Reston, VA (January 23, 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.
Targeting the Tumor Microenvironment with a New FAP Radiotracer
Fibroblast activation protein (FAP) is abundant in many tumors, making it an attractive target for imaging and therapy. This study introduces 3BP-3940, a new FAP-targeting peptide. Preclinical testing showed strong tumor uptake, high specificity, and effective tumor growth inhibition when paired with lutetium-177, with low uptake in healthy tissues.
Uncovering LATE: A Hidden Mimic of Alzheimer Disease
Limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy (LATE) often resembles Alzheimer disease in older adults. Using 18F-FDG PET and MRI from nearly 1,000 patients, this study identifies distinct metabolic and structural brain patterns that differentiate probable LATE, Alzheimer disease, and their frequent overlap.
Boosting Tau PET Detection in Progressive Supranuclear Palsy
Tau PET imaging often struggles to detect four-repeat tau in disorders like progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). This study shows that removing background signal patterns from PET scans improves sensitivity, helping distinguish PSP from healthy controls and revealing clearer disease-related brain changes across PSP variants.
Predicting Mesothelioma Outcomes with FAPI PET Imaging
Fibroblast activation protein imaging may offer new prognostic insight in malignant pleural mesothelioma. This study compares 68Ga-FAPI-46 PET/CT with standard 18F-FDG PET, showing that tumor volume measures from both scans strongly relate to patient survival, highlighting FAPI PET as a promising tool for risk stratification.
FAP-Targeted Radiotherapy for Pleural Metastases Shows Promise
Pleural metastases signal advanced cancer with limited treatment options. In this retrospective study, patients with FAP-positive pleural disease received ¹⁷⁷Lu-FAP-2286 after standard therapies. Imaging and survival analyses showed meaningful disease control, longer survival in responders, and good agreement between FAP PET and CT response measures, with treatment generally well tolerated.
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