Dear Molecular Imaging Insider,
Researchers are focusing greater attention on the assessment of gut motility, and a combination of SPECT and MRI is showing promise in this area. A joint Malaysian/U.K. study won an award at last month's European Congress of Radiology (ECR), and is worth a close look. Visit our Molecular Imaging Digital Community, or click here.
The main role of CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, is to coordinate and catalyze feasibility studies for future developments, not to build future machines for medical applications. But some of its tools do play an invaluable role in diagnostic and therapeutic medicine. Find out what's new at this world-famous center by clicking here.
MRI is the gold standard in imaging for high-grade gliomas, but it often has trouble distinguishing tumor tissue from edematous, necrotic, or fibrotic tissue. This can lead to discrepancies in tumor size and signal abnormalities in MRI. German authors have found the combined use of MRI and PET appears to be superior to MRI alone in surgical therapy planning. Get the story here.
PET/MR is also a feasible technique for evaluating lung masses, according to investigators from Eberhard-Karls University Tübingen in Germany. They think results presented at ECR 2012 justify further investigation of PET/MR in the assessment of pulmonary lesions, especially with respect to the broad spectrum of function of MR techniques. Click here to read more.
Dr. Olivier Clément from Paris has had a longstanding interest in molecular topics, and he reckons molecular imaging offers significant improvements in the efficiency of treatment. For instance, cell-labeling methods and image-based magnetic control of cells now enable the monitoring and guidance of therapy. Click here for more insight from this pioneer.
A project led by the European Center for Research in Medical Imaging is developing a miniature PET/ultrasound probe to study new biomarkers for pancreatic and prostate cancer. Its aim is to create a bimodal imaging probe that combines a miniaturized time-of-flight PET detector head with an ultrasonic endoscope. To learn more, click here.
Looking ahead, the World Molecular Imaging Congress takes place in Dublin in early September. Look out for our pre-congress and onsite coverage over the coming weeks and months.
