First-in-human study of an investigational radiotracer, F-18 LMI1195, shows clear imaging of myocardial innervation via the norepinephrine transporter system—tipping off potential adverse cardiac events, according to a study published July 3 in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine . {read more here}

Amino-acid biomarkers have undergone an evolution in the imaging of gliomas. Several agents have shown to be particularly useful, most notably C-11 MET, F-18 FDOPA, FLT and FET, according to a review of amino-acid imaging published July 8 in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine . {read more here}

The amyloid PET agent F-18 flutemetamol (Vizamyl) was the topic of two scientific sessions at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC), which concluded yesterday in Copenhagen. Results of one study showed how patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) whose scans were positive for flutemetamol were 2.5 times more likely to progress to Alzheimer’s disease. Another study of early onset dementia patients showed improvements in clinical decision making and clinician confidence as a result of information gleaned from flutemetamol PET. {read more here}

Positron emission tomography (PET) could prove to be a better imaging procedure than magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the detection of glioblastoma, the most aggressive type of primary brain tumor.  Funded by a Cancer Council WA grant of more than $143,000, researchers at the University of WA’s School of Medicine and Pharmacology are testing a new PET imaging agent that collects in high levels in glioma cells but low levels in normal brain tissue. {read more here}