Reston, VA (January 2, 2026)—New research has been published ahead-of-print by The Journal of Nuclear Medicine (JNM). JNM is published by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, 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.
Summaries of the newly published research articles are provided below.
Seeing Hidden Vessel Inflammation
Diagnosing inflammation in large blood vessels can be difficult, especially when standard tests appear normal. In this study, researchers tested a new PET imaging tracer that targets an inflammation-related protein, comparing it with conventional scans and blood analyses in patients and healthy volunteers to better detect and measure vascular inflammation.
Boosting Thyroid Cancer Treatment with Precision Dosing
Radioactive iodine therapy has long treated metastatic thyroid cancer but works poorly when tumors absorb less iodine. This study explores a personalized approach that combines radioactive iodine with external-beam radiation, tailoring doses using imaging and patient-specific calculations to safely deliver tumor-killing radiation in patients with low iodine uptake.
A New Target for Detecting and Treating Colorectal Cancer
Researchers developed a monoclonal antibody that targets GUCY2C, a receptor found on colorectal cancer cells. Labeled with radioactive and fluorescent tracers, the antibody enabled high-contrast PET imaging, guided surgeons to tumors during operations, and delivered targeted radiation that significantly slowed tumor growth in preclinical models.
Researchers examined CD70, a potential treatment target in lymphoma, and tested a CD70-targeted PET/CT scan in patients. Most lymphoma samples expressed CD70, and the new imaging method highlighted tumors clearly, varied by lymphoma subtype, matched CD70 levels, and performed as well as standard FDG scans—while improving detection in challenging areas like the brain.
Personalizing Radiation for Head and Neck Cancer
Most radiotherapy uses the same dose for similar cancers, but tumors behave differently. This study tested a personalized approach using two PET scans to map tumor activity and oxygen levels, then tailored radiation doses for each patient, showing that highly targeted plans could be delivered safely and effectively.
Clarifying Uncertain Liver Lesions with Advanced PET/MRI
Indeterminate liver findings are common in patients with cirrhosis and often lead to repeated scans or biopsies. In this prospective study, researchers tested a PSMA-targeted PET/MRI approach, showing it could more accurately distinguish early liver cancer from benign lesions than MRI alone.
Can AI Reliably Find Tumors on PET/CT?
An international challenge tested whether artificial intelligence models trained on one PET/CT dataset can accurately detect tumors across diverse real-world settings. Seventeen teams evaluated automated lesion segmentation on varied patient populations, scanners, and tracers, revealing strong performance in familiar data but notable drops when applied to new clinical scenarios.
Imaging Vitamin C Uptake in Cancer
High-dose vitamin C may help treat some cancers, but not all tumors respond the same way. In this prospective study, researchers used a novel PET tracer to visualize vitamin C uptake across 23 cancer types, revealing striking differences between tumors and between primary and metastatic disease.
Predicting Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment Response Earlier
Anti-TNF therapy for rheumatoid arthritis can take months to show results, and not all patients respond. This study tested a macrophage-targeting PET/CT scan before and shortly after treatment, showing that early imaging signals in joints closely tracked disease activity months later, potentially helping clinicians assess treatment effectiveness sooner.
Tracking Immune Cells with a New PET Tracer
Macrophages play a major role in cancer and inflammatory disease but are hard to measure in living patients. In this first-in-human study, researchers tested a copper-labeled nanoparticle PET tracer, showing it was safe, circulated predictably, and accumulated in macrophage-rich sites such as tumors and sarcoidosis.
Refining Prostate Cancer Radiotherapy with PSMA PET/CT
Accurately targeting recurrent prostate cancer after surgery is critical for effective salvage radiotherapy. This study analyzed PSMA PET/CT scans of post-prostatectomy patients, revealing that many recurrences extend beyond areas covered by standard clinical guidelines. Integrating PSMA PET/CT could help better define treatment volumes and reduce missed tumor regions.
Tracking CAR-T Cells in Real Time
CAR-T therapy struggles against solid tumors, partly due to unknown cell distribution. This study used a novel "Thor" PET reporter system to track engineered CAR-T cells targeting IL13Rα2 in a melanoma mouse model, showing highly sensitive detection of as few as 3,000 cells and enabling detailed monitoring of their movement and persistence over seven weeks.
A New Target for Imaging Liver Cancer
Hepatocellular carcinoma is often hard to detect and treat in late stages. Researchers identified TSPAN8, a protein highly expressed on liver cancer cells, and developed a PET radiotracer that selectively binds TSPAN8. In mouse models, the tracer accumulated in TSPAN8-positive tumors, highlighting its potential for targeted imaging and therapy.
Hitting Cancer Cells at the Right Spot
Targeted alpha therapy kills cancer cells with high-energy radiation, but its effectiveness may depend on where the radioactive particle lands inside a cell. This study showed that directing α-emitters closer to DNA increases cell killing, while plasma membrane targeting also contributes, providing insights to optimize therapies against microscopic and larger tumors.
Comparing PET and SPECT for Precision Cancer Imaging
Accurate imaging is critical for radiopharmaceutical therapy and personalized cancer care. This study systematically compared PET and SPECT using standardized phantoms, showing PET provides higher resolution and more accurate activity measurements, while SPECT performance varies by isotope. Results highlight the importance of choosing the right imaging method and isotope for targeted therapy planning.
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