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Featured Stories
Shannon Youngblood, EdD, MSRS, CNMT, RT(CT)(ARRT), Takes Office as President of the SNMMI Technologi
RESTON, Virginia, May 31 [Category: Medical] -- The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging issued the following news release:
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Shannon Youngblood, EdD, MSRS, CNMT, RT(CT)(ARRT), Takes Office as President of the SNMMI Technologi
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Media Contact :
Rebecca Maxey
(703) 652-6772
rmaxey@snmmi.org
st Section
LOS ANGELES \-Shannon Youngblood, EdD, MSRS, CNMT, RT(CT)(ARRT), has been elected president of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Technologist Section (SNMMI-TS). The new slate of officers was introduced during the SNMMI's 2026 Annual Meeting, held
... Show Full Article
RESTON, Virginia, May 31 [Category: Medical] -- The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging issued the following news release:
* * *
Shannon Youngblood, EdD, MSRS, CNMT, RT(CT)(ARRT), Takes Office as President of the SNMMI Technologi
*
Media Contact :
Rebecca Maxey
(703) 652-6772
rmaxey@snmmi.org
st Section
LOS ANGELES \-Shannon Youngblood, EdD, MSRS, CNMT, RT(CT)(ARRT), has been elected president of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Technologist Section (SNMMI-TS). The new slate of officers was introduced during the SNMMI's 2026 Annual Meeting, heldMay 30 - June 2 in Los Angeles.
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Original text here: https://snmmi.org/Web/News/Articles/Shannon-Youngblood--EdD--MSRS--CNMT--RT-CT--ARRT---Takes-Office-as-President-of-the-SNMMI-Technologi
SNMMI Abstract of the Year: PET Imaging Links Brain Metabolism Patterns to Effectiveness of Alzheime
RESTON, Virginia, May 31 [Category: Medical] -- The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging issued the following news release:
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SNMMI Abstract of the Year: PET Imaging Links Brain Metabolism Patterns to Effectiveness of Alzheime
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Media Contact :
Rebecca Maxey
(703) 652-6772
rmaxey@snmmi.org
r's Disease Treatment
Los Angeles - A specific pattern of brain metabolism visualized with PET imaging can predict which patients are most likely to benefit from Alzheimer's disease therapy. In a retrospective study of patients who received Alzheimer's treatments, those with
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RESTON, Virginia, May 31 [Category: Medical] -- The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging issued the following news release:
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SNMMI Abstract of the Year: PET Imaging Links Brain Metabolism Patterns to Effectiveness of Alzheime
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Media Contact :
Rebecca Maxey
(703) 652-6772
rmaxey@snmmi.org
r's Disease Treatment
Los Angeles - A specific pattern of brain metabolism visualized with PET imaging can predict which patients are most likely to benefit from Alzheimer's disease therapy. In a retrospective study of patients who received Alzheimer's treatments, those withthe identified pattern experienced stabilized cognitive performance, while patients with other patterns had significant cognitive decline. This study was presented at the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) 2026 Annual Meeting, where it received top recognition as the Abstract of the Year.
Each year, SNMMI chooses an abstract that best exemplifies the most promising advances in the field of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging. This year, the SNMMI Henry N. Wagner, Jr., Abstract of the Year was chosen from nearly 1,500 abstracts submitted to the meeting and voted on by reviewers and the society leadership.
The hallmark of Alzheimer's disease is amyloid plaques that accumulate in the brain. Two anti-amyloid therapies that target these plaques were recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). While these treatments have been effective on the whole, there remains substantial variability in individual success rates.
"Numerous large-scale prior studies have shown that many people who meet the requirements for the clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease as the patients for whom anti-amyloid therapies are currently being prescribed do are actually found to have other diagnoses underlying their cognitive impairment after autopsy or long-term follow-up," said Amanda Rose Nguyen, DO, MS, a clinical fellow in nuclear medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles. "This could account for the variability in the success rates of these therapies."
Knowing the 18 F-FDG PET scans can diagnose Alzheimer's disease with high accuracy even in its earliest stages, researchers assessed the relationship of brain metabolic data from PET scans to prescription practices and clinical outcomes in patients receiving anti-amyloid therapy.
The study examined a consecutive series of 124 patients whose cases were reviewed by a university committee for consideration of receiving amyloid immunotherapy. Brain 18 F-FDG PET data, treatment decisions, and clinical outcomes were analyzed for all patients who underwent treatment for at least one year with respect to cognitive assessment scores before and after treatment. Brain metabolism patterns on PET were categorized as being consistent or not consistent with Alzheimer's disease, and the corresponding subsequent changes in cognitive assessment scores were calculated.
The brain metabolism patterns were representative of Alzheimer's disease, Lewy body disease, Limbic-predominant Age-related TDP-43 Encephalopathy-type pathology, or frontotemporal lobar degeneration. Those with Alzheimer's disease metabolism patterns experienced an increase in their cognitive performance scores, while all other subjects suffered significant cognitive decline as measured by their cognitive assessments.
"This work demonstrates that 18 F-FDG PET is an important tool in the diagnosis of dementia," said Nguyen. "Armed with powerful brain metabolic data, physicians can provide more personalized care, prescribing anti-amyloid therapy to individuals who are most likely to benefit from it, and conversely sparing others from ineffective treatments, potential harmful adverse effects, and unnecessary expense."
Nguyen anticipates larger, higher-powered analyses from an expanded sample by year-end, which will better define the predictive value and potential role of brain metabolism patterns. In the meantime, she recommends that physicians gather comprehensive neuroimaging data on an individual patient basis to help guide treatment decisions.
Figure 1. Cerebral metabolic patterns of Alzheimer's Disease (AD, top row), Limbic-Predominant Age-Related TDP-43 Encephalopathy (LATE, middle row), and Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB, bottom row). The non-AD group was comprised of patients with LATE and DLB cerebral metabolic patterns. After 1 year of anti-amyloid therapy, the AD group's MoCA significantly increased by 1.75 0.96 points (p=0.035) while the non-AD group's MoCA significantly decreased by 5.00 2.71 points (p=0.035). There is a significant difference in the change in MoCA scores between AD and non-AD groups (p = 0.01).
Abstract 262363. "Relationship between Prospective Assessment of Regional Cerebral Metabolism and Subsequent Response to Amyloid-Directed Therapy for Cognitive Decline," Amanda Rose Nguyen and Daniel H. Silverman, University of California, Los Angeles.
Link to Abstract
All 2026 SNMMI Annual Meeting abstracts can be found online.
About the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) is an international scientific and medical organization dedicated to advancing nuclear medicine and molecular imaging vital elements of precision medicine that allow diagnosis and treatment to be tailored to individual patients in order to achieve the best possible outcomes.
SNMMI's members set the standard for molecular imaging and nuclear medicine practice by creating guidelines, sharing information through journals and meetings and leading advocacy on key issues that affect molecular imaging and therapy research and practice. For more information, visit www.snmmi.org.
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Original text here: https://snmmi.org/Web/News/Articles/SNMMI-Abstract-of-the-Year--PET-Imaging-Links-Brain-Metabolism-Patterns-to-Effectiveness-of-Alzheime
PSMA PET Reveals Bone Metastases Missed by Standard Imaging
RESTON, Virginia, May 31 [Category: Medical] -- The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging issued the following news release:
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PSMA PET Reveals Bone Metastases Missed by Standard Imaging
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Media Contact :
Rebecca Maxey
(703) 652-6772
rmaxey@snmmi.org
Poor Outcomes Evident in Patients with Bone-Only Metastases
Los Angeles - Compared to conventional imaging techniques, prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) PET imaging provides superior detection of bone metastases in prostate cancer patients a critical indicator of a patient's long-term survival. Outcomes data
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RESTON, Virginia, May 31 [Category: Medical] -- The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging issued the following news release:
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PSMA PET Reveals Bone Metastases Missed by Standard Imaging
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Media Contact :
Rebecca Maxey
(703) 652-6772
rmaxey@snmmi.org
Poor Outcomes Evident in Patients with Bone-Only Metastases
Los Angeles - Compared to conventional imaging techniques, prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) PET imaging provides superior detection of bone metastases in prostate cancer patients a critical indicator of a patient's long-term survival. Outcomes datarevealed that patients with even just one bone metastasis experience faster disease progression and worse overall survival. This research was presented at the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging 2026 Annual Meeting.
Prostate cancer commonly spreads to bone, and for decades physicians have relied on bone scans and CT scans to detect this. These tools, however, have limitations, frequently missing small deposits of cancer that are already present and already changing a patient's prognosis. Newer PSMA PET scans use a radioactive tracer that attaches directly to a protein on prostate cancer cells, making it far more sensitive than conventional imaging. As a result, PSMA PET has become the gold standard for staging prostate cancer at major cancer centers.
"We know that PSMA PET scans are effective in detecting bone metastases, but we don't have the data to show what that means in terms of overall outcomes," said Surekha Yadav, MBBS, resident in the Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging at the University of California, San Francisco. "Our study sought to determine what happens to patients over time when PSMA PET finds just one to five bone metastases, yet the conventional scan looks completely normal."
The retrospective study followed 36 patients across two academic centers who had between one and five bone lesions on PSMA PET at initial diagnosis. Conventional imaging was reviewed to determine upstaging rates. Time to biochemical recurrence, castration-resistant prostate cancer, composite endpoints, and overall survival over a median of 25 months were calculated. Treatment patterns were also recorded.
More than 80 percent of patients had completely normal conventional imaging, despite having bone lesions detected on PSMA PET. Compared to the 984 patients in the same cohort with no bone metastases on PSMA PET, patients with even one to five bone lesions had more than five times the risk of progressing to treatment-resistant cancer, and nearly four times the risk of death.
"Treatment decisions made at the time of diagnosis have lasting consequences. If a patient's conventional imaging looks negative, they may be managed with a less intensive approach as if their cancer hasn't spread," said Yadav. "Our study shows that when PSMA PET finds bone metastases that conventional imaging misses, those patients are not in a gray zone. Their cancer behaves aggressively, they progress faster, and they die sooner. Many of them are currently being treated based on a bone scan that says everything looks fine."
According to Yadav, patients don't have to wait to take benefit from PSMA PET; it is already FDA-approved and available at major academic cancer centers, including the University of California, San Francisco and the University of California, Los Angeles. "What this research changes is not access to the scan, she said, it's what we do with the results. Until now, oncologists have had limited outcome data to guide how aggressively to treat patients whose PSMA PET finds bone metastases that conventional imaging misses. Our study provides that evidence."
Figure 1. Time to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) by PSMA PET/CT bone lesion cohort at initial staging. Kaplan Meier curves showing time to CRPC by bone lesion cohort on PSMA PET/CT at initial staging. Patients with even one to five PSMA-detected bone metastases progressed to treatment-resistant cancer significantly faster than patients with no bone spread (p < 0.0001). Compared to patients whose PSMA PET showed no distant metastases, patients with bone lesions had more than five times the risk of developing castration-resistant diseases even though all patients with bone lesions received systemic therapy intensification.
Abstract 262291\. " Longitudinal Outcomes of PSMA PET/CT-Detected Bone Oligometastases : A Two-Center Study," Surekha Yadav, Chae Moon Hong, Stellamaris Oluebube Nwihim, Abuzar Moradi Tuchayi, Robert R. Flavell, and Thomas Hope, University of California, San Francisco, California; and Jeremie Calais, University of California, Los Angeles, California.
Link to Abstract
All 2026 SNMMI Annual Meeting abstracts can be found online.
About the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) is an international scientific and medical organization dedicated to advancing nuclear medicine, molecular imaging, and theranostics \-precision medicine that allows diagnosis and treatment to be tailored to individual patients in order to achieve the best possible outcomes. For more information, visit snmmi.org.
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Original text here: https://snmmi.org/Web/News/Articles/PSMA-PET-Reveals-Bone-Metastases-Missed-by-Standard-Imaging
Novel Radiopharmaceutical Therapy Offers Powerful Treatment Option for Aggressive Neuroendocrine Tum
RESTON, Virginia, May 31 [Category: Medical] -- The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging issued the following news release:
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Novel Radiopharmaceutical Therapy Offers Powerful Treatment Option for Aggressive Neuroendocrine Tum
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Media Contact :
Rebecca Maxey
(703) 652-6772
rmaxey@snmmi.org
ors
Los Angeles - A new type of peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) appears to be safe in metastatic neuroendocrine tumor patients who have exhausted conventional treatment options. This novel approach, presented at the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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RESTON, Virginia, May 31 [Category: Medical] -- The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging issued the following news release:
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Novel Radiopharmaceutical Therapy Offers Powerful Treatment Option for Aggressive Neuroendocrine Tum
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Media Contact :
Rebecca Maxey
(703) 652-6772
rmaxey@snmmi.org
ors
Los Angeles - A new type of peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) appears to be safe in metastatic neuroendocrine tumor patients who have exhausted conventional treatment options. This novel approach, presented at the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging2026 Annual Meeting, resulted in partial remission of the disease in the majority of patients with advanced cases of neuroendocrine tumors.
Neuroendocrine tumors are a type of cancer that begins from neuroendocrine cells ( most commonly located in the gastrointestinal tract, pancreas, and lungs) and can spread to other parts of the body. Patients with progressive neuroendocrine tumors often have limited treatment options, especially after conventional therapies and approved beta-emitting PRRT have failed. Their prognosis is generally poor, and there is a clear unmet need for new therapeutic strategies.
"It can be very challenging to treat these patients as they have already received many different types of therapies," said Elisabetta Perrone, MD, a nuclear medicine physician at Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS in Rome, Italy. "In our study we explored the safety and efficacy of a novel PRRT approach that uses a somatostatin receptor (SSTR) antagonist (called DOTA-LM3) labeled to the alpha-emitting nuclide 225 Ac to provide targeted therapy. Since alpha particles deliver high-energy radiation over a very short distance: this aspect may help target tumor cells while limiting unnecessary exposure to close healthy tissues, therefore balancing efficacy and toxicity an important consideration for patients undergoing systemic therapies."
Twenty patients with different primary origins of well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors grade 3 received 225 Ac-DOTA-LM3 PRRT administered as monotherapy (9 cycles) or in TANDEM with the beta-emitting nuclide 177 Lu (32 cycles). After receiving treatment, acute adverse events and long-term hematologic, renal, and hepatic toxicities were monitored and graded. Molecular imaging response was evaluated with post-PRRT SPECT/CT and follow-up 68 Ga- DOTA-LM3 PET/CT, and survival was calculated.
The treatment, both as monotherapy and in TANDEM, was generally well-tolerated, with only mild, self-limiting acute adverse effects, mainly nausea, and a few cases of long-term toxicities, such as anemia, reduced white blood cell counts and reduced platelet counts. Molecular imaging demonstrated complete remission in one patient, partial remission in 10, stable disease in two patients, and progressive disease in six; one patient experienced clinical progression to death before post-PRRT imaging. At time of analysis, 11 patients were alive (median follow-up of seven months) and nine had died (median survival of 18 months).
"This cohort of patients was heterogeneous with respect to primary tumor site, prior treatments and number of alpha-PRRT cycles; nevertheless, alpha-PRRT with 225 Ac-DOTA-LM3 (as monotherapy or in TANDEM), showed a manageable acute and long-term safety profile and encouraging antitumor activity, follow-up and survival outcomes," said Perrone. "Based on this real-world experience, alpha-PRRT may offer a potential additional option for selected patients whose tumors still express somatostatin receptors, as documented by pre-therapeutic 68 Ga-DOTA-LM3 PET/CT."
225 Ac-DOTA-LM3 PRRT is considered investigational and is currently offered only in highly specialized centers-including CURANOSTICUM Wiesbaden-Frankfurt, ICPO Center of Excellence for Advanced Radiomolecular Precision Oncology in Germany, where this study was conducted under the guidance of nuclear medicine physician Richard P. Baum, MD, PhD-and generally within controlled clinical, compassionate use or individualized treatment settings.
"Before it becomes more broadly available, larger multicenter studies and prospective clinical trials are needed to confirm efficacy, better define safety, optimize dosing and identify which patients are most likely to benefit," said Baum.
Figure 1. An example of partial response. 58-year-old patient with neuroendocrine neoplasm of the pancreas with hepatic and bone metastases. Previously treated with chemotherapy, hemithyroidectomy, PRRT with 177Lu-DOTATATE, Lanreotide, Everolimus, trans-arterial chemo-embolization of liver metastases. After 2 cycles of TANDEM DOTA-LM3 PRRT, she achieved partial remission of disease (reduced hepatic and bone metastases). PRRT resulted in improved quality of life including reduced abdominal pain and enhanced physical activity. Delayed side effects include anemia G2 and reduced platelets count G3. A) 68 Ga-DOTA-LM3 PET/CT scan pre-PRRT in July 2023. B) 68 Ga-DOTA-LM3 PET/CT scan post-PRRT (1x TANDEM DOTA-LM3 PRRT with 225 AC and 177Lu) in September 2023. C) PET/CT images (from left to right) pre-PRRT in July 2023, post-first cycle of TANDEM PRRT in September 2023, and post-second cycle of TANDEM PRRT (November 2023). The images show the reduced uptake and dimension of the tumoral lesions.
Abstract 261577. "Beyond b-Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy (PRRT) with somatostatin receptor (SSTR) Agonists: Real-world outcomes of SSTR Antagonist a-PRRT in heavily pretreated G3 Neuroendocrine Neoplasms," Elisabetta Perrone, Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy, and Curanosticum Wiesbaden-Frankfurt, ICPO Center of Excellence for Advanced Radiomolecular Precision Oncology, Germany; Kriti Ghai, Aleksandr Eismant, Tanay Parkar, Lukas Greifenstein, and Richard P. Baum, Curanosticum Wiesbaden-Frankfurt, ICPO Center of Excellence for Advanced Radiomolecular Precision Oncology, Germany; Flaminia Vocaturo, Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Universit Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy; and Marianne Pavel, Friedrich-Alexander University, Erlangen, Germany.
Link to Abstract
All 2026 SNMMI Annual Meeting abstracts can be found online.
About the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) is an international scientific and medical organization dedicated to advancing nuclear medicine, molecular imaging, and theranostics precision medicine that allows diagnosis and treatment to be tailored to individual patients in order to achieve the best possible outcomes. For more information, visit snmmi.org.
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Original text here: https://snmmi.org/Web/News/Articles/Novel-Radiopharmaceutical-Therapy-Offers-Powerful-Treatment-Option-for-Aggressive-Neuroendocrine-Tum
New SPECT Imaging Approach Distinguishes Inflammation from Fibrosis to Optimize Treatment for Lung D
RESTON, Virginia, May 31 [Category: Medical] -- The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging issued the following news release:
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New SPECT Imaging Approach Distinguishes Inflammation from Fibrosis to Optimize Treatment for Lung D
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Media Contact :
Rebecca Maxey
(703) 652-6772
rmaxey@snmmi.org
isease
Los Angeles - A new SPECT/CT imaging approach can accurately differentiate inflammation from fibrosis in interstitial lung disease (ILD) patients, according to new research presented at the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging 2026 Annual Meeting. This molecular
... Show Full Article
RESTON, Virginia, May 31 [Category: Medical] -- The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging issued the following news release:
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New SPECT Imaging Approach Distinguishes Inflammation from Fibrosis to Optimize Treatment for Lung D
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Media Contact :
Rebecca Maxey
(703) 652-6772
rmaxey@snmmi.org
isease
Los Angeles - A new SPECT/CT imaging approach can accurately differentiate inflammation from fibrosis in interstitial lung disease (ILD) patients, according to new research presented at the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging 2026 Annual Meeting. This molecularimaging technique has the potential to determine which patients would benefit from anti-inflammatory treatments and which would likely only experience harmful side effects.
ILD includes more than 200 different types of lung conditions, and affects approximately 650,000 people in the United States, resulting in an estimated 25,000 to 30,000 deaths per year. Differentiating between fibrotic scarring and inflammation stages of disease is critical so that physicians can determine what treatment is best for the patient.
"We saw during the Covid-19 pandemic -when all patients with the infection had inflammation that anti-inflammatory treatments were highly effective," said Druin Burch, consultant physician at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, United Kingdom. "While current imaging techniques can provide a structural view of fibrosis in the lungs, there is no reliable, non-invasive way to identify inflammation. A tool that could detect inflammation in ILD patients could help pinpoint those most likely to respond to anti-inflammatory therapy."
Researchers investigated the molecular imaging agent 99mTc- maraciclatide, which visualizes the formation of new blood vessels a cardinal feature of inflammatory disease. A total of 15 patients, five with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, five with fibrotic hypersensitivity pneumonitis, and five healthy controls, underwent 99mTc- maraciclatide SPECT/CT. Nuclear medicine physicians and thoracic radiologists classified the images based on radiological patterns, standardized uptake values, and target-to-background ratios.
The healthy controls showed minimal tracer uptake in the lungs, whereas both groups of patients with ILD demonstrated distinct uptake. The target-to-background ratio was also numerically higher in the lung disease cohorts compared to the healthy controls.
"Being able to differentiate the fibrotic and inflammation stages of ILD is not just beneficial to inform treatment decisions, but also for the development new therapies," said Burch. "This approach has the potential to unlock a wide range of anti-inflammatory drugs for ILD."
A Phase 3 study in a larger patient population is required before this imaging approach can be used outside the research setting. As 99mTc- maraciclatide has received FDA Fast Track designation for imaging ILD, it could become available to patients within two years of initiating a Phase 3 trial.
Figure 1. CT and fused SPECT-CT images L to R of representative healthy control, pulmonary fibrosis participant & hypersensitivity pneumonitis participant.
Abstract 261910. Imaging Lung Inflammation in Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) with 99mTc-Maraciclatide a Therapy Selection Tool? Druin Burch, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom; Giles Dixon, Krasimira Tsaneva-Atanasova, and Chris Scotton, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom; David Little, Sarah Cade, and Jonathan Rodrigues, Royal United Hospitals Bath, Bath, United Kingdom; Jon Barnett, Serac Healthcare Ltd., London, United Kingdom; Shaney Barrat, North Bristol NHS Trust, Bristol, United Kingdom; Toby Garrood, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom; and Michael Gibbons, Royal Devon University Healthcare, Exeter, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom.
Link to Abstract
All 2026 SNMMI Annual Meeting abstracts can be found online.
About the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) is an international scientific and medical organization dedicated to advancing nuclear medicine, molecular imaging, and theranostics \-precision medicine that allows diagnosis and treatment to be tailored to individual patients in order to achieve the best possible outcomes. For more information, visit snmmi.org.
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Original text here: https://snmmi.org/Web/News/Articles/New-SPECT-Imaging-Approach-Distinguishes-Inflammation-from-Fibrosis-to-Optimize-Treatment-for-Lung-D
Irene Buvat, PhD, Receives SNMMI 2026 George Charles de Hevesy Nuclear Pioneer Award
RESTON, Virginia, May 31 [Category: Medical] -- The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging issued the following news release:
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Irene Buvat, PhD, Receives SNMMI 2026 George Charles de Hevesy Nuclear Pioneer Award
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Media Contact:
Rebecca Maxey
(703) 652-6772
rmaxey@snmmi.org
Pioneering researcher honored for transforming how nuclear medicine quantifies and understands the human body.
LOS ANGELES - Irene Buvat, PhD, a leading expert in molecular imaging quantification, is the recipient of SNMMI's George Charles de Hevesy Nuclear Pioneer Award, presented at the society's
... Show Full Article
RESTON, Virginia, May 31 [Category: Medical] -- The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging issued the following news release:
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Irene Buvat, PhD, Receives SNMMI 2026 George Charles de Hevesy Nuclear Pioneer Award
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Media Contact:
Rebecca Maxey
(703) 652-6772
rmaxey@snmmi.org
Pioneering researcher honored for transforming how nuclear medicine quantifies and understands the human body.
LOS ANGELES - Irene Buvat, PhD, a leading expert in molecular imaging quantification, is the recipient of SNMMI's George Charles de Hevesy Nuclear Pioneer Award, presented at the society's2026 Annual Meeting, May 30 through June 2 in Los Angeles. Buvat's work has fundamentally changed how the field measures, models, and interprets molecular imaging data, laying the scientific groundwork for more accurate diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
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Original text here: https://snmmi.org/Web/News/Articles/Ir-ne-Buvat--PhD--Receives-SNMMI-2026-George-Charles-de-Hevesy-Nuclear-Pioneer-Award
Dual PET Imaging Detects Tumor Progression and Heart Inflammation During Cancer Treatment
RESTON, Virginia, May 31 [Category: Medical] -- The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging issued the following news release:
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Dual PET Imaging Detects Tumor Progression and Heart Inflammation During Cancer Treatment
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Media Contact :
Rebecca Maxey
(703) 652-6772
rmaxey@snmmi.org
Los Angeles - A novel PET imaging approach enables simultaneous visualization of tumor progression and cardiac inflammatory responses during cancer treatment. Using this strategy, researchers demonstrated the effectiveness of a new combination therapy that enhances tumor response while reducing
... Show Full Article
RESTON, Virginia, May 31 [Category: Medical] -- The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging issued the following news release:
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Dual PET Imaging Detects Tumor Progression and Heart Inflammation During Cancer Treatment
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Media Contact :
Rebecca Maxey
(703) 652-6772
rmaxey@snmmi.org
Los Angeles - A novel PET imaging approach enables simultaneous visualization of tumor progression and cardiac inflammatory responses during cancer treatment. Using this strategy, researchers demonstrated the effectiveness of a new combination therapy that enhances tumor response while reducingcardiac inflammation. This new paradigm, presented at the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging 2026 Annual Meeting, offers a more comprehensive assessment of therapeutic impact, supporting more personalized clinical decision-making.
Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-based therapies have revolutionized cancer treatment and substantially improved patients' survival. These treatments, however, can also lead to serious heart and vascular adverse effects in a subset of patients. Management of these cardiac complications may require interruption or discontinuation of ICI therapy, potentially resulting in cancer progression.
"Currently, there is no established molecular imaging approach to identify the development of these cardiovascular immune-related adverse events in patients receiving ICI treatments," said Jaume Otaegui, PhD, postdoctoral researcher at Washington University in St. Louis. "The CCR2 protein is expressed in both atherosclerotic plaques (which are driven by inflammation) and tumors, making it a promising biomarker for monitoring both. In this study, we evaluated a PET imaging approach to noninvasively detect immune-related adverse events in a cardio-oncology model using a CCR2-targeted radiotracer, as well as a therapeutic strategy to reduce cardiac risk during treatment."
Two cohorts of atherosclerotic mice were implanted with mouse oral carcinoma cells as a cardio-oncology model. The first group received ICI treatment or a control treatment twice a week. PET imaging using the CCR2-targeted radiotracer 64 Cu-DOTA-ECL1i was performed after five and 10 doses; 18 F-FDG PET/CT was also performed for comparison. The second group of mice received ICI treatment for three weeks, and during the last two weeks of treatment, itacitinib (a Janus kinase 1 inhibitor) was given twice a day. This cohort of mice underwent CCR2 PET imaging at the end of the treatment.
64 Cu-DOTA-ECL1i was found to effectively bind to CCR2 cells, allowing for better PET/CT imaging of plaque and tumors compared to 18 F-FDG. ICI treatment slowed down tumor progression but did not affect CCR2 PET tumor signal; CCR2 cardiac signal, however, was significantly increased. Co-treatment with itacitinib showed better tumor response, reduced CCR2 PET signal, and fewer inflammatory cells in the aorta compared to ICI treatment alone.
"CCR2 PET imaging could potentially allow clinicians to detect harmful cardiovascular changes that occur during cancer treatment before they result in heart attack, myocarditis, or other serious complications," said Otaegui. "Additionally, our therapeutic approach of combining itacitinib ICI treatment could be used to both reduce cardiovascular inflammation and enhance tumor control."
He continued, "Overall, for patients, this work points toward more personalized and safer immunotherapy -where we can image, anticipate, and possibly mitigate cardiovascular complications without compromising cancer treatment."
64 Cu-DOTA-ECL1i is currently being evaluated in clinical trials for imaging across multiple disease indications, and ICI therapy has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for several stages of head and neck cancer. Consequently, the imaging component of this work may be implemented in the near-term. Further studies on the combination therapy, however, are still needed to provide broader validation of the study's findings.
Figure 2. Combination therapy of JAK1i with anti-PD1 slows down tumor growth and reduces CCR2+ cells infiltration in atherosclerotic lesions compared to anti-PD1 alone. Representative PET images of cardio-oncology mice treated with anti-PD1 alone or in combination with JAK1i. The PET uptake was normalized by subtracting blood retention.
Abstract 262118. " Theranostics of immune-related adverse events in cardio-oncology based on CCR2 PET imaging," Jaume R. Otaegui, Divangana Lahad, Xiuli Zhang, Hannah P. Luehmann, Gyu Seong Heo, Robert Crowder, Sidharth Puram, Kory Lavine, and Yongjian Liu, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri.
Link to Abstract
All 2026 SNMMI Annual Meeting abstracts can be found online.
About the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) is an international scientific and medical organization dedicated to advancing nuclear medicine, molecular imaging, and theranostics- precision medicine that allows diagnosis and treatment to be tailored to individual patients in order to achieve the best possible outcomes. For more information, visit snmmi.org.
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Original text here: https://snmmi.org/Web/News/Articles/Dual-PET-Imaging-Detects-Tumor-Progression-and-Heart-Inflammation-During-Cancer-Treatment
