Reston, VA (January 9, 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.
New Imaging Approach for Aggressive Breast Cancer
Researchers tested specialized amino acid PET tracers to image triple-negative breast cancer in mice. The tracers targeted cancer's altered metabolism and showed strong tumor visibility, often outperforming standard 18F-FDG scans in tumor-to-normal tissue contrast, especially in the brain and muscle, suggesting a promising tool for future cancer imaging.
Advanced PET Tracer Highlights Aggressive Lung Cancer Lesions
A novel PET tracer, 68Ga-SSO120, was tested in patients with small cell and large cell neuroendocrine lung cancers. It successfully detected cancer lesions in most patients, including previously unseen metastases, offering a potential new tool to track disease alongside standard imaging and guide future targeted therapies.
PET Imaging Helps Predict Glioma Treatment Response
Researchers studied patients with relapsed high-grade gliomas receiving regorafenib. Early changes in amino acid PET scans, particularly a drop in tumor-to-brain ratio, were linked to longer survival, highlighting 18F-FET PET as a promising tool to identify treatment responders soon after therapy begins.
Brainstem Serotonin Patterns Differ in Parkinsonian Multiple-System Atrophy
Researchers studied serotonin transporter distribution in the brainstems of patients with MSA-P using 123I-FP-CIT SPECT scans. They found reduced serotonin in the midbrain and increased levels in the pons, a pattern confirmed by pathology, highlighting potential imaging markers for differentiating MSA-P from healthy individuals.
PET Imaging Offers Prognostic Insights in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma
Researchers compared 68Ga-FAPI-46 and 18F-FDG PET scans in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma. Tumor volume measured by both tracers predicted survival, with higher volumes linked to worse outcomes. 68Ga-FAPI-46 may complement standard imaging, providing prognostic information and guiding potential future targeted therapies.
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