in Nature Communications suggests that gene therapy delivered into the brain may be safe and effective in treating aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) deficiency.

16 Jul 2021

Doctors weigh pros and cons of prescribing hot-button Alzheimer’s drug

As physicians and health policy experts debate the merits of Aduhelm, the first new drug for Alzheimer's disease approved in 18 years, patients want to know: "Will this medication help me — and how much?"

9 Jul 2021

Detailed performance evaluation of the uEXPLORER total-body PET/CT scanner

A performance evaluation of the uEXPLORER total-body PET/CT scanner showed that it exhibits ultra-high sensitivity that supports excellent spatial resolution and image quality.

8 Jul 2021

Long-term exposure to air pollutants increases the risk of dysmenorrhea in women

Dysmenorrhea, that is, frequent severe and painful cramps during menstruation from abnormal contractions of the uterus, is the most common of all gynecological disorders. It affects between 16-91% of girls and women of reproductive age, of whom 2%-29% have symptoms severe enough to restrict their daily activity.

6 Jul 2021

New PET imaging method tracks immunotherapeutic efficacy in mouse models

Several cancer tumors grow through immunosuppression; that is, they manipulate biological systems in their microenvironments and signal to a specific set of immune cells--those that clear out aberrant cells--to stop acting. It is no wonder that immunotherapy designed to re-establish anti-tumor immunity is rapidly becoming the treatment of choice for these cancers.

2 Jul 2021

APOE ɛ4 carriers with midlife depressive symptoms may be at higher risk of tau accumulation

Middle-aged people with depressive symptoms who carry a genetic variation called apolipoprotein (APOE) ε4 may be more at risk to develop tau protein accumulations in the brain's emotion- and memory-controlling regions, a new study by researchers from The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and collaborating institutions suggests.

17 Jun 2021

Positron emission tomography can accurately measure effects of COVID-19 on the brain

The effects of COVID-19 on the brain can be accurately measured with positron emission tomography (PET), according to research presented at the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) 2021 Annual Meeting.