We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us
GLOBETECH PUBLISHING LLC

Download Mobile App




Breakthrough Method Detects Inflammation in Body Using PET Imaging

By MedImaging International staff writers
Posted on 24 Jan 2025
Print article
Image: CD45-PET is a robust, non-invasive tool for imaging inflammation (Photo courtesy of 123RF)
Image: CD45-PET is a robust, non-invasive tool for imaging inflammation (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

Inflammation is an immune response that helps protect the body against disease. However, when inflammation becomes chronic and excessive, it can lead to various long-term conditions, including cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and diabetes, which are major contributors to global mortality. Currently, there are no non-invasive methods available to accurately detect and locate inflammation in the body. Researchers have now developed the first-ever probe capable of identifying general inflammation with high sensitivity through whole-body imaging. Once validated in humans, this tool could be used in clinical settings to guide treatment choices for inflammation-related conditions, monitor responses to anti-inflammatory drugs and cancer immunotherapies, and assist in diagnosing diseases linked to chronic inflammation.

The breakthrough technique, which uses positron emission tomography (PET) imaging to detect inflammation, was developed by researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Boston, MA, USA). This novel probe targets CD45, a marker found on all immune cells but absent from other cell types. In healthy animals, the probe provides clear images of immune organs like the bone marrow, spleen, and lymph nodes. In disease models, it can detect inflammation in organs such as the colon in inflammatory bowel disease and the lungs in acute respiratory distress syndrome.

The study, published in Nature, demonstrated that inflammation severity identified by CD45-PET closely correlates with both microscopic tissue analysis and clinical symptoms. The team also developed a human CD45-PET probe, which successfully detected human immune cells in a humanized mouse model. Additionally, in animal models of graft-versus-host disease (a complication after bone marrow transplants), the human CD45-PET probe showed potential for early detection and precise localization of the disease, which can affect multiple organs. The team is now working on clinical trials to further validate the human CD45-PET probe.

New
Ultrasound Table
Women’s Ultrasound EA Table
Portable Color Doppler Ultrasound Scanner
DCU10
New
HF Stationary X-Ray Machine
TR20G
Portable X-ray Unit
AJEX140H

Print article

Channels

Ultrasound

view channel
Image: Ultrasound detection of vascular changes post-RT corresponds to shifts in the immune microenvironment (Photo courtesy of Theranostics, DOI:10.7150/thno.97759)

Ultrasound Imaging Non-Invasively Tracks Tumor Response to Radiation and Immunotherapy

While immunotherapy holds promise in the fight against triple-negative breast cancer, many patients fail to respond to current treatments. A major challenge has been predicting and monitoring how individual... Read more

General/Advanced Imaging

view channel
Image: The rugged and miniaturized CT scanner is being designed for use beyond a typical hospital setting (Photo courtesy of Micro-X)

World’s First Mobile Whole-Body CT Scanner to Provide Diagnostics at POC

Conventional CT scanners dominate the global medical imaging market, holding approximately 30% of the market share. These scanners are the current standard for various diagnostic applications, including... Read more

Imaging IT

view channel
Image: The new Medical Imaging Suite makes healthcare imaging data more accessible, interoperable and useful (Photo courtesy of Google Cloud)

New Google Cloud Medical Imaging Suite Makes Imaging Healthcare Data More Accessible

Medical imaging is a critical tool used to diagnose patients, and there are billions of medical images scanned globally each year. Imaging data accounts for about 90% of all healthcare data1 and, until... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2025 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.