WorldWideScience

Sample records for rapid multi-tracer pet

  1. Application of separable parameter space techniques to multi-tracer PET compartment modeling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Jeff L; Michael Morey, A; Kadrmas, Dan J

    2016-01-01

    Multi-tracer positron emission tomography (PET) can image two or more tracers in a single scan, characterizing multiple aspects of biological functions to provide new insights into many diseases. The technique uses dynamic imaging, resulting in time-activity curves that contain contributions from each tracer present. The process of separating and recovering separate images and/or imaging measures for each tracer requires the application of kinetic constraints, which are most commonly applied by fitting parallel compartment models for all tracers. Such multi-tracer compartment modeling presents challenging nonlinear fits in multiple dimensions. This work extends separable parameter space kinetic modeling techniques, previously developed for fitting single-tracer compartment models, to fitting multi-tracer compartment models. The multi-tracer compartment model solution equations were reformulated to maximally separate the linear and nonlinear aspects of the fitting problem, and separable least-squares techniques were applied to effectively reduce the dimensionality of the nonlinear fit. The benefits of the approach are then explored through a number of illustrative examples, including characterization of separable parameter space multi-tracer objective functions and demonstration of exhaustive search fits which guarantee the true global minimum to within arbitrary search precision. Iterative gradient-descent algorithms using Levenberg–Marquardt were also tested, demonstrating improved fitting speed and robustness as compared to corresponding fits using conventional model formulations. The proposed technique overcomes many of the challenges in fitting simultaneous multi-tracer PET compartment models. (paper)

  2. Rapid dual-tracer PTSM+ATSM PET imaging of tumour blood flow and hypoxia: a simulation study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rust, T C; Kadrmas, D J

    2006-01-01

    Blood flow and hypoxia are interrelated aspects of physiology that affect cancer treatment and response. Cu-PTSM and Cu-ATSM are related PET tracers for blood flow and hypoxia, and the ability to rapidly image both tracers in a single scan would bring several advantages over conventional single-tracer techniques. Using dynamic imaging with staggered injections, overlapping signals for multiple PET tracers may be recovered utilizing information from kinetics and radioactive decay. In this work, rapid dual-tracer PTSM+ATSM PET was simulated and tested as a function of injection delay, order and relative dose for several copper isotopes, and the results were compared relative to separate single-tracer data. Time-activity curves representing a broad range of tumour blood flow and hypoxia levels were simulated, and parallel dual-tracer compartment modelling was used to recover the signals for each tracer. The main results were tested further using a torso phantom simulation of PET tumour imaging. Using scans as short as 30 minutes, the dual-tracer method provided measures of blood flow and hypoxia similar to single-tracer imaging. The best performance was obtained by injecting PTSM first and using a somewhat higher dose for ATSM. Comparable results for different copper isotopes suggest that tracer kinetics with staggered injections play a more important role than radioactive decay in the signal separation process. Rapid PTSM+ATSM PET has excellent potential for characterizing both tumour blood flow and hypoxia in a single, fast scan, provided that technological hurdles related to algorithm development and routine use can be overcome

  3. TU-AB-202-11: Tumor Segmentation by Fusion of Multi-Tracer PET Images Using Copula Based Statistical Methods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lapuyade-Lahorgue, J; Ruan, S; Li, H; Vera, P

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: Multi-tracer PET imaging is getting more attention in radiotherapy by providing additional tumor volume information such as glucose and oxygenation. However, automatic PET-based tumor segmentation is still a very challenging problem. We propose a statistical fusion approach to joint segment the sub-area of tumors from the two tracers FDG and FMISO PET images. Methods: Non-standardized Gamma distributions are convenient to model intensity distributions in PET. As a serious correlation exists in multi-tracer PET images, we proposed a new fusion method based on copula which is capable to represent dependency between different tracers. The Hidden Markov Field (HMF) model is used to represent spatial relationship between PET image voxels and statistical dynamics of intensities for each modality. Real PET images of five patients with FDG and FMISO are used to evaluate quantitatively and qualitatively our method. A comparison between individual and multi-tracer segmentations was conducted to show advantages of the proposed fusion method. Results: The segmentation results show that fusion with Gaussian copula can receive high Dice coefficient of 0.84 compared to that of 0.54 and 0.3 of monomodal segmentation results based on individual segmentation of FDG and FMISO PET images. In addition, high correlation coefficients (0.75 to 0.91) for the Gaussian copula for all five testing patients indicates the dependency between tumor regions in the multi-tracer PET images. Conclusion: This study shows that using multi-tracer PET imaging can efficiently improve the segmentation of tumor region where hypoxia and glucidic consumption are present at the same time. Introduction of copulas for modeling the dependency between two tracers can simultaneously take into account information from both tracers and deal with two pathological phenomena. Future work will be to consider other families of copula such as spherical and archimedian copulas, and to eliminate partial volume

  4. Multi-contrast attenuation map synthesis for PET/MR scanners: assessment on FDG and Florbetapir PET tracers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Burgos, Ninon [University College London, Translational Imaging Group, Centre for Medical Image Computing, London (United Kingdom); Cardoso, M.J.; Modat, Marc; Ourselin, Sebastien [University College London, Translational Imaging Group, Centre for Medical Image Computing, London (United Kingdom); University College London, Dementia Research Centre, Institute of Neurology, London (United Kingdom); Thielemans, Kris; Dickson, John [University College London, Institute of Nuclear Medicine, London (United Kingdom); Schott, Jonathan M. [University College London, Dementia Research Centre, Institute of Neurology, London (United Kingdom); Atkinson, David [University College London, Centre for Medical Imaging, London (United Kingdom); Arridge, Simon R. [University College London, Centre for Medical Image Computing, London (United Kingdom); Hutton, Brian F. [University College London, Institute of Nuclear Medicine, London (United Kingdom); University of Wollongong, Centre for Medical Radiation Physics, Wollongong, NSW (Australia)

    2015-08-15

    Positron Emission Tomography/Magnetic Resonance Imaging (PET/MR) scanners are expected to offer a new range of clinical applications. Attenuation correction is an essential requirement for quantification of PET data but MRI images do not directly provide a patient-specific attenuation map. Methods We further validate and extend a Computed Tomography (CT) and attenuation map (μ-map) synthesis method based on pre-acquired MRI-CT image pairs. The validation consists of comparing the CT images synthesised with the proposed method to the original CT images. PET images were acquired using two different tracers ({sup 18}F-FDG and {sup 18}F-florbetapir). They were then reconstructed and corrected for attenuation using the synthetic μ-maps and compared to the reference PET images corrected with the CT-based μ-maps. During the validation, we observed that the CT synthesis was inaccurate in areas such as the neck and the cerebellum, and propose a refinement to mitigate these problems, as well as an extension of the method to multi-contrast MRI data. Results With the improvements proposed, a significant enhancement in CT synthesis, which results in a reduced absolute error and a decrease in the bias when reconstructing PET images, was observed. For both tracers, on average, the absolute difference between the reference PET images and the PET images corrected with the proposed method was less than 2%, with a bias inferior to 1%. Conclusion With the proposed method, attenuation information can be accurately derived from MRI images by synthesising CT using routine anatomical sequences. MRI sequences, or combination of sequences, can be used to synthesise CT images, as long as they provide sufficient anatomical information. (orig.)

  5. Multi-tracer small animal PET imaging of the tumour response to the novel pan-Erb-B inhibitor CI-1033

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dorow, Donna S.; Cullinane, Carleen; Conus, Nelly; Roselt, Peter; Binns, David; McCarthy, Timothy J.; McArthur, Grant A.; Hicks, Rodney J.

    2006-01-01

    This study was designed as ''proof of concept'' for a drug development model utilising multi-tracer serial small animal PET imaging to characterise tumour responses to molecularly targeted therapy. Mice bearing subcutaneous A431 human squamous carcinoma xenografts (n=6-8) were treated with the pan-Erb-B inhibitor CI-1033 or vehicle and imaged serially (days 0, 3 and 6 or 7) with [ 18 F]fluorodeoxyglucose, [ 18 F]fluoro-L-thymidine, [ 18 F]fluoro-azoazomycinarabinoside or [ 18 F]fluoromisonidazole. Separate cohorts (n=3) were treated identically and tumours were assessed ex vivo for markers of glucose metabolism, proliferation and hypoxia. During the study period, mean uptake of all PET tracers generally increased for control tumours compared to baseline. In contrast, tracer uptake into CI-1033-treated tumours decreased by 20-60% during treatment. Expression of the glucose transporter Glut-1 and cell cycle markers was unchanged or increased in control tumours and generally decreased with CI-1033 treatment, compared to baseline. Thymidine kinase activity was reduced in all tumours compared to baseline at day 3 but was sevenfold higher in control versus CI-1033-treated tumours by day 6 of treatment. Uptake of the hypoxia marker pimonidazole was stable in control tumours but was severely reduced following 7 days of CI-1033 treatment. CI-1033 treatment significantly affects tumour metabolism, proliferation and hypoxia as determined by PET. The PET findings correlated well with ex vivo biomarkers for each of the cellular processes studied. These results confirm the utility of small animal PET for evaluation of the effectiveness of molecularly targeted therapies and simultaneously definition of specific cellular processes involved in the therapeutic response. (orig.)

  6. Development of [18F]afatinib as new TKI-PET tracer for EGFR positive tumors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Slobbe, Paul; Windhorst, Albert D.; Walsum, Marijke Stigter-van; Schuit, Robert C.; Smit, Egbert F.; Niessen, Heiko G.; Solca, Flavio; Stehle, Gerd; Dongen, Guus A.M.S. van; Poot, Alex J.

    2014-01-01

    Introduction: Afatinib is an irreversible ErbB family blocker that was approved for the treatment of EGFR mutated non-small cell lung cancer in 2013. Positron emission tomography (PET) with fluorine-18 labeled afatinib provides a means to obtain improved understanding of afatinib tumor disposition in vivo. PET imaging with [ 18 F]afatinib may also provide a method to select treatment responsive patients. The aim of this study was to label afatinib with fluorine-18 and evaluate its potential as TKI-PET tracer in tumor bearing mice. Methods: A radiochemically novel coupling, using peptide coupling reagent BOP, was explored and optimized to synthesize [ 18 F]afatinib, followed by a metabolite analysis and biodistribution studies in two clinically relevant lung cancer cell lines, xenografted in nude mice. Results: A reliable [ 18 F]afatinib radiosynthesis was developed and the tracer could be produced in yields of 17.0 ± 2.5% calculated from [ 18 F]F − and >98% purity. The identity of the product was confirmed by co-injection on HPLC with non-labeled afatinib. Metabolite analysis revealed a moderate rate of metabolism, with >80% intact tracer in plasma at 45 min p.i. Biodistribution studies revealed rapid tumor accumulation and good retention for a period of at least 2 hours, while background tissues showed rapid clearance of the tracer. Conclusion: We have developed a method to synthesize [ 18 F]afatinib and related fluorine-18 labeled 4-anilinoquinazolines. [ 18 F]Afatinib showed good stability in vivo, justifying further evaluation as a TKI-PET tracer

  7. PET tracers for somatostatin receptor imaging of neuroendocrine tumors

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Johnbeck, Camilla Bardram; Knigge, Ulrich; Kjær, Andreas

    2014-01-01

    Neuroendocrine tumors have shown rising incidence mainly due to higher clinical awareness and better diagnostic tools over the last 30 years. Functional imaging of neuroendocrine tumors with PET tracers is an evolving field that is continuously refining the affinity of new tracers in the search...... these PET tracers further....

  8. Search for a non-metabolizable PET tracer for heart neuronal imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wieland, D.M.; Rosenspire, K.C.; Van Dort, M.E.; Haka, M.S.; Jung, Y.W.; Gildersleeve, D.L.

    1990-01-01

    The tracer (1R,2S)-(-)-[ 11 C]-meta-hydroxyephedrine (MHED) is used successfully at the authors' institution to study neuronal heart diseases and neuroendocrine tumors. However, MHED is rapidly metabolized in humans, most likely to alpha-methylepinephrine and its 3-O-methyl ether by the initial action of liver microsomal hydroxylase. This presentation will describe efforts to develop a [ 11 C]-labelled neuronal tracer that is completely resistant to metabolism on the PET-imaging time scale

  9. Radiation dose estimates for carbon-11-labelled PET tracers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aart, Jasper van der; Hallett, William A.; Rabiner, Eugenii A.; Passchier, Jan; Comley, Robert A.

    2012-01-01

    Introduction: Carbon-11-labelled positron emission tomography (PET) tracers commonly used in biomedical research expose subjects to ionising radiation. Dosimetry is the measurement of radiation dose, but also commonly refers to the estimation of health risk associated with ionising radiation. This review describes radiation dosimetry of carbon-11-labelled molecules in the context of current PET research and the most widely used regulatory guidelines. Methods: A MEDLINE literature search returned 42 articles; 32 of these were based on human PET data dealing with radiation dosimetry of carbon-11 molecules. Radiation burden expressed as effective dose and maximum absorbed organ dose was compared between tracers. Results: All but one of the carbon-11-labelled PET tracers have an effective dose under 9 μSv/MBq, with a mean of 5.9 μSv/MBq. Data show that serial PET scans in a single subject are feasible for the majority of radiotracers. Conclusion: Although differing in approach, the two most widely used regulatory frameworks (those in the USA and the EU) do not differ substantially with regard to the maximum allowable injected activity per PET study. The predictive validity of animal dosimetry models is critically discussed in relation to human dosimetry. Finally, empirical PET data are related to human dose estimates based on homogenous distribution, generic models and maximum cumulated activities. Despite the contribution of these models to general risk estimation, human dosimetry studies are recommended where continued use of a new PET tracer is foreseen.

  10. Comparison of lesion detection and quantitation of tracer uptake between PET from a simultaneously acquiring whole-body PET/MR hybrid scanner and PET from PET/CT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wiesmueller, Marco; Schmidt, Daniela; Beck, Michael; Kuwert, Torsten; Gall, Carl C. von; Quick, Harald H.; Navalpakkam, Bharath; Lell, Michael M.; Uder, Michael; Ritt, Philipp

    2013-01-01

    PET/MR hybrid scanners have recently been introduced, but not yet validated. The aim of this study was to compare the PET components of a PET/CT hybrid system and of a simultaneous whole-body PET/MR hybrid system with regard to reproducibility of lesion detection and quantitation of tracer uptake. A total of 46 patients underwent a whole-body PET/CT scan 1 h after injection and an average of 88 min later a second scan using a hybrid PET/MR system. The radioactive tracers used were 18 F-deoxyglucose (FDG), 18 F-ethylcholine (FEC) and 68 Ga-DOTATATE (Ga-DOTATATE). The PET images from PET/CT (PET CT ) and from PET/MR (PET MR ) were analysed for tracer-positive lesions. Regional tracer uptake in these foci was quantified using volumes of interest, and maximal and average standardized uptake values (SUV max and SUV avg , respectively) were calculated. Of the 46 patients, 43 were eligible for comparison and statistical analysis. All lesions except one identified by PET CT were identified by PET MR (99.2 %). In 38 patients (88.4 %), the same number of foci were identified by PET CT and by PET MR . In four patients, more lesions were identified by PET MR than by PET CT , in one patient PET CT revealed an additional focus compared to PET MR . The mean SUV max and SUV avg of all lesions determined by PET MR were by 21 % and 11 % lower, respectively, than the values determined by PET CT (p CT and PET MR were minor, but statistically significant. Nevertheless, a more detailed study of the quantitative accuracy of PET MR and the factors governing it is needed to ultimately assess its accuracy in measuring tissue tracer concentrations. (orig.)

  11. Novel tracer for radiation treatment planning; Welche neuen PET-Tracer braucht die Strahlentherapie?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schwarzenboeck, S.; Krause, B.J. [Rostock Univ. (Germany). Klinik fuer Nuklearmedizin; Herrmann, K.; Gaertner, F.; Souvatzoglou, M. [Technische Univ. Muenchen (Germany). Klinik fuer Nuklearmedizin; Klaesner, B. [Klinikum Bogenhausen, Muenchen (Germany). Inst. fuer Radiologie und Nuklearmedizin

    2011-07-15

    PET and PET/CT with innovative tracers gain increasing importance in diagnosis and therapy management, and radiation treatment planning in radio-oncology besides the widely established FDG. The introduction of [{sup 18}F]Fluorothymidine ([{sup 18}F]FLT) as marker of proliferation, [{sup 18}F]Fluoromisonidazole ([{sup 18}F]FMISO) and [{sup 18}F]Fluoroazomycin-Arabinoside ([{sup 18}F]FAZA) as tracer of hypoxia, [{sup 18}F]Fluoroethyltyrosine ([{sup 18}F]FET) and [{sup 11}C]Methionine for brain tumour imaging, [{sup 68}Ga]DOTATOC for somatostatin receptor imaging, [{sup 18}F]FDOPA for dopamine synthesis and radioactively labeled choline derivatives for imaging phospholipid metabolism have opened novel approaches to tumour imaging. Some of these tracers have already been implemented into radio-oncology: Amino acid PET and PET/CT have the potential to optimise radiation treatment planning of brain tumours through accurate delineation of tumour tissue from normal tissue, necrosis and edema. Hypoxia represents a major therapeutic problem in radiation therapy. Hypoxia imaging is very attractive as it may allow to increase the dose in hypoxic tumours potentially allowing for a better tumour control. Advances in hybrid imaging, i.e. the introduction of MR/PET, may also have an impact in radio-oncology through synergies related to the combination of molecular signals of PET and a high soft tissue contrast of MRI as well as functional MRI capabilities. (orig.)

  12. Dynamic dual-tracer PET reconstruction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Fei; Liu, Huafeng; Jian, Yiqiang; Shi, Pengcheng

    2009-01-01

    Although of important medical implications, simultaneous dual-tracer positron emission tomography reconstruction remains a challenging problem, primarily because the photon measurements from dual tracers are overlapped. In this paper, we propose a simultaneous dynamic dual-tracer reconstruction of tissue activity maps based on guidance from tracer kinetics. The dual-tracer reconstruction problem is formulated in a state-space representation, where parallel compartment models serve as continuous-time system equation describing the tracer kinetic processes of dual tracers, and the imaging data is expressed as discrete sampling of the system states in measurement equation. The image reconstruction problem has therefore become a state estimation problem in a continuous-discrete hybrid paradigm, and H infinity filtering is adopted as the estimation strategy. As H infinity filtering makes no assumptions on the system and measurement statistics, robust reconstruction results can be obtained for the dual-tracer PET imaging system where the statistical properties of measurement data and system uncertainty are not available a priori, even when there are disturbances in the kinetic parameters. Experimental results on digital phantoms, Monte Carlo simulations and physical phantoms have demonstrated the superior performance.

  13. A new PET tracer specific for vascular endothelial growth factor receptor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Hui; Cai, Weibo; Chen, Kai; Li, Zi-Bo; Kashefi, Amir; He, Lina; Chen, Xiaoyuan

    2007-01-01

    Noninvasive positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR-2) expression could be a valuable tool for evaluation of patients with a variety of malignancies, and particularly for monitoring those undergoing antiangiogenic therapies that block VEGF/VEGFR-2 function. The aim of this study was to develop a VEGFR-2-specific PET tracer. The D63AE64AE67A mutant of VEGF 121 (VEGF DEE ) was generated by recombinant DNA technology. VEGF 121 and VEGF DEE were purified and conjugated with DOTA for 64 Cu labeling. The DOTA conjugates were tested in vitro for VEGFR-2 specificity and functional activity. In vivo tumor targeting efficacy and pharmacokinetics of 64 Cu-labeled VEGF 121 and VEGF DEE were compared using an orthotopic 4T1 murine breast tumor model. Blocking experiments, biodistribution studies, and immunofluorescence staining were carried out to confirm the noninvasive imaging results. Cell binding assay demonstrated that VEGF DEE had about 20-fold lower VEGFR-1 binding affinity and only slightly lower VEGFR-2 binding affinity as compared with VEGF 121 . MicroPET imaging studies revealed that both 64 Cu-DOTA-VEGF 121 and 64 Cu-DOTA-VEGF DEE had rapid and prominent activity accumulation in VEGFR-2-expressing 4T1 tumors. The renal uptake of 64 Cu-DOTA-VEGF DEE was significantly lower than that of 64 Cu-DOTA-VEGF 121 as rodent kidneys expressed high levels of VEGFR-1 based on immunofluorescence staining. Blocking experiments and biodistribution studies confirmed the VEGFR specificity of 64 Cu-DOTA-VEGF DEE . We have developed a VEGFR-2-specific PET tracer, 64 Cu-DOTA-VEGF DEE . It has comparable tumor targeting efficacy to 64 Cu-DOTA-VEGF 121 but much reduced renal toxicity. This tracer may be translated into the clinic for imaging tumor angiogenesis and monitoring antiangiogenic treatment efficacy. (orig.)

  14. Extracting a respiratory signal from raw dynamic PET data that contain tracer kinetics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schleyer, P J; Thielemans, K; Marsden, P K

    2014-08-07

    Data driven gating (DDG) methods provide an alternative to hardware based respiratory gating for PET imaging. Several existing DDG approaches obtain a respiratory signal by observing the change in PET-counts within specific regions of acquired PET data. Currently, these methods do not allow for tracer kinetics which can interfere with the respiratory signal and introduce error. In this work, we produced a DDG method for dynamic PET studies that exhibit tracer kinetics. Our method is based on an existing approach that uses frequency-domain analysis to locate regions within raw PET data that are subject to respiratory motion. In the new approach, an optimised non-stationary short-time Fourier transform was used to create a time-varying 4D map of motion affected regions. Additional processing was required to ensure that the relationship between the sign of the respiratory signal and the physical direction of movement remained consistent for each temporal segment of the 4D map. The change in PET-counts within the 4D map during the PET acquisition was then used to generate a respiratory curve. Using 26 min dynamic cardiac NH3 PET acquisitions which included a hardware derived respiratory measurement, we show that tracer kinetics can severely degrade the respiratory signal generated by the original DDG method. In some cases, the transition of tracer from the liver to the lungs caused the respiratory signal to invert. The new approach successfully compensated for tracer kinetics and improved the correlation between the data-driven and hardware based signals. On average, good correlation was maintained throughout the PET acquisitions.

  15. Authentically radiolabelled Mn(II) complexes as bimodal PET/MR tracers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vanasschen, Christian; Brandt, Marie; Ermert, Johannes [Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, INM-5 - Nuclear Chemistry, Forschungszentrum Jülich (Germany); Neumaier, Bernd [Institute for Radiochemistry and Experimental Molecular Imaging, Medical Clinics, University of Cologne (Germany); Coenen, Heinz H [Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, INM-5 - Nuclear Chemistry, Forschungszentrum Jülich (Germany)

    2015-05-18

    The development of small molecule bimodal PET/MR tracers is mainly hampered by the lack of dedicated preparation methods. Authentic radiolabelling of MR contrast agents ensures easy access to such probes: a ligand, chelating a paramagnetic metal ion (e.g. Mn2+) and the corresponding PET isotope (e.g. 52gMn), leads to a “cocktail mixture” where both imaging reporters exhibit the same pharmacokinetics. Paramagnetic [55Mn(CDTA)]2- shows an excellent compromise between thermodynamic stability, kinetic inertness and MR contrast enhancement. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop new PET/MR tracers by labelling CDTA ligands with paramagnetic manganese and the β+-emitter 52gMn. N.c.a. 52gMn (t1/2: 5.6 d; Eβ+: 575.8 keV (29.6%)) was produced by proton irradiation of a natCr target followed by cation-exchange chromatography. CDTA was radiolabelled with n.c.a. 52gMn2+ in NaOAc buffer (pH 6) at RT. The complex was purified by RP-HPLC and its stability tested in PBS and blood plasma at 37°C. The redox stability was assessed by monitoring the T1 relaxation (20 MHz) in HEPES buffer (pH 7.4). A functionalized CDTA ligand was synthesized in 5 steps. [52gMn(CDTA)]2- was quantitatively formed within 30 min at RT. The complex was stable for at least 6 days in PBS and blood plasma at 37°C and no oxidation occurred within 7 months storage at RT. Labelling CDTA with an isotopic 52g/55Mn2+ mixture led to the corresponding bimodal PET/MR tracer. Furthermore, a functionalized CDTA ligand was synthesized with an overall yield of 18-25%. [52g/55Mn(CDTA)]2-, the first manganese-based bimodal PET/MR tracer prepared, exhibits excellent stability towards decomplexation and oxidation. This makes the functionalized CDTA ligand highly suitable for designing PET/MR tracers with high relaxivity or targeting properties.

  16. Authentically radiolabelled Mn(II) complexes as bimodal PET/MR tracers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vanasschen, Christian; Brandt, Marie; Ermert, Johannes; Neumaier, Bernd; Coenen, Heinz H

    2015-01-01

    The development of small molecule bimodal PET/MR tracers is mainly hampered by the lack of dedicated preparation methods. Authentic radiolabelling of MR contrast agents ensures easy access to such probes: a ligand, chelating a paramagnetic metal ion (e.g. Mn2+) and the corresponding PET isotope (e.g. 52gMn), leads to a “cocktail mixture” where both imaging reporters exhibit the same pharmacokinetics. Paramagnetic [55Mn(CDTA)]2- shows an excellent compromise between thermodynamic stability, kinetic inertness and MR contrast enhancement. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop new PET/MR tracers by labelling CDTA ligands with paramagnetic manganese and the β+-emitter 52gMn. N.c.a. 52gMn (t1/2: 5.6 d; Eβ+: 575.8 keV (29.6%)) was produced by proton irradiation of a natCr target followed by cation-exchange chromatography. CDTA was radiolabelled with n.c.a. 52gMn2+ in NaOAc buffer (pH 6) at RT. The complex was purified by RP-HPLC and its stability tested in PBS and blood plasma at 37°C. The redox stability was assessed by monitoring the T1 relaxation (20 MHz) in HEPES buffer (pH 7.4). A functionalized CDTA ligand was synthesized in 5 steps. [52gMn(CDTA)]2- was quantitatively formed within 30 min at RT. The complex was stable for at least 6 days in PBS and blood plasma at 37°C and no oxidation occurred within 7 months storage at RT. Labelling CDTA with an isotopic 52g/55Mn2+ mixture led to the corresponding bimodal PET/MR tracer. Furthermore, a functionalized CDTA ligand was synthesized with an overall yield of 18-25%. [52g/55Mn(CDTA)]2-, the first manganese-based bimodal PET/MR tracer prepared, exhibits excellent stability towards decomplexation and oxidation. This makes the functionalized CDTA ligand highly suitable for designing PET/MR tracers with high relaxivity or targeting properties.

  17. Extracting a respiratory signal from raw dynamic PET data that contain tracer kinetics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schleyer, P J; Thielemans, K; Marsden, P K

    2014-01-01

    Data driven gating (DDG) methods provide an alternative to hardware based respiratory gating for PET imaging. Several existing DDG approaches obtain a respiratory signal by observing the change in PET-counts within specific regions of acquired PET data. Currently, these methods do not allow for tracer kinetics which can interfere with the respiratory signal and introduce error. In this work, we produced a DDG method for dynamic PET studies that exhibit tracer kinetics. Our method is based on an existing approach that uses frequency-domain analysis to locate regions within raw PET data that are subject to respiratory motion. In the new approach, an optimised non-stationary short-time Fourier transform was used to create a time-varying 4D map of motion affected regions. Additional processing was required to ensure that the relationship between the sign of the respiratory signal and the physical direction of movement remained consistent for each temporal segment of the 4D map. The change in PET-counts within the 4D map during the PET acquisition was then used to generate a respiratory curve. Using 26 min dynamic cardiac NH 3 PET acquisitions which included a hardware derived respiratory measurement, we show that tracer kinetics can severely degrade the respiratory signal generated by the original DDG method. In some cases, the transition of tracer from the liver to the lungs caused the respiratory signal to invert. The new approach successfully compensated for tracer kinetics and improved the correlation between the data-driven and hardware based signals. On average, good correlation was maintained throughout the PET acquisitions. (paper)

  18. A Comparative Uptake Study of Multiplexed PET Tracers in Mice with Turpentine-Induced Inflammation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tingting Huang

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available The potential value of multiplexed positron emission tomography (PET tracers in mice with turpentine-induced inflammation was evaluated and compared with 2-[18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose ([18F]FDG for glucose metabolism imaging. These PET tracers included [18F]fluoromethylcholine ([18F]FCH for choline metabolism imaging, (S-[11C]methyl-D-cysteine ([11C]DMCYS for amino acid metabolism imaging, [11C]bis(zinc(II-dipicolylamine ([11C]DPA-Zn2+ for apoptosis imaging, 2-(4-N-[11C]-methylaminophenyl-6-hydroxybenzothiazole ([11C]PIB for β amyloid binding imaging, and [18F]fluoride (18F− for bone metabolism imaging. In mice with turpentine-induced inflammation mice, the biodistribution of all the tracers mentioned above at 5, 15, 30, 45, and 60 min postinjection was determined. Also, the time-course curves of the tracer uptake ratios for inflammatory thigh muscle (IM to normal uninflammatory thigh muscle (NM, IM to blood (BL, IM to brain (BR, and IM to liver (LI were acquired, respectively. Moreover, PET imaging with the tracers within 60 min postinjection on a clinical PET/CT scanner was also conducted. [18F]FDG and 18F− showed relatively higher uptake ratios for IM to NM, IM to BL, IM to BR, and IM to LI than [18F]FCH, [11C]DPA-Zn2+, [11C]DMCYS and [11C]PIB, which were highly consistent with the results delineated in PET images. The results demonstrate that 18F− seems to be a potential PET tracer for inflammation imaging. [18F]FCH and [11C]DMCYS, with lower accumulation in inflammatory tissue than [18F]FDG, are not good PET tracers for inflammation imaging. As a promising inflammatory tracer, the chemical structure of [11C]DPA-Zn2+ needs to be further optimized.

  19. Multi-technique hybrid imaging in PET/CT and PET/MR: what does the future hold?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Galiza Barbosa, F. de; Delso, G.; Voert, E.E.G.W. ter; Huellner, M.W.; Herrmann, K.; Veit-Haibach, P.

    2016-01-01

    Integrated positron-emission tomography and computed tomography (PET/CT) is one of the most important imaging techniques to have emerged in oncological practice in the last decade. Hybrid imaging, in general, remains a rapidly growing field, not only in developing countries, but also in western industrialised healthcare systems. A great deal of technological development and research is focused on improving hybrid imaging technology further and introducing new techniques, e.g., integrated PET and magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI). Additionally, there are several new PET tracers on the horizon, which have the potential to broaden clinical applications in hybrid imaging for diagnosis as well as therapy. This article aims to highlight some of the major technical and clinical advances that are currently taking place in PET/CT and PET/MRI that will potentially maintain the position of hybrid techniques at the forefront of medical imaging technologies.

  20. Statistical dynamic imaging of RI-labeled tracer from list-mode PET data

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tanimoto, Michiaki; Kuroda, Yoshihiro; Oshiro, Osamu; Watabe, Hiroshi; Kuroda, Tomohiro

    2009-01-01

    Positron emission tomography (PET) can be used in physiological analysis to illustrate physiological states by visualizing the accumulation of radioisotope (RI)-labeled tracer in specific organs or tissues. PET obtains spatio-temporal statistics in the form of list-mode data. However, conventional imaging techniques, which sum up list-mode data over a given time period, cannot depict detailed temporal dynamics of the RI-labeled tracer. In this study, a spatio-temporal analysis approach was employed to visualize the temporal flow dynamics of RI-labeled tracer from the obtained list-mode data. Experiments to assess the visualization of simulated RI-labeled tracer dynamics as well as RI-labeled tracer dynamics in a vascular phantom showed that the proposed method successfully depicted detailed temporal flow dynamics that could not be visualized using conventional methods. (author)

  1. Multi-atlas attenuation correction supports full quantification of static and dynamic brain PET data in PET-MR

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mérida, Inés; Reilhac, Anthonin; Redouté, Jérôme; Heckemann, Rolf A.; Costes, Nicolas; Hammers, Alexander

    2017-04-01

    In simultaneous PET-MR, attenuation maps are not directly available. Essential for absolute radioactivity quantification, they need to be derived from MR or PET data to correct for gamma photon attenuation by the imaged object. We evaluate a multi-atlas attenuation correction method for brain imaging (MaxProb) on static [18F]FDG PET and, for the first time, on dynamic PET, using the serotoninergic tracer [18F]MPPF. A database of 40 MR/CT image pairs (atlases) was used. The MaxProb method synthesises subject-specific pseudo-CTs by registering each atlas to the target subject space. Atlas CT intensities are then fused via label propagation and majority voting. Here, we compared these pseudo-CTs with the real CTs in a leave-one-out design, contrasting the MaxProb approach with a simplified single-atlas method (SingleAtlas). We evaluated the impact of pseudo-CT accuracy on reconstructed PET images, compared to PET data reconstructed with real CT, at the regional and voxel levels for the following: radioactivity images; time-activity curves; and kinetic parameters (non-displaceable binding potential, BPND). On static [18F]FDG, the mean bias for MaxProb ranged between 0 and 1% for 73 out of 84 regions assessed, and exceptionally peaked at 2.5% for only one region. Statistical parametric map analysis of MaxProb-corrected PET data showed significant differences in less than 0.02% of the brain volume, whereas SingleAtlas-corrected data showed significant differences in 20% of the brain volume. On dynamic [18F]MPPF, most regional errors on BPND ranged from -1 to  +3% (maximum bias 5%) for the MaxProb method. With SingleAtlas, errors were larger and had higher variability in most regions. PET quantification bias increased over the duration of the dynamic scan for SingleAtlas, but not for MaxProb. We show that this effect is due to the interaction of the spatial tracer-distribution heterogeneity variation over time with the degree of accuracy of the attenuation maps. This

  2. Towards tracer dose reduction in PET studies: Simulation of dose reduction by retrospective randomized undersampling of list-mode data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gatidis, Sergios; Würslin, Christian; Seith, Ferdinand; Schäfer, Jürgen F; la Fougère, Christian; Nikolaou, Konstantin; Schwenzer, Nina F; Schmidt, Holger

    2016-01-01

    Optimization of tracer dose regimes in positron emission tomography (PET) imaging is a trade-off between diagnostic image quality and radiation exposure. The challenge lies in defining minimal tracer doses that still result in sufficient diagnostic image quality. In order to find such minimal doses, it would be useful to simulate tracer dose reduction as this would enable to study the effects of tracer dose reduction on image quality in single patients without repeated injections of different amounts of tracer. The aim of our study was to introduce and validate a method for simulation of low-dose PET images enabling direct comparison of different tracer doses in single patients and under constant influencing factors. (18)F-fluoride PET data were acquired on a combined PET/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. PET data were stored together with the temporal information of the occurrence of single events (list-mode format). A predefined proportion of PET events were then randomly deleted resulting in undersampled PET data. These data sets were subsequently reconstructed resulting in simulated low-dose PET images (retrospective undersampling of list-mode data). This approach was validated in phantom experiments by visual inspection and by comparison of PET quality metrics contrast recovery coefficient (CRC), background-variability (BV) and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of measured and simulated PET images for different activity concentrations. In addition, reduced-dose PET images of a clinical (18)F-FDG PET dataset were simulated using the proposed approach. (18)F-PET image quality degraded with decreasing activity concentrations with comparable visual image characteristics in measured and in corresponding simulated PET images. This result was confirmed by quantification of image quality metrics. CRC, SNR and BV showed concordant behavior with decreasing activity concentrations for measured and for corresponding simulated PET images. Simulation of dose

  3. New SPECT and PET dementia tracers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vergote, J.; Chalon, S.; Emond, P.; Vercouillie, J.; Guilloteau, D.; Vergote, J.; Guilloteau, D.; Pappata, J.S.

    2009-01-01

    Single photon emission tomography (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET) are techniques to study in vivo neurotransmitter systems, neuro inflammation and amyloid deposits in normal human brain and in dementia. These methods used to explore the integrity of dopaminergic, cholinergic and serotonergic systems in Alzheimer's disease and in other dementias allowed to understand how the neurotransmission was modified in these disorders. Progress in the understanding of pathophysiological and clinical signs of dementia requires an evolution of the radioligands used to carry out an increasingly early and differential diagnosis in addition to monitoring the progression of disease and the effects of therapies. New emerging radiotracers for neuro inflammation or amyloid deposits are essential. In this article, new SPECT and PET tracers are presented. (authors)

  4. Biodistribution of [11C] methylaminoisobutyric acid, a tracer for PET studies on system A amino acid transport in vivo

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sutinen, E.; Jyrkkioe, S.; Groenroos, T.; Haaparanta, M.; Lehikoinen, P.; Naagren, K.

    2001-01-01

    [N-methyl- 11 C]α-Methylaminoisobutyric acid ( 11 C-MeAIB) is a potentially useful tracer for positron emission tomography (PET) studies on hormonally regulated system A amino acid transport. 11 C-MeAIB is a metabolically stable amino acid analogue specific for system A amino acid transport. We evaluated the biodistribution of 11 C-MeAIB in rats and humans to estimate the usefulness of the tracer for in vivo human PET studies, for example, on regulation of system A amino acid transport and on tumour imaging. Healthy Sprague-Dawley rats (n=14) were killed 5, 20, 40 or 60 min after the injection of 11 C-MeAIB, and the tissue samples were weighed and counted for 11 C radioactivity. Ten lymphoma patients with relatively limited tumour burden underwent whole-body (WB) PET imaging with 11 C-MeAIB. In addition, three other patients had dynamic PET scanning of the head and neck area, and the tracer uptake was quantitated by calculating the kinetic influx constants (K i values) for the tracer. In animal studies, the highest activity was detected in the kidney, pancreas, adrenal gland and intestines. In humans, the highest activity was found in the salivary glands, and after that in the kidney and pancreas, similar to the results in animal studies. Rapid uptake was also detected in the skeletal muscle. In the graphical analysis, linear plots were obtained, and the mean fractional tracer uptake values (K i ) of the parotid glands (n=3) and cervical muscles (n=3) were 0.039±0.008 min -1 and 0.013±0.006 min -1 , respectively. The K i value of the tumour (n=1) was 0.064 min -1 . Higher uptake of 11 C-MeAIB into the tumour tissue was encountered. These results encourage further 11 C-MeAIB PET studies in humans on the physiology and pathology of system A amino acid transport and on tumour detection. (orig.)

  5. Defining optimal tracer activities in pediatric oncologic whole-body {sup 18}F-FDG-PET/MRI

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gatidis, Sergios; Schmidt, Holger; Nikolaou, Konstantin; Schwenzer, Nina F.; Schaefer, Juergen F. [University of Tuebingen, Department of Radiology, Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Tuebingen (Germany); La Fougere, Christian [University of Tuebingen, Department of Radiology, Nuclear Medicine, Tuebingen (Germany)

    2016-12-15

    To explore the feasibility of reducing administered tracer activities and to assess optimal activities for combined {sup 18}F-FDG-PET/MRI in pediatric oncology. 30 {sup 18}F-FDG-PET/MRI examinations were performed on 24 patients with known or suspected solid tumors (10 girls, 14 boys, age 12 ± 5.6 [1-18] years; PET scan duration: 4 min per bed position). Low-activity PET images were retrospectively simulated from the originally acquired data sets using randomized undersampling of list mode data. PET data of different simulated administered activities (0.25-2.5 MBq/kg body weight) were reconstructed with or without point spread function (PSF) modeling. Mean and maximum standardized uptake values (SUV{sub mean} and SUV{sub max}) as well as SUV variation (SUV{sub var}) were measured in physiologic organs and focal FDG-avid lesions. Detectability of organ structures and of focal {sup 18}F-FDG-avid lesions as well as the occurrence of false-positive PET lesions were assessed at different simulated tracer activities. Subjective image quality steadily declined with decreasing tracer activities. Compared to the originally acquired data sets, mean relative deviations of SUV{sub mean} and SUV{sub max} were below 5 % at {sup 18}F-FDG activities of 1.5 MBq/kg or higher. Over 95 % of anatomic structures and all pathologic focal lesions were detectable at 1.5 MBq/kg {sup 18}F-FDG. Detectability of anatomic structures and focal lesions was significantly improved using PSF. No false-positive focal lesions were observed at tracer activities of 1 MBq/kg {sup 18}F-FDG or higher. Administration of {sup 18}F-FDG activities of 1.5 MBq/kg is, thus, feasible without obvious diagnostic shortcomings, which is equivalent to a dose reduction of more than 50 % compared to current recommendations. Significant reduction in administered {sup 18}F-FDG tracer activities is feasible in pediatric oncologic PET/MRI. Appropriate activities of {sup 18}F-FDG or other tracers for specific clinical

  6. [18F]Fluoroazabenzoxazoles as potential amyloid plaque PET tracers: synthesis and in vivo evaluation in rhesus monkey

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hostetler, Eric D.; Sanabria-Bohórquez, Sandra; Fan Hong; Zeng, Zhizhen; Gammage, Linda; Miller, Patricia; O'Malley, Stacey; Connolly, Brett; Mulhearn, James; Harrison, Scott T.; Wolkenberg, Scott E.; Barrow, James C.; Williams, David L.; Hargreaves, Richard J.; Sur, Cyrille; Cook, Jacquelynn J.

    2011-01-01

    Introduction: An 18 F-labeled positron emission tomography (PET) tracer for amyloid plaque is desirable for early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, particularly to enable preventative treatment once effective therapeutics are available. Similarly, such a tracer would be useful as a biomarker for enrollment of patients in clinical trials for evaluation of antiamyloid therapeutics. Furthermore, changes in the level of plaque burden as quantified by an amyloid plaque PET tracer may provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of amyloid-targeted therapeutics. This work describes our approach to evaluate and select a candidate PET tracer for in vivo quantification of human amyloid plaque. Methods: Ligands were evaluated for their in vitro binding to human amyloid plaques, lipophilicity and predicted blood–brain barrier permeability. Candidates with favorable in vitro properties were radiolabeled with 18 F and evaluated in vivo. Baseline PET scans in rhesus monkey were conducted to evaluate the regional distribution and kinetics of each tracer using tracer kinetic modeling methods. High binding potential in cerebral white matter and cortical grey matter was considered an unfavorable feature of the candidate tracers. Results: [ 18 F]MK-3328 showed the most favorable combination of low in vivo binding potential in white matter and cortical grey matter in rhesus monkeys, low lipophilicity (Log D=2.91) and high affinity for human amyloid plaques (IC 50 =10.5±1.3 nM). Conclusions: [ 18 F]MK-3328 was identified as a promising PET tracer for in vivo quantification of amyloid plaques, and further evaluation in humans is warranted.

  7. New horizons in cardiac innervation imaging. Introduction of novel 18F-labeled PET tracers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kobayashi, Ryohei; Chen, Xinyu; Werner, Rudolf A.; Lapa, Constantin; Javadi, Mehrbod S.; Higuchi, Takahiro

    2017-01-01

    Cardiac sympathetic nervous activity can be uniquely visualized by non-invasive radionuclide imaging techniques due to the fast growing and widespread application of nuclear cardiology in the last few years. The norepinephrine analogue 123 I-meta-iodobenzylguanidine ( 123 I-MIBG) is a single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) tracer for the clinical implementation of sympathetic nervous imaging for both diagnosis and prognosis of heart failure. Meanwhile, positron emission tomography (PET) imaging has become increasingly attractive because of its higher spatial and temporal resolution compared to SPECT, which allows regional functional and dynamic kinetic analysis. Nevertheless, wider use of cardiac sympathetic nervous PET imaging is still limited mainly due to the demand of costly on-site cyclotrons, which are required for the production of conventional 11 C-labeled (radiological half-life, 20 min) PET tracers. Most recently, more promising 18 F-labeled (half-life, 110 min) PET radiopharmaceuticals targeting sympathetic nervous system have been introduced. These tracers optimize PET imaging and, by using delivery networks, cost less to produce. In this article, the latest advances of sympathetic nervous imaging using 18 F-labeled radiotracers along with their possible applications are reviewed. (orig.)

  8. Dosimetry of 64Cu-DOTA-AE105, a PET tracer for uPAR imaging

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Persson, Morten; El Ali, Henrik H.; Binderup, Tina

    2014-01-01

    64Cu-DOTA-AE105 is a novel positron emission tomography (PET) tracer specific to the human urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR). In preparation of using this tracer in humans, as a new promising method to distinguish between indolent and aggressive cancers, we have performed PET...... studies in mice to evaluate the in vivo biodistribution and estimate human dosimetry of 64Cu-DOTA-AE105. MethodsFive mice received iv tail injection of 64Cu-DOTA-AE105 and were PET/CT scanned 1, 4.5 and 22h post injection. Volume-of-interest (VOI) were manually drawn on the following organs: heart, lung......Favorable dosimetry estimates together with previously reported uPAR PET data fully support human testing of 64Cu-DOTA-AE105....

  9. Design and utilisation of protocols to characterise dynamic PET uptake of two tracers using basis pursuit

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bell, Christopher; Puttick, Simon; Rose, Stephen; Smith, Jye; Thomas, Paul; Dowson, Nicholas

    2017-06-01

    Imaging using more than one biological process using PET could be of great utility, but despite previously proposed approaches to dual-tracer imaging, it is seldom performed. The alternative of performing multiple scans is often infeasible for clinical practice or even in research studies. Dual-tracer PET scanning allows for multiple PET radiotracers to be imaged within the same imaging session. In this paper we describe our approach to utilise the basis pursuit method to aid in the design of dual-tracer PET imaging experiments, and later in separation of the signals. The advantage of this approach is that it does not require a compartment model architecture to be specified or even that both signals are distinguishable in all cases. This means the method for separating dual-tracer signals can be used for many feasible and useful combinations of biology or radiotracer, once an appropriate scanning protocol has been decided upon. Following a demonstration in separating the signals from two consecutively injected radionuclides in a controlled experiment, phantom and list-mode mouse experiments demonstrated the ability to test the feasibility of dual-tracer imaging protocols for multiple injection delays. Increases in variances predicted for kinetic macro-parameters V D and K I in brain and tumoral tissue were obtained when separating the synthetically combined data. These experiments confirmed previous work using other approaches that injections delays of 10-20 min ensured increases in variance were kept minimal for the test tracers used. On this basis, an actual dual-tracer experiment using a 20 min delay was performed using these radio tracers, with the kinetic parameters (V D and K I) extracted for each tracer in agreement with the literature. This study supports previous work that dual-tracer PET imaging can be accomplished provided certain constraints are adhered to. The utilisation of basis pursuit techniques, with its removed need to specify a model

  10. [18F]Fluoroethylflumazenil: a novel tracer for PET imaging of human benzodiazepine receptors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gruender, G.; Lange-Asschenfeldt, C.; Vernaleken, I.; Lueddens, H.; Siessmeier, T.; Buchholz, H.-G.; Bartenstein, P.; Stoeter, P.; Drzezga, A.; Roesch, F.

    2001-01-01

    5-(2'-[ 18 F]Fluoroethyl)flumazenil ([ 18 F]FEF) is a fluorine-18 labelled positron emission tomography (PET) tracer for central benzodiazepine receptors. Compared with the established [ 11 C]flumazenil, it has the advantage of the longer half-life of the fluorine-18 label. After optimisation of its synthesis and determination of its in vitro receptor affinities, we performed first PET studies in humans. PET studies in seven healthy human volunteers were performed on a Siemens ECAT EXACT whole-body scanner after injection of 100-280 MBq [ 18 F]FEF. In two subjects, a second PET scan was conducted after pretreatment with unlabelled flumazenil (1 mg or 2.5 mg i.v., 3 min before tracer injection). A third subject was studied both with [ 18 F]FEF and with [ 11 C]flumazenil. Brain radioactivity was measured for 60-90 min p.i. and analysed with a region of interest-oriented approach and on a voxelwise basis with spectral analysis. Plasma radioactivity was determined from arterial blood samples and metabolites were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. In human brain, maximum radioactivity accumulation was observed 4±2 min p.i., with a fast clearance kinetics resulting in 50% and 20% of maximal activities at about 10 and 30 min, respectively. [ 18 F]FEF uptake followed the known central benzodiazepine receptor distribution in the human brain (occipital cortex >temporal cortex >cerebellum >thalamus >pons). Pretreatment with unlabelled flumazenil resulted in reduced tracer uptake in all brain areas except for receptor-free reference regions like the pons. Parametric images of distribution volume and binding potential generated on a voxelwise basis revealed two- to three-fold lower in vivo receptor binding of [ 18 F]FEF compared with [ 11 C]flumazenil, while relative uptake of [ 18 F]FEF was higher in the cerebellum, most likely owing to its relatively higher affinity for benzodiazepine receptors containing the α6 subunit. Metabolism of [ 18 F]FEF was very

  11. Defining optimal tracer activities in pediatric oncologic whole-body "1"8F-FDG-PET/MRI

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gatidis, Sergios; Schmidt, Holger; Nikolaou, Konstantin; Schwenzer, Nina F.; Schaefer, Juergen F.; La Fougere, Christian

    2016-01-01

    To explore the feasibility of reducing administered tracer activities and to assess optimal activities for combined "1"8F-FDG-PET/MRI in pediatric oncology. 30 "1"8F-FDG-PET/MRI examinations were performed on 24 patients with known or suspected solid tumors (10 girls, 14 boys, age 12 ± 5.6 [1-18] years; PET scan duration: 4 min per bed position). Low-activity PET images were retrospectively simulated from the originally acquired data sets using randomized undersampling of list mode data. PET data of different simulated administered activities (0.25-2.5 MBq/kg body weight) were reconstructed with or without point spread function (PSF) modeling. Mean and maximum standardized uptake values (SUV_m_e_a_n and SUV_m_a_x) as well as SUV variation (SUV_v_a_r) were measured in physiologic organs and focal FDG-avid lesions. Detectability of organ structures and of focal "1"8F-FDG-avid lesions as well as the occurrence of false-positive PET lesions were assessed at different simulated tracer activities. Subjective image quality steadily declined with decreasing tracer activities. Compared to the originally acquired data sets, mean relative deviations of SUV_m_e_a_n and SUV_m_a_x were below 5 % at "1"8F-FDG activities of 1.5 MBq/kg or higher. Over 95 % of anatomic structures and all pathologic focal lesions were detectable at 1.5 MBq/kg "1"8F-FDG. Detectability of anatomic structures and focal lesions was significantly improved using PSF. No false-positive focal lesions were observed at tracer activities of 1 MBq/kg "1"8F-FDG or higher. Administration of "1"8F-FDG activities of 1.5 MBq/kg is, thus, feasible without obvious diagnostic shortcomings, which is equivalent to a dose reduction of more than 50 % compared to current recommendations. Significant reduction in administered "1"8F-FDG tracer activities is feasible in pediatric oncologic PET/MRI. Appropriate activities of "1"8F-FDG or other tracers for specific clinical questions have to be further established in selected

  12. New horizons in cardiac innervation imaging. Introduction of novel {sup 18}F-labeled PET tracers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kobayashi, Ryohei [University Hospital of Wuerzburg, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Wuerzburg (Germany); Nihon Medi-Physics Co., Ltd., Research Centre, Chiba (Japan); Chen, Xinyu [University Hospital of Wuerzburg, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Wuerzburg (Germany); University Hospital of Wuerzburg, Comprehensive Heart Failure Center, Wuerzburg (Germany); Werner, Rudolf A. [University Hospital of Wuerzburg, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Wuerzburg (Germany); University Hospital of Wuerzburg, Comprehensive Heart Failure Center, Wuerzburg (Germany); Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, The Russell H Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Baltimore, MD (United States); Lapa, Constantin [University Hospital of Wuerzburg, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Wuerzburg (Germany); Javadi, Mehrbod S. [Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, The Russell H Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Baltimore, MD (United States); Higuchi, Takahiro [University Hospital of Wuerzburg, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Wuerzburg (Germany); University Hospital of Wuerzburg, Comprehensive Heart Failure Center, Wuerzburg (Germany); National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Department of Biomedical Imaging, Research Institute, Suita (Japan)

    2017-12-15

    Cardiac sympathetic nervous activity can be uniquely visualized by non-invasive radionuclide imaging techniques due to the fast growing and widespread application of nuclear cardiology in the last few years. The norepinephrine analogue {sup 123}I-meta-iodobenzylguanidine ({sup 123}I-MIBG) is a single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) tracer for the clinical implementation of sympathetic nervous imaging for both diagnosis and prognosis of heart failure. Meanwhile, positron emission tomography (PET) imaging has become increasingly attractive because of its higher spatial and temporal resolution compared to SPECT, which allows regional functional and dynamic kinetic analysis. Nevertheless, wider use of cardiac sympathetic nervous PET imaging is still limited mainly due to the demand of costly on-site cyclotrons, which are required for the production of conventional {sup 11}C-labeled (radiological half-life, 20 min) PET tracers. Most recently, more promising {sup 18}F-labeled (half-life, 110 min) PET radiopharmaceuticals targeting sympathetic nervous system have been introduced. These tracers optimize PET imaging and, by using delivery networks, cost less to produce. In this article, the latest advances of sympathetic nervous imaging using {sup 18}F-labeled radiotracers along with their possible applications are reviewed. (orig.)

  13. Separation of input function for rapid measurement of quantitative CMRO2 and CBF in a single PET scan with a dual tracer administration method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kudomi, Nobuyuki; Watabe, Hiroshi; Hayashi, Takuya; Iida, Hidehiro

    2007-01-01

    Cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen (CMRO 2 ), oxygen extraction fraction (OEF) and cerebral blood flow (CBF) images can be quantified using positron emission tomography (PET) by administrating 15 O-labelled water (H 15 2 O) and oxygen ( 15 O 2 ). Conventionally, those images are measured with separate scans for three tracers C 15 O for CBV, H 15 2 O for CBF and 15 O 2 for CMRO 2 , and there are additional waiting times between the scans in order to minimize the influence of the radioactivity from the previous tracers, which results in a relatively long study period. We have proposed a dual tracer autoradiographic (DARG) approach (Kudomi et al 2005), which enabled us to measure CBF, OEF and CMRO 2 rapidly by sequentially administrating H 15 2 O and 15 O 2 within a short time. Because quantitative CBF and CMRO 2 values are sensitive to arterial input function, it is necessary to obtain accurate input function and a drawback of this approach is to require separation of the measured arterial blood time-activity curve (TAC) into pure water and oxygen input functions under the existence of residual radioactivity from the first injected tracer. For this separation, frequent manual sampling was required. The present paper describes two calculation methods: namely a linear and a model-based method, to separate the measured arterial TAC into its water and oxygen components. In order to validate these methods, we first generated a blood TAC for the DARG approach by combining the water and oxygen input functions obtained in a series of PET studies on normal human subjects. The combined data were then separated into water and oxygen components by the present methods. CBF and CMRO 2 were calculated using those separated input functions and tissue TAC. The quantitative accuracy in the CBF and CMRO 2 values by the DARG approach did not exceed the acceptable range, i.e., errors in those values were within 5%, when the area under the curve in the input function of the second tracer

  14. Development of a PET tracer for imaging EGFR tyrosine kinase: evaluation of the suitability of PKI166

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kernchen, R.; Brust, P.; Krause, M.; Baumann, M.

    2002-01-01

    The suitability of PKI166 for the development of a PET tracer for imaging EGFR tyrosine kinase was investigated. Binding studies using EGFR positive tumour tissue and tritiated PKI166 as the radioligand indicated a low binding affinity of PKI166 to the target tissue. PKI166 is therefore not recommended for PET tracer development. (orig.)

  15. Development of a Widely Usable Amino Acid Tracer: ⁷⁶Br-α-Methyl-Phenylalanine for Tumor PET Imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hanaoka, Hirofumi; Ohshima, Yasuhiro; Suzuki, Yurika; Yamaguchi, Aiko; Watanabe, Shigeki; Uehara, Tomoya; Nagamori, Shushi; Kanai, Yoshikatsu; Ishioka, Noriko S; Tsushima, Yoshito; Endo, Keigo; Arano, Yasushi

    2015-05-01

    Radiolabeled amino acids are superior PET tracers for the imaging of malignant tumors, and amino acids labeled with (76)Br, an attractive positron emitter because of its relatively long half-life (16.2 h), could potentially be a widely usable tumor imaging tracer. In this study, in consideration of its stability and tumor specificity, we designed two (76)Br-labeled amino acid derivatives, 2-(76)Br-bromo-α-methyl-l-phenylalanine (2-(76)Br-BAMP) and 4-(76)Br-bromo-α-methyl-l-phenylalanine (4-(76)Br-BAMP), and investigated their potential as tumor imaging agents. Both (76)Br- and (77)Br-labeled amino acid derivatives were prepared. We performed in vitro and in vivo stability studies and cellular uptake studies using the LS180 colon adenocarcinoma cell line. Biodistribution studies in normal mice and in LS180 tumor-bearing mice were performed, and the tumors were imaged with a small-animal PET scanner. Both (77)Br-BAMPs were stable in the plasma and in the murine body. Although both (77)Br-BAMPs were taken up by LS180 cells and the uptake was inhibited by L-type amino acid transporter 1 inhibitors, 2-(77)Br-BAMP exhibited higher uptake than 4-(77)Br-BAMP. In the biodistribution studies, 2-(77)Br-BAMP showed more rapid blood clearance and lower renal accumulation than 4-(77)Br-BAMP. More than 90% of the injected radioactivity was excreted in the urine by 6 h after the injection of 2-(77)Br-BAMP. High tumor accumulation of 2-(77)Br-BAMP was observed in tumor-bearing mice, and PET imaging with 2-(76)Br-BAMP enabled clear visualization of the tumors. 2-(77)Br-BAMP exhibited preferred pharmacokinetics and high LS180 tumor accumulation, and 2-(76)Br-BAMP enabled clear visualization of the tumors by PET imaging. These findings suggest that 2-(76)Br-BAMP could constitute a potential new PET tracer for tumor imaging and may eventually enable the wider use of amino acid tracers. © 2015 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Inc.

  16. Fully automated synthesis of ¹¹C-acetate as tumor PET tracer by simple modified solid-phase extraction purification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Xiaolan; Tang, Ganghua; Nie, Dahong

    2013-12-01

    Automated synthesis of (11)C-acetate ((11)C-AC) as the most commonly used radioactive fatty acid tracer is performed by a simple, rapid, and modified solid-phase extraction (SPE) purification. Automated synthesis of (11)C-AC was implemented by carboxylation reaction of MeMgBr on a polyethylene Teflon loop ring with (11)C-CO2, followed by acidic hydrolysis with acid and SCX cartridge, and purification on SCX, AG11A8 and C18 SPE cartridges using a commercially available (11)C-tracer synthesizer. Quality control test and animals positron emission tomography (PET) imaging were also carried out. A high and reproducible decay-uncorrected radiochemical yield of (41.0 ± 4.6)% (n=10) was obtained from (11)C-CO2 within the whole synthesis time about 8 min. The radiochemical purity of (11)C-AC was over 95% by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. Quality control test and PET imaging showed that (11)C-AC injection produced by the simple SPE procedure was safe and efficient, and was in agreement with the current Chinese radiopharmaceutical quality control guidelines. The novel, simple, and rapid method is readily adapted to the fully automated synthesis of (11)C-AC on several existing commercial synthesis module. The method can be used routinely to produce (11)C-AC for preclinical and clinical studies with PET imaging. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Synthesis and preclinical evaluation of [11C]PAQ as a PET imaging tracer for VEGFR-2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Samen, Erik; Stone-Elander, Sharon; Thorell, Jan-Olov; Lu, Li; Tegnebratt, Tetyana; Holmgren, Lars

    2009-01-01

    R,S-N-(4-Bromo-2-fluorophenyl)-6-methoxy-7-((1-methyl-3-piperidinyl)methox y)-4-quinazolinamine (PAQ) is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor with high affinity for the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR-2), which plays an important role in tumour angiogenesis. The aim of this work was to develop and evaluate in mice the 11 C-labelled analogue as an in vivo tracer for VEGFR-2 expression in solid tumours. [ 11 C]PAQ was synthesized by an N-methylation of desmethyl-PAQ using [ 11 C]methyl iodide. The tracer's pharmacokinetic properties and its distribution in both subcutaneous and intraperitoneal tumour models were evaluated with positron emission tomography (PET). [ 18 F]FDG was used as a reference tracer for tumour growth. PET results were corroborated by ex vivo and in vitro phosphor imaging and immunohistochemical analyses. In vitro assays and PET in healthy animals revealed low tracer metabolism, limited excretion over 60 min and a saturable and irreversible binding. Radiotracer uptake in subcutaneous tumour masses was low, while focal areas of high uptake (up to 8% ID/g) were observed in regions connecting the tumour to the host. Uptake was similarly high but more distributed in tumours growing within the peritoneum. The pattern of radiotracer uptake was generally different from that of the metabolic tracer [ 18 F]FDG and correlated well with variations in VEGFR-2 expression determined ex vivo by immunohistochemical analysis. These results suggest that [ 11 C]PAQ has potential as a noninvasive PET tracer for in vivo imaging of VEGFR-2 expression in angiogenic ''hot spots''. (orig.)

  18. Synthesis and preclinical evaluation of [(11)C]PAQ as a PET imaging tracer for VEGFR-2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Samén, Erik; Thorell, Jan-Olov; Lu, Li; Tegnebratt, Tetyana; Holmgren, Lars; Stone-Elander, Sharon

    2009-08-01

    (R,S)-N-(4-Bromo-2-fluorophenyl)-6-methoxy-7-((1-methyl-3-piperidinyl)methoxy)-4-quinazolinamine (PAQ) is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor with high affinity for the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR-2), which plays an important role in tumour angiogenesis. The aim of this work was to develop and evaluate in mice the (11)C-labelled analogue as an in vivo tracer for VEGFR-2 expression in solid tumours. [(11)C]PAQ was synthesized by an N-methylation of desmethyl-PAQ using [(11)C]methyl iodide. The tracer's pharmacokinetic properties and its distribution in both subcutaneous and intraperitoneal tumour models were evaluated with positron emission tomography (PET). [(18)F]FDG was used as a reference tracer for tumour growth. PET results were corroborated by ex vivo and in vitro phosphor imaging and immunohistochemical analyses. In vitro assays and PET in healthy animals revealed low tracer metabolism, limited excretion over 60 min and a saturable and irreversible binding. Radiotracer uptake in subcutaneous tumour masses was low, while focal areas of high uptake (up to 8% ID/g) were observed in regions connecting the tumour to the host. Uptake was similarly high but more distributed in tumours growing within the peritoneum. The pattern of radiotracer uptake was generally different from that of the metabolic tracer [(18)F]FDG and correlated well with variations in VEGFR-2 expression determined ex vivo by immunohistochemical analysis. These results suggest that [(11)C]PAQ has potential as a noninvasive PET tracer for in vivo imaging of VEGFR-2 expression in angiogenic "hot spots".

  19. Focuss algorithm application in kinetic compartment modeling for PET tracer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang Xinrui; Bao Shanglian

    2004-01-01

    Molecular imaging is in the process of becoming. Its application mostly depends on the molecular discovery process of imaging probes and drugs, from the mouse to the patient, from research to clinical practice. Positron emission tomography (PET) can non-invasively monitor . pharmacokinetic and functional processes of drugs in intact organisms at tracer concentrations by kinetic modeling. It has been known that for all biological systems, linear or nonlinear, if the system is injected by a tracer in a steady state, the distribution of the tracer follows the kinetics of a linear compartmental system, which has sums of exponential solutions. Based on the general compartmental description of the tracer's fate in vivo, we presented a novel kinetic modeling approach for the quantification of in vivo tracer studies with dynamic positron emission tomography (PET), which can determine a parsimonious model consisting with the measured data. This kinetic modeling technique allows for estimation of parametric images from a voxel based analysis and requires no a priori decision about the tracer's fate in vivo, instead determining the most appropriate model from the information contained within the kinetic data. Choosing a set of exponential functions, convolved with the plasma input function, as basis functions, the time activity curve of a region or a pixel can be written as a linear combination of the basis functions with corresponding coefficients. The number of non-zero coefficients returned corresponds to the model order which is related to the number of tissue compartments. The system macro parameters are simply determined using the focal underdetermined system solver (FOCUSS) algorithm. The FOCUSS algorithm is a nonparametric algorithm for finding localized energy solutions from limited data and is a recursive linear estimation procedure. FOCUSS algorithm usually converges very fast, so demands a few iterations. The effectiveness is verified by simulation and clinical

  20. Simple and rapid radiosynthesis of N-18F-labeled glutamic acid as a hepatocellular carcinoma PET tracer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sun, Aixia; Liu, Shaoyu; Tang, Xiaolan; Nie, Dahong; Tang, Ganghua; Zhang, Zhanwen; Wen, Fuhua; Wang, Xiaoyan

    2017-01-01

    Introduction: We have reported that N-(2- 18 F-fluoropropionyl)-L-glutamate ( 18 F-FPGLU) showed good tumor-to-background contrast and 18 F-FPGLU was prepared via complex multi-step reaction sequence; here, it is synthesized by a facile two-step reaction sequence. The objectives of this study are to synthesize 18 F-FPGLU via a two-step reaction sequence and to evaluate the value of 18 F-FPGLU in nude mice bearing human hepatocellular carcinoma SMCC-7721 (HCC SMCC-7721). Methods: 18 F-FPGLU was synthetized from the precursor (2S)-dimethyl 2-(2-bromopropanamido)pentanedioate via the two-step on-column hydrolysis using a modified commercial FDG synthesizer. To investigate the transport mechanism of 18 F-FPGLU, we conducted a series of competitive inhibition experiments on HCC SMCC-7721 cells in the absence or presence of Na + and various types of inhibitors. Small-animal PET–CT imaging was performed on tumor-bearing nude mice using 18 F-FPGLU and 2- 18 F-2-deoxy-D-glucose ( 18 F-FDG). Results: The radiochemical yield of 18 F-FPGLU was up to 15 ± 5% (EOS, n = 10) in 35 min with the two-step procedure and the radiochemical purity was higher than 95% with a specific activity of 30–40 GBq/μmol. In vitro cell experiments show that 18 F-FPGLU is primarily transported through the Na + -dependent system X AG − and Na + -independent system X C −. PET imaging in a tumor model indicates that 18 F-FPGLU may be superior to 18 F-FDG for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) imaging. Conclusion: An optimized route to prepare 18 F-FPGLU was developed and 18 F-FPGLU was synthetized from the precursor ((2S)-dimethyl 2-(2-bromopropanamido)pentanedioate) via the two-step on-column hydrolysis. 18 F-FPGLU was a potential novel PET tracer for HCC imaging.

  1. Automatic extraction of forward stroke volume using dynamic PET/CT: a dual-tracer and dual-scanner validation in patients with heart valve disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harms, Hendrik Johannes; Tolbod, Lars Poulsen; Hansson, Nils Henrik Stubkjær; Kero, Tanja; Orndahl, Lovisa Holm; Kim, Won Yong; Bjerner, Tomas; Bouchelouche, Kirsten; Wiggers, Henrik; Frøkiær, Jørgen; Sörensen, Jens

    2015-12-01

    The aim of this study was to develop and validate an automated method for extracting forward stroke volume (FSV) using indicator dilution theory directly from dynamic positron emission tomography (PET) studies for two different tracers and scanners. 35 subjects underwent a dynamic (11)C-acetate PET scan on a Siemens Biograph TruePoint-64 PET/CT (scanner I). In addition, 10 subjects underwent both dynamic (15)O-water PET and (11)C-acetate PET scans on a GE Discovery-ST PET/CT (scanner II). The left ventricular (LV)-aortic time-activity curve (TAC) was extracted automatically from PET data using cluster analysis. The first-pass peak was isolated by automatic extrapolation of the downslope of the TAC. FSV was calculated as the injected dose divided by the product of heart rate and the area under the curve of the first-pass peak. Gold standard FSV was measured using phase-contrast cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR). FSVPET correlated highly with FSVCMR (r = 0.87, slope = 0.90 for scanner I, r = 0.87, slope = 1.65, and r = 0.85, slope = 1.69 for scanner II for (15)O-water and (11)C-acetate, respectively) although a systematic bias was observed for both scanners (p dynamic PET/CT and cluster analysis. Results are almost identical for (11)C-acetate and (15)O-water. A scanner-dependent bias was observed, and a scanner calibration factor is required for multi-scanner studies. Generalization of the method to other tracers and scanners requires further validation.

  2. Novel targets for positron emission tomography (PET) radiopharmaceutical tracers for visualization of neuroinflammation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shchepetkin, I.; Shvedova, M.; Anfinogenova, Y.; Litvak, M.; Atochin, D.

    2017-08-01

    Non-invasive molecular imaging techniques can enhance diagnosis of neurological diseases to achieve their successful treatment. Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging can identify activated microglia and provide detailed functional information based on molecular biology. This imaging modality is based on detection of isotope labeled tracers, which emit positrons. The review summarizes the developments of various radiolabeled ligands for PET imaging of neuroinflammation.

  3. Semi-automatic synthesis and biological evaluation of 18F-FCH as an oncologic PET tracer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu Zhanhong; Wang Shizhen; Zhou Qian; Fu Zhe; Qiu Feichan; Huo Li

    2005-01-01

    18 F-fluromethylcholine ( 18 F-FCH) as a PET tracer is synthesized. The semi-automatic synthesis assembly of 18 F-FCH is modified from CPCU(CTI). The radiochemical purity is measured by analytical HPLC. The radiochemical yield and the radiochemical purity of 18 F-FCH are 15% and >99%, respectively. The total radiosynthesis time is 55 min after EOB. The labeled product exhibited low toxicity. The biodistribution in normal mice and the toxicity are studied. PET imaging with 18 F-FCH is performed on tumor xenograft murine model. The semi-automatic synthesis assembly is promising to be used for routine clinic radiopharmaceutical preparation and preliminary study has shown the usefulness of 18 F-FCH as an oncologic PET tracer. (authors)

  4. [11C]UCB-A, a novel PET tracer for synaptic vesicle protein 2 A

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Estrada, Sergio; Lubberink, Mark; Thibblin, Alf; Sprycha, Margareta; Buchanan, Tim; Mestdagh, Nathalie; Kenda, Benoit; Mercier, Joel; Provins, Laurent; Gillard, Michel; Tytgat, Dominique; Antoni, Gunnar

    2016-01-01

    Introduction: Development of a selective and specific high affinity PET tracer, [ 11 C]UCB-A, for the in vivo study of SV2A expression in humans. Radiochemistry and preclinical studies in rats and pigs including development of a tracer kinetic model to determine V T . A method for the measurement of percent intact tracer in plasma was developed and the radiation dosimetry was determined in rats. Results: 3–5 GBq of [ 11 C]UCB-A could be produced with radiochemical purity exceeding 98% with a specific radioactivity of around 65 GBq/μmol. In vitro binding showed high selective binding towards SV2A. [ 11 C]UCB-A displayed a dose-dependent and reversible binding to SV2A as measured with PET in rats and pigs and the V T could be determined by Logan analysis. The dosimetry was favorable and low enough to allow multiple administrations of [ 11 C]UCB-A to healthy volunteers, and the metabolite analysis showed no sign of labeled metabolites in brain. Conclusions: We have developed the novel PET tracer, [ 11 C]UCB-A, that can be used to measure SV2A expression in vivo. The dosimetry allows up to 5 administrations of 400 MBq of [ 11 C]UCB-A in humans. Apart from measuring drug occupancy, as we have shown, the tracer can potentially be used to compare SV2A expression between individuals because of the rather narrow range of baseline V T values. This will have to be further validated in human studies.

  5. Quantitative dynamic ¹⁸FDG-PET and tracer kinetic analysis of soft tissue sarcomas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rusten, Espen; Rødal, Jan; Revheim, Mona E; Skretting, Arne; Bruland, Oyvind S; Malinen, Eirik

    2013-08-01

    To study soft tissue sarcomas using dynamic positron emission tomography (PET) with the glucose analog tracer [(18)F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose ((18)FDG), to investigate correlations between derived PET image parameters and clinical characteristics, and to discuss implications of dynamic PET acquisition (D-PET). D-PET images of 11 patients with soft tissue sarcomas were analyzed voxel-by-voxel using a compartment tracer kinetic model providing estimates of transfer rates between the vascular, non-metabolized, and metabolized compartments. Furthermore, standard uptake values (SUVs) in the early (2 min p.i.; SUVE) and late (45 min p.i.; SUVL) phases of the PET acquisition were obtained. The derived transfer rates K1, k2 and k3, along with the metabolic rate of (18)FDG (MRFDG) and the vascular fraction νp, was fused with the computed tomography (CT) images for visual interpretation. Correlations between D-PET imaging parameters and clinical parameters, i.e. tumor size, grade and clinical status, were calculated with a significance level of 0.05. The temporal uptake pattern of (18)FDG in the tumor varied considerably from patient to patient. SUVE peak was higher than SUVL peak for four patients. The images of the rate constants showed a systematic pattern, often with elevated intensity in the tumors compared to surrounding tissue. Significant correlations were found between SUVE/L and some of the rate parameters. Dynamic (18)FDG-PET may provide additional valuable information on soft tissue sarcomas not obtainable from conventional (18)FDG-PET. The prognostic role of dynamic imaging should be investigated.

  6. Synthesis and preclinical evaluation of [{sup 11}C]PAQ as a PET imaging tracer for VEGFR-2

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Samen, Erik; Stone-Elander, Sharon [Karolinska University Hospital Solna, Karolinska Pharmacy, Stockholm (Sweden); Karolinska Institutet, Clinical Neurosciences, Stockholm (Sweden); Thorell, Jan-Olov [Karolinska University Hospital Solna, Karolinska Pharmacy, Stockholm (Sweden); Lu, Li [Karolinska Institutet, Clinical Neurosciences, Stockholm (Sweden); Tegnebratt, Tetyana; Holmgren, Lars [Karolinska Institutet, Cancer Center Karolinska, Oncology-Pathology, Stockholm (Sweden)

    2009-08-15

    (R,S)-N-(4-Bromo-2-fluorophenyl)-6-methoxy-7-((1-methyl-3-piperidinyl)methoxy)-4-quinazolinamine (PAQ) is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor with high affinity for the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR-2), which plays an important role in tumour angiogenesis. The aim of this work was to develop and evaluate in mice the {sup 11}C-labelled analogue as an in vivo tracer for VEGFR-2 expression in solid tumours. [{sup 11}C]PAQ was synthesized by an N-methylation of desmethyl-PAQ using [{sup 11}C]methyl iodide. The tracer's pharmacokinetic properties and its distribution in both subcutaneous and intraperitoneal tumour models were evaluated with positron emission tomography (PET). [{sup 18}F]FDG was used as a reference tracer for tumour growth. PET results were corroborated by ex vivo and in vitro phosphor imaging and immunohistochemical analyses. In vitro assays and PET in healthy animals revealed low tracer metabolism, limited excretion over 60 min and a saturable and irreversible binding. Radiotracer uptake in subcutaneous tumour masses was low, while focal areas of high uptake (up to 8% ID/g) were observed in regions connecting the tumour to the host. Uptake was similarly high but more distributed in tumours growing within the peritoneum. The pattern of radiotracer uptake was generally different from that of the metabolic tracer [{sup 18}F]FDG and correlated well with variations in VEGFR-2 expression determined ex vivo by immunohistochemical analysis. These results suggest that [{sup 11}C]PAQ has potential as a noninvasive PET tracer for in vivo imaging of VEGFR-2 expression in angiogenic ''hot spots''. (orig.)

  7. Astrocytic tracer dynamics estimated from [1-11C]-acetate PET measurements

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Arnold, Andrea; Calvetti, Daniela; Gjedde, Albert

    2015-01-01

    We address the problem of estimating the unknown parameters of a model of tracer kinetics from sequences of positron emission tomography (PET) scan data using a statistical sequential algorithm for the inference of magnitudes of dynamic parameters. The method, based on Bayesian statistical...... inference, is a modification of a recently proposed particle filtering and sequential Monte Carlo algorithm, where instead of preassigning the accuracy in the propagation of each particle, we fix the time step and account for the numerical errors in the innovation term. We apply the algorithm to PET images...

  8. Measuring serotonin synthesis: from conventional methods to PET tracers and their (pre)clinical implications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Visser, Anniek K.D.; Waarde, Aren van; Willemsen, Antoon T.M. [University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Groningen (Netherlands); Bosker, Fokko J. [University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, University Center of Psychiatry, Groningen (Netherlands); Luiten, Paul G.M. [University of Groningen, Center for Behavior and Neurosciences, Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Haren (Netherlands); Boer, Johan A. den [University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Groningen (Netherlands); University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, University Center of Psychiatry, Groningen (Netherlands); Kema, Ido P. [University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Groningen (Netherlands); Dierckx, Rudi A.J.O. [University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Groningen (Netherlands); University Hospital Ghent, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Ghent (Belgium)

    2011-03-15

    The serotonergic system of the brain is complex, with an extensive innervation pattern covering all brain regions and endowed with at least 15 different receptors (each with their particular distribution patterns), specific reuptake mechanisms and synthetic processes. Many aspects of the functioning of the serotonergic system are still unclear, partially because of the difficulty of measuring physiological processes in the living brain. In this review we give an overview of the conventional methods of measuring serotonin synthesis and methods using positron emission tomography (PET) tracers, more specifically with respect to serotonergic function in affective disorders. Conventional methods are invasive and do not directly measure synthesis rates. Although they may give insight into turnover rates, a more direct measurement may be preferred. PET is a noninvasive technique which can trace metabolic processes, like serotonin synthesis. Tracers developed for this purpose are {alpha}-[{sup 11}C]methyltryptophan ([{sup 11}C]AMT) and 5-hydroxy-L-[{beta}-{sup 11}C]tryptophan ([{sup 11}C]5-HTP). Both tracers have advantages and disadvantages. [{sup 11}C]AMT can enter the kynurenine pathway under inflammatory conditions (and thus provide a false signal), but this tracer has been used in many studies leading to novel insights regarding antidepressant action. [{sup 11}C]5-HTP is difficult to produce, but trapping of this compound may better represent serotonin synthesis. AMT and 5-HTP kinetics are differently affected by tryptophan depletion and changes of mood. This may indicate that both tracers are associated with different enzymatic processes. In conclusion, PET with radiolabelled substrates for the serotonergic pathway is the only direct way to detect changes of serotonin synthesis in the living brain. (orig.)

  9. Fully automated synthesis of 11C-acetate as tumor PET tracer by simple modified solid-phase extraction purification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tang, Xiaolan; Tang, Ganghua; Nie, Dahong

    2013-01-01

    Introduction: Automated synthesis of 11 C-acetate ( 11 C-AC) as the most commonly used radioactive fatty acid tracer is performed by a simple, rapid, and modified solid-phase extraction (SPE) purification. Methods: Automated synthesis of 11 C-AC was implemented by carboxylation reaction of MeMgBr on a polyethylene Teflon loop ring with 11 C-CO 2 , followed by acidic hydrolysis with acid and SCX cartridge, and purification on SCX, AG11A8 and C18 SPE cartridges using a commercially available 11 C-tracer synthesizer. Quality control test and animals positron emission tomography (PET) imaging were also carried out. Results: A high and reproducible decay-uncorrected radiochemical yield of (41.0±4.6)% (n=10) was obtained from 11 C-CO 2 within the whole synthesis time about 8 min. The radiochemical purity of 11 C-AC was over 95% by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. Quality control test and PET imaging showed that 11 C-AC injection produced by the simple SPE procedure was safe and efficient, and was in agreement with the current Chinese radiopharmaceutical quality control guidelines. Conclusion: The novel, simple, and rapid method is readily adapted to the fully automated synthesis of 11 C-AC on several existing commercial synthesis module. The method can be used routinely to produce 11 C-AC for preclinical and clinical studies with PET imaging. - Highlights: • A fully automated synthesis of 11 C-acetate by simple modified solid-phase extraction purification has been developed. • Typical non-decay-corrected yields were (41.0±4.6)% (n=10) • Radiochemical purity was determined by radio-HPLC analysis on a C18 column using the gradient program, instead of expensive organic acid column or anion column. • QC testing (RCP>99%)

  10. Radiosynthesis and in vivo evaluation of a series of substituted 11C-phenethylamines as 5-HT (2A) agonist PET tracers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ettrup, Anders; Hansen, Martin; Santini, Martin A

    2011-01-01

    Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of serotonin 2A (5-HT(2A)) receptors with agonist tracers holds promise for the selective labelling of 5-HT(2A) receptors in their high-affinity state. We have previously validated [(11)C]Cimbi-5 and found that it is a 5-HT(2A) receptor agonist PET tracer....... In an attempt to further optimize the target-to-background binding ratio, we modified the chemical structure of the phenethylamine backbone and carbon-11 labelling site of [(11)C]Cimbi-5 in different ways. Here, we present the in vivo validation of nine novel 5-HT(2A) receptor agonist PET tracers in the pig...

  11. Radiosynthesis and in vivo evaluation of a series of substituted 11C-phenethylamines as 5-HT2A agonist PET tracers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ettrup, Anders; Hansen, Martin; Santini, Martin A

    2011-01-01

    Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of serotonin 2A (5-HT(2A)) receptors with agonist tracers holds promise for the selective labelling of 5-HT(2A) receptors in their high-affinity state. We have previously validated [(11)C]Cimbi-5 and found that it is a 5-HT(2A) receptor agonist PET tracer....... In an attempt to further optimize the target-to-background binding ratio, we modified the chemical structure of the phenethylamine backbone and carbon-11 labelling site of [(11)C]Cimbi-5 in different ways. Here, we present the in vivo validation of nine novel 5-HT(2A) receptor agonist PET tracers in the pig...

  12. Dosimetry of 64Cu-DOTA-AE105, a PET tracer for uPAR imaging

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Persson, Morten; El Ali, Henrik H.; Binderup, Tina

    2014-01-01

    64Cu-DOTA-AE105 is a novel positron emission tomography (PET) tracer specific to the human urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR). In preparation of using this tracer in humans, as a new promising method to distinguish between indolent and aggressive cancers, we have performed PET......, liver, kidney, spleen, intestine, muscle, bone and bladder. The activity concentrations in the mentioned organs [%ID/g] were used for the dosimetry calculation. The %ID/g of each organ at 1, 4.5 and 22h was scaled to human value based on a difference between organ and body weights. The scaled values...

  13. Re(CO)3([18F]FEDA), a novel 18F PET renal tracer: Radiosynthesis and preclinical evaluation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lipowska, Malgorzata; Jarkas, Nashwa; Voll, Ronald J; Nye, Jonathon A; Klenc, Jeffrey; Goodman, Mark M; Taylor, Andrew T

    2018-03-01

    Our previous work demonstrated that the 99m Tc renal tracer, 99m Tc(CO) 3 (FEDA) ( 99m Tc-1), has a rapid clearance comparable in rats to that of 131 I-OIH, the radioactive gold standard for the measurement of effective renal plasma flow. The uncharged fluoroethyl pendant group of 99m Tc-1 provides a route to the synthesis of a structurally analogous rhenium-tricarbonyl 18 F renal imaging agent, Re(CO) 3 ([ 18 F]FEDA) ( 18 F-1). Our goal was to develop an efficient one-step method for the preparation of 18 F-1 and to compare its pharmacokinetic properties with those of 131 I-OIH in rats. 18 F-1 was prepared by the nucleophilic 18 F-fluorination of its tosyl precursor. The labeled compound was isolated by HPLC and subsequently evaluated in Sprague-Dawley rats using 131 I-OIH as an internal control and by dynamic PET/CT imaging. Plasma protein binding (PPB) and erythrocyte uptake (RCB) were determined and the urine was analyzed for metabolites. 18 F-1 was efficiently prepared as a single species with high radiochemical purity (>99%) and it displayed high radiochemical stability in vitro and in vivo. PPB was 87% and RCB was 21%. Biodistribution studies confirmed rapid renal extraction and high specificity for renal excretion, comparable to that of 131 I-OIH, with minimal hepatic/gastrointestinal elimination. The activity in the urine, as a percentage of 131 I-OIH, was 92% and 95% at 10 and 60 min, respectively. All other organs (heart, spleen, lungs) showed a negligible tracer uptake (F-1 through the kidneys and into the bladder; there was no demonstrable activity in bone verifying the absence of free [ 18 F]fluoride. 18 F-1 exhibited a high specificity for the kidney, rapid renal excretion comparable to that of 131 I-OIH and high in vivo radiochemical stability. Not only is 18 F-1 a promising PET renal tracer, but it provides a route to the development of a pair of analogous 18 F/ 99m Tc renal imaging agents with almost identical structures and comparable

  14. Determination of regional flow by use of intravascular PET tracers: microvascular theory and experimental validation for pig livers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Munk, O L; Bass, L; Feng, H

    2003-01-01

    Today, the standard approach for the kinetic analysis of dynamic PET studies is compartment models, in which the tracer and its metabolites are confined to a few well-mixed compartments. We examine whether the standard model is suitable for modern PET data or whether theories including more...... physiologic realism can advance the interpretation of dynamic PET data. A more detailed microvascular theory is developed for intravascular tracers in single-capillary and multiple-capillary systems. The microvascular models, which account for concentration gradients in capillaries, are validated and compared...... with the standard model in a pig liver study. METHODS: Eight pigs underwent a 5-min dynamic PET study after (15)O-carbon monoxide inhalation. Throughout each experiment, hepatic arterial blood and portal venous blood were sampled, and flow was measured with transit-time flow meters. The hepatic dual...

  15. Preclinical tools in PET-tracer development : automatisation and biopharmaceutical evaluation with special emphasis on the adenosine A3 receptor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haeusler, D. I. B.

    2010-01-01

    Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is the first choice technology for the visualization and quantification of receptors and transporters, enabling examination of e.g. neurological, psychiatric and oncological diseases on a molecular level. Therefore, new and innovative PET-radiopharmaceuticals need to be developed to get further insights into the biochemical mechanisms involved in pathological changes. PET-tracer development starts with the idea or modelling of the chemical structure of a (new) molecule with (hopefully) good binding characteristics to the desired target site. As next steps, the compound needs to be synthesized and radiolabelled with a suitable PET-nuclide. Then it has to be evaluated regarding its parameters in various preclinical experimental settings. Hence, two major tools are crucial in the development-process of new PET-tracers: 1) a fast and reliable production method, most desirable and optimal in an automated set-up, and 2) proof of tracer suitability (high affinity, high selectivity and specificity, beside low unspecific binding) through preclinical evaluation in an animal model, prior to human application. Both aspects, the radiochemical preparation and automatisation, as well as the biopharmaceutical evaluation are presented in the thesis in 5 different manuscripts. In detail, the development and preclinical evaluation of 4 different PET-tracers ([11C]DASB, [18F]FE SUPPY, [18F]FE SUPPY:2, and [18F]FE CIT) for 3 targets, the serotonin transporter (SERT), the adenosine A3 receptor (A3R) and the dopamine transporter (DAT), respectively, are covered in the present thesis. The first manuscript presents a method for a fast, reliable and fully-automated radiosynthesis of [11C]DASB (a tracer for the imaging of the SERT in human brain in e.g. depression patients) will facilitate further clinical investigations (e.g. for the department of psychiatry and psychotherapy of the medical university of Vienna) with this tracer. [18F]FE SUPPY was

  16. Comparison of dual-biomarker PIB-PET and dual-tracer PET in AD diagnosis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fu, Liping; Zhang, Jinming; Xu, Baixuan; Tian, Jiahe [General Hospital of the Chinese People' s Liberation Army, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Beijing (China); Liu, Linwen; Fan, Yong [Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Beijing (China)

    2014-11-15

    To identify the optimal time window for capturing perfusion information from early {sup 11}C-PIB imaging frames (perfusion PIB, {sup 11}C-pPIB) and to compare the performance of {sup 18}F-FDG PET and ''dual biomarker'' {sup 11}C-PIB PET [{sup 11}C-pPIB and amyloid PIB ({sup 11}C-aPIB)] for classification of AD, MCI and CN subjects. Forty subjects (14 CN, 12 MCI and 14 AD patients) underwent {sup 18}F-FDG and {sup 11}C-PIB PET studies. Pearson correlation between the {sup 18}F-FDG image and sum of early {sup 11}C-PIB frames was maximised to identify the optimal time window for {sup 11}C-pPIB. The classification power of imaging parameters was evaluated with a leave-one-out validation. A 7-min time window yielded the highest correlation between {sup 18}F-FDG and {sup 11}C-pPIB. {sup 11}C-pPIB and {sup 18}F-FDG images shared a similar radioactive distribution pattern. {sup 18}F-FDG performed better than {sup 11}C-pPIB for the classification of both AD vs. CN and MCI vs. CN. {sup 11}C-pPIB + {sup 11}C-aPIB and {sup 18}F-FDG + {sup 11}C-aPIB yielded the highest classification accuracy for the classification of AD vs. CN, and {sup 18}F-FDG + {sup 11}C-aPIB had the best classification performance for the classification of MCI vs. CN. C-pPIB could serve as a useful biomarker of rCBF for measuring neural activity and improve the diagnostic power of PET for AD in conjunction with {sup 11}C-aPIB. {sup 18}F-FDG and {sup 11}C-PIB dual-tracer PET examination could better detect MCI. (orig.)

  17. Optimization of PET-MR Registrations for Nonhuman Primates Using Mutual Information Measures: A Multi-Transform Method (MTM)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sandiego, Christine M.; Weinzimmer, David; Carson, Richard E.

    2012-01-01

    An important step in PET brain kinetic analysis is the registration of functional data to an anatomical MR image. Typically, PET-MR registrations in nonhuman primate neuroreceptor studies used PET images acquired early post-injection, (e.g., 0–10 min) to closely resemble the subject’s MR image. However, a substantial fraction of these registrations (~25%) fail due to the differences in kinetics and distribution for various radiotracer studies and conditions (e.g., blocking studies). The Multi-Transform Method (MTM) was developed to improve the success of registrations between PET and MR images. Two algorithms were evaluated, MTM-I and MTM-II. The approach involves creating multiple transformations by registering PET images of different time intervals, from a dynamic study, to a single reference (i.e., MR image) (MTM-I) or to multiple reference images (i.e., MR and PET images pre-registered to the MR) (MTM-II). Normalized mutual information was used to compute similarity between the transformed PET images and the reference image(s) to choose the optimal transformation. This final transformation is used to map the dynamic dataset into the animal’s anatomical MR space, required for kinetic analysis. The chosen transformed from MTM-I and MTM-II were evaluated using visual rating scores to assess the quality of spatial alignment between the resliced PET and reference. One hundred twenty PET datasets involving eleven different tracers from 3 different scanners were used to evaluate the MTM algorithms. Studies were performed with baboons and rhesus monkeys on the HR+, HRRT, and Focus-220. Successful transformations increased from 77.5%, 85.8%, to 96.7% using the 0–10 min method, MTM-I, and MTM-II, respectively, based on visual rating scores. The Multi-Transform Methods proved to be a robust technique for PET-MR registrations for a wide range of PET studies. PMID:22926293

  18. Generalized whole-body Patlak parametric imaging for enhanced quantification in clinical PET

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Karakatsanis, Nicolas A.; Zhou, Yun; Lodge, Martin A.; Casey, Michael E.; Wahl, Richard L.; Zaidi, Habib; Rahmim, Arman

    2015-01-01

    We recently developed a dynamic multi-bed PET data acquisition framework to translate the quantitative benefits of Patlak voxel-wise analysis to the domain of routine clinical whole-body (WB) imaging. The standard Patlak (sPatlak) linear graphical analysis assumes irreversible PET tracer uptake,

  19. Atmospheric tracer study of the emissions from the University of Michigan Cyclotron/PET Facility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Scofield, P.A.

    1986-01-01

    The University of Michigan (U of M) Cyclotron/Positron Emission Tomography (PET) facility consists of a cyclotron (Model CS-30, The Cyclotron Corporation), radiochemistry laboratory, and Pet scanner. Accelerator-produced radioactive materials, such as, carbon-11 and oxygen-15 are typically emitted from the Cyclotron/PET facility through short stacks located on the roof. This project studied the dispersion of emissions from the facility within the medical complex. To achieve this purpose, the research project had three phases: a physical modeling study; a preliminary field smoke release study; and, a field study using a tracer gas to simulate emission dispersion from the U of M Cyclotron/PET facility vault stack. The objective was to determine normalized concentrations, under selected wind directions and speeds, for use in establishing radionuclide concentrations at the air intakes of the Cyclotron/PET facility and surrounding buildings and at selected ground-level locations

  20. Positron emission tomography with additional γ-ray detectors for multiple-tracer imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fukuchi, Tomonori; Okauchi, Takashi; Shigeta, Mika; Yamamoto, Seiichi; Watanabe, Yasuyoshi; Enomoto, Shuichi

    2017-06-01

    Positron emission tomography (PET) is a useful imaging modality that quantifies the physiological distributions of radiolabeled tracers in vivo in humans and animals. However, this technique is unsuitable for multiple-tracer imaging because the annihilation photons used for PET imaging have a fixed energy regardless of the selection of the radionuclide tracer. This study developed a multi-isotope PET (MI-PET) system and evaluated its imaging performance. Our MI-PET system is composed of a PET system and additional γ-ray detectors. The PET system consists of pixelized gadolinium orthosilicate (GSO) scintillation detectors and has a ring geometry that is 95 mm in diameter with an axial field of view of 37.5 mm. The additional detectors are eight bismuth germanium oxide (BGO) scintillation detectors, each of which is 50 × 50 × 30 mm 3 , arranged into two rings mounted on each side of the PET ring with a 92-mm-inner diameter. This system can distinguish between different tracers using the additional γ-ray detectors to observe prompt γ-rays, which are emitted after positron emission and have an energy intrinsic to each radionuclide. Our system can simultaneously acquire double- (two annihilation photons) and triple- (two annihilation photons and a prompt γ-ray) coincidence events. The system's efficiency for detecting prompt de-excitation γ-rays was measured using a positron-γ emitter, 22 Na. Dual-radionuclide ( 18 F and 22 Na) imaging of a rod phantom and a mouse was performed to demonstrate the performance of the developed system. Our system's basic performance was evaluated by reconstructing two images, one containing both tracers and the other containing just the second tracer, from list-mode data sets that were categorized by the presence or absence of the prompt γ-ray. The maximum detection efficiency for 1275 keV γ-rays emitted from 22 Na was approximately 7% at the scanner's center, and the minimum detection efficiency was 5.1% at the edge of

  1. Positron emission tomography (PET) for oncologic applications in oral region

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shozushima, Masanori; Terasaki, Kazunori

    2004-01-01

    A rapidly emerging clinical application of positron emission tomography (PET) is the detection of cancer with radionuclide tracer, because it provides information unavailable by ultrasound, computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. The most commonly used radiotracer for PET oncologic imaging is fluorine-18-labeled fluorodeoxyglucose ( 18 F-FDG). Early studies show PET has potential value in viewing the region of the tumor, detecting, staging, grading, monitoring response to anticancer therapy, and differentiating recurrent or residual disease from post treatment changes. However, limitations of FDG-PET in the head and neck region, namely, physiological FDG uptake in the salivary glands and palatine tonsils, have been reported, increasing the false-positive rates in image interpretation. This review was designed to address these distinctions of oral cancer PET imaging: specialization of PET equipment, cancer cell metabolism, proliferation and tracers, clinical diagnosis of oral cancer with PET, pitfalls in oncologic diagnosis with FDG-PET imaging. (author)

  2. Validating PET segmentation of thoracic lesions-is 4D PET necessary?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, M. S.; Carl, J.

    2017-01-01

    Respiratory-induced motions are prone to degrade the positron emission tomography (PET) signal with the consequent loss of image information and unreliable segmentations. This phantom study aims to assess the discrepancies relative to stationary PET segmentations, of widely used semiautomatic PET...... segmentation methods on heterogeneous target lesions influenced by motion during image acquisition. Three target lesions included dual F-18 Fluoro-deoxy-glucose (FDG) tracer concentrations as high-and low tracer activities relative to the background. Four different tracer concentration arrangements were...... segmented using three SUV threshold methods (Max40%, SUV40% and 2.5SUV) and a gradient based method (GradientSeg). Segmentations in static 3D-PET scans (PETsta) specified the reference conditions for the individual segmentation methods, target lesions and tracer concentrations. The motion included PET...

  3. Heart PET scan

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... nuclear medicine scan; Heart positron emission tomography; Myocardial PET scan ... A PET scan requires a small amount of radioactive material (tracer). This tracer is given through a vein (IV), ...

  4. Comparison of conventional and novel PET tracers for imaging mesothelioma in nude mice with subcutaneous and intrapleural xenografts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tsuji, Atsushi B.; Sogawa, Chizuru; Sugyo, Aya [Diagnostic Imaging Group, Molecular Imaging Center, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Chiba 263-8555 (Japan); Sudo, Hitomi [Diagnostic Imaging Group, Molecular Imaging Center, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Chiba 263-8555 (Japan); Department of Pathology and Oncology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, 113-8421 (Japan); Toyohara, Jun [Division of Clinical Neuroscience, Chiba University Center for Forensic Mental Health, 206-8670 (Japan); Koizumi, Mitsuru [Diagnostic Imaging Group, Molecular Imaging Center, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Chiba 263-8555 (Japan); Abe, Masaaki; Hino, Okio [Department of Pathology and Oncology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, 113-8421 (Japan); Harada, Yoshi-nobu; Furukawa, Takako [Diagnostic Imaging Group, Molecular Imaging Center, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Chiba 263-8555 (Japan); Suzuki, Kazutoshi [Molecular Probe Group, Molecular Imaging Center, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Chiba 263-8555 (Japan); Saga, Tsuneo [Diagnostic Imaging Group, Molecular Imaging Center, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Chiba 263-8555 (Japan)], E-mail: saga@nirs.go.jp

    2009-05-15

    Introduction: Malignant mesothelioma is a highly aggressive tumor originating in the pleura, peritoneum and pericardium, and the prognosis of patients undergoing current treatment remains poor. To develop new therapies, it is important to have a noninvasive imaging system for evaluating the efficacy of such prospective treatments. We have established clinically relevant mouse models and evaluated conventional and novel positron emission tomography (PET) tracers. Methods: Epithelioid and sarcomatoid mesothelioma cells were inoculated subcutaneously and intrapleurally into nude mice. Biodistribution and PET imaging studies were conducted by injecting [{sup 18}F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG), 3'-[{sup 18}F]fluoro-3'-doxythymidine (FLT) or 4'-methyl-[{sup 11}C]thiothymidine (S-dThd) into the mouse models. In vitro cellular uptake of [{sup 14}C]FDG and [{sup 3}H]FLT and thymidine kinase 1 (TK{sub 1}) activity in both cell lines were measured. Expression of glucose transporter 1 (GLUT-1) and Ki-67 in xenografted tumors was evaluated by immunohistochemical staining. Results: In epithelioid mesothelioma models, biodistribution experiments showed that tumor uptake of [{sup 11}C]S-dThd was significantly higher than that of [{sup 18}F]FDG. On the other hand, in sarcomatoid models, [{sup 18}F]FDG showed significantly higher accumulation than the other two tracers. These differential uptakes of the three tracers were confirmed by PET imaging. The cellular uptake of [{sup 14}C]FDG and [{sup 3}H]FLT and TK{sub 1} activity in sarcomatoid cells were higher than those of epithelioid cells. GLUT-1 protein was strongly expressed in sarcomatoid but not in epithelioid tumor. We observed a high percentage of Ki-67-positive cells in both epithelioid and sarcomatoid tumors. Conclusions: We established nude mouse models of epithelioid and sarcomatoid subtypes of mesothelioma. PET tracers applicable for the evaluation of epithelioid and sarcomatoid mesothelioma would vary

  5. PET applications in pediatrics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shulkin, B. L. [Ann Arbor, Univ. of Michigan Medical Center (United States). Pediatric Nuclear Medicine Section

    1997-12-01

    This article summarizes the major PET studies which have been performed in pediatric patients to elucidate and characterize diseases and normal development. Issues special for the application of the technique in children, such as dosimetry, patient preparation, and image acquisition are discussed. Studies of central nervous system (CNS) development and pathology, including epilepsy, intraventricular hemorrhage, neonatal asphyxia, tumors, and effects on the CNS from treatment of other tumors are reviewed. These have contributed information fundamental to their understanding of CNS development and pathology. PET investigations into the pathophysiology of congenital heart disease have begun and hold great promise to aid their understanding of these conditions. The second major area in which PET has been applied is the study of non CNS neoplasms. Neuroblastoma has been investigated with tracers which explore basic biochemical features which characterize this tumor, as well as with tracers which explore biochemical events relatively specific for this malignancy. Other common and uncommon tumors of childhood are discussed. The PET technique has been shown useful for answering questions of clinical relevance for the management of these uncommon neoplasms. PET is likely to continue to aid their understanding of many pediatric diseases and may gain more widespread clinical acceptance as the technology continues to disseminate rapidly.

  6. Automatic monitoring of radial injection tracer tests using a novel multi-electrode resistivity system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ward, R.S.; Sen, M.A.; Williams, G.M.; Jackson, P.D.

    1990-01-01

    A radial injection tracer test has been carried out in an unconfined fluvial sand and gravel aquifer underlain by low permeability clay. Sodium chloride has been used as an electrolyte tracer and breakthrough has been monitored using a newly developed automatic resistivity system (RESCAN) incorporating six fully penetrating resistivity probes each having 80 electrodes spaced at 5 cm intervals along their length. Each electrode is individually addressable under computer control to either carry current or measure potential. Any four electrodes can be selected in the traditional Wenner configuration to measure formation resistivity. Rapid measurement of changes in resistivity allows a very detailed picture of tracer migration to be obtained. The resistivity probes were placed at 1 and 2 m radii from the central fully-screened tracer injection well along three limbs at 120 degrees. Resistivity measurements were compared with adjacent multi-level samplers. An 8 x 8 m grid of 140 surface electrodes centred on the central well was also installed. The resistivity profiles measured prior to tracer injection were used to infer lithology, particularly layering. Detailed breakthrough curves were obtained at 77 positions along each of the six probes and compared with adjacent multi-level sampler breakthrough curves. The results showed that the aquifer was extremely heterogeneous even on this small scale. Because the system operates automatically without the need to extract and analyse large numbers of water samples, it opens up the possibility of carrying out lots of small scale injection tests within a larger domain likely to be invaded by a tracer or pollution plume. Such detailed information for determining aquifer properties can provide the data set necessary for characterisation of the aquifer to predict dispersion parameters appropriate to the large scale. (Author) (6 refs., 9 figs., 2 tabs.)

  7. Complementary roles of tumour specific PET tracer {sup 18}F-FAMT to {sup 18}F-FDG PET/CT for the assessment of bone metastasis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Morita, Motoho [Gunma University Hospital, Department of General Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma (Japan); Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma (Japan); Higuchi, Tetsuya; Tokue, Azusa; Arisaka, Yukiko; Tsushima, Yoshito [Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma (Japan); Achmad, Arifudin [Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma (Japan); Gadjah Mada University, Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Yogyakarta (Indonesia)

    2013-10-15

    The usefulness of {sup 18}F-FDG PET/CT for bone metastasis evaluation has already been established. The amino acid PET tracer [{sup 18}F]-3-fluoro-alpha-methyl tyrosine ({sup 18}F-FAMT) has been reported to be highly specific for malignancy. We evaluated the additional value of {sup 18}F-FAMT PET/CT to complement {sup 18}F-FDG PET/CT in the evaluation of bone metastasis. This retrospective study included 21 patients with bone metastases of various cancers who had undergone both {sup 18}F-FDG and {sup 18}F-FAMT PET/CT within 1 month of each other. {sup 18}F-FDG-avid bone lesions suspicious for malignancy were carefully selected based on the cut-off value for malignancy, and the SUVmax of the {sup 18}F-FAMT in the corresponding lesions were evaluated. A total of 72 {sup 18}F-FDG-positive bone lesions suspected to be metastases in the 21 patients were used as the reference standard. {sup 18}F-FAMT uptake was found in 87.5 % of the lesions. In the lesions of lung cancer origin, the uptake of the two tracers showed a good correlation (40 lesions, r = 0.68, P < 0.01). Bone metastatic lesions of oesophageal cancer showed the highest average of {sup 18}F-FAMT uptake. Bone metastatic lesions of squamous cell carcinoma showed higher {sup 18}F-FAMT uptake than those of adenocarcinoma. No significant difference in {sup 18}F-FAMT uptake was seen between osteoblastic and osteolytic bone metastatic lesions. The usefulness of {sup 18}F-FAMT PET/CT for bone metastasis detection regardless of the lesion phenotype was demonstrated. The fact that {sup 18}F-FAMT uptake was confirmed by {sup 18}F-FDG uptake suggests that {sup 18}F-FAMT PET/CT has the potential to complement {sup 18}F-FDG PET/CT for the detection of bone metastases. (orig.)

  8. Carbon-11 and Fluorine-18 Labeled Amino Acid Tracers for Positron Emission Tomography Imaging of Tumors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Aixia; Liu, Xiang; Tang, Ganghua

    2017-12-01

    Tumor cells have an increased nutritional demand for amino acids(AAs) to satisfy their rapid proliferation. Positron-emitting nuclide labeled AAs are interesting probes and are of great importance for imaging tumors using positron emission tomography (PET). Carbon-11 and fluorine-18 labeled AAs include the [1-11C] amino acids, labeling alpha-C- amino acids, the branched-chain of amino acids and N-substituted carbon-11 labeled amino acids. These tracers target protein synthesis or amino acid(AA) transport, and their uptake mechanism mainly involves AA transport. AA PET tracers have been widely used in clinical settings to image brain tumors, neuroendocrine tumors, prostate cancer, breast cancer, non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and hepatocellular carcinoma. This review focuses on the fundamental concepts and the uptake mechanism of AAs, AA PET tracers and their clinical applications.

  9. (18)F-FDG dynamic PET/CT in patients with multiple myeloma: patterns of tracer uptake and correlation with bone marrow plasma cell infiltration rate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sachpekidis, Christos; Mai, Elias K; Goldschmidt, Hartmut; Hillengass, Jens; Hose, Dirk; Pan, Leyun; Haberkorn, Uwe; Dimitrakopoulou-Strauss, Antonia

    2015-06-01

    The value of F-FDG PET in the diagnostic approach of multiple myeloma (MM) remains incompletely elicited. Little is known about the kinetics of F-FDG in the bone marrow and extramedullary sites in MM. This study aimed to evaluate quantitative data on kinetics and distribution patterns of F-FDG in MM patients with regard to pelvic bone marrow plasma cell infiltration. The study included 40 patients with primary MM. Dynamic PET/CT scanning of the lower lumbar spine and pelvis was performed after the administration of F-FDG. Whole-body PET/CT studies were performed. Sites of focal increased tracer uptake were considered as highly suggestive of myelomatous involvement after taking into account the patient history and CT findings. Bone marrow of the os ilium without pathologic tracer accumulation served as reference. The evaluation of dynamic PET/CT studies was based in addition to the conventional visual (qualitative) assessment, on semiquantitative (SUV) calculations, as well as on absolute quantitative estimations after application of a 2-tissue compartment model and a noncompartmental approach. F-FDG quantitative information and corresponding distribution patterns were correlated with pelvic bone marrow plasma cell infiltration. Fifty-two myelomatous lesions were detected in the pelvis. All parameters in suspected MM lesions ranged in significantly higher levels than in reference tissue (P PET/CT imaging demonstrated 4 patterns of tracer uptake; these are as follows: negative, focal, diffuse, and mixed (focal/diffuse) tracer uptake. Patients with a mixed pattern of radiotracer uptake had the highest mean plasma cell infiltration rate in their bone marrow, whereas those with negative PET/CT scans demonstrated the lowest bone marrow plasma cell infiltration. In total, 265 focal myeloma-indicative F-FDG-avid lesions were detected, 129 of which correlated with low-dose CT osteolytic findings. No significant correlation between the number of focal lesions detected in PET

  10. A multi-atlas based method for automated anatomical rat brain MRI segmentation and extraction of PET activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lancelot, Sophie; Roche, Roxane; Slimen, Afifa; Bouillot, Caroline; Levigoureux, Elise; Langlois, Jean-Baptiste; Zimmer, Luc; Costes, Nicolas

    2014-01-01

    Preclinical in vivo imaging requires precise and reproducible delineation of brain structures. Manual segmentation is time consuming and operator dependent. Automated segmentation as usually performed via single atlas registration fails to account for anatomo-physiological variability. We present, evaluate, and make available a multi-atlas approach for automatically segmenting rat brain MRI and extracting PET activies. High-resolution 7T 2DT2 MR images of 12 Sprague-Dawley rat brains were manually segmented into 27-VOI label volumes using detailed protocols. Automated methods were developed with 7/12 atlas datasets, i.e. the MRIs and their associated label volumes. MRIs were registered to a common space, where an MRI template and a maximum probability atlas were created. Three automated methods were tested: 1/registering individual MRIs to the template, and using a single atlas (SA), 2/using the maximum probability atlas (MP), and 3/registering the MRIs from the multi-atlas dataset to an individual MRI, propagating the label volumes and fusing them in individual MRI space (propagation & fusion, PF). Evaluation was performed on the five remaining rats which additionally underwent [18F]FDG PET. Automated and manual segmentations were compared for morphometric performance (assessed by comparing volume bias and Dice overlap index) and functional performance (evaluated by comparing extracted PET measures). Only the SA method showed volume bias. Dice indices were significantly different between methods (PF>MP>SA). PET regional measures were more accurate with multi-atlas methods than with SA method. Multi-atlas methods outperform SA for automated anatomical brain segmentation and PET measure's extraction. They perform comparably to manual segmentation for FDG-PET quantification. Multi-atlas methods are suitable for rapid reproducible VOI analyses.

  11. Dual Tracer PET Imaging with FDG and FLT Differentiates Tuberculous Lymphadenopathy from Metastases in a Case of Carcinoma Cervix

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Joshi, Prathamesh; Lele, Vikram; Aland, Parag; Gemawat, Shilpa [Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre, Woril (India)

    2013-09-15

    A forty-year-old woman with a known case of carcinoma cervix underwent 18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography.computed tomography (18-FDG PET/CT) for evaluation of abdominal lymphadenopathy. Her treatment history included radical hysterectomy and radiotherapy 6 months ago. She complained of weight loss of 7 kg over last 5 months. The maximum intensity projection (MIP) image (Fig. 1a, arrows) revealed multiple areas of intense FDG uptake, which on CT and fused PET/CT images were localized to multiple lymph nodes in bilateral cervical region, right axilla, mediastinum and abdomen. The SUVmax of right axillary lymph nodes (most FDG avid of all lymph node groups) was 15.3. There was no evidence of metabolically active disease or CT demonstrable abnormality in rest of the body. Presence of metabolically active disease in extensive supradiaphramatic lymphadenopathy was unusual for a case of carcinoma cervix. This finding, along with history of significant weight loss and absence of extranodal disease, was suspicious for unrelated pathology like lymphoproliferative disorder or granulomatous disease. Mixed malignant and benign lymphadenopathy was also considered a possibility. To solve the conundrum, 18-fluoro-L-thymidine (FLT) PET/CT was performed on the next day. This scan was performed to assess the proliferation rate in various above-mentioned lymph nodes, and to plan the optimum site of biopsy. The FLT PET scan (Fig. 1b) showed physiological distribution of the tracer in bone marrow, liver, gall bladder and urinary bladder. There was minimal FLT uptake in the enlarged, FDG avid lymph nodes (Fig. 1c and d). SUVmax of FLT uptake in right axillary lymph nodes was 1.4 (SUVmax of FDG uptake = 15.8). The SUVmax of FLT uptake in cervical, mediastinal and abdominal lymph nodes were 1.3, 1.4 and 1.0 respectively. (SUVmax of FDG uptake 12.1, 12.7 and 11.9, respectively). Considering avidity for FDG and non-avidity of proliferation marker tracer (FLT), possibility of

  12. PET and SPET tracers for mapping the cardiac nervous system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Langer, Oliver; Halldin, Christer

    2002-01-01

    The human cardiac nervous system consists of a sympathetic and a parasympathetic branch with (-)-norepinephrine and acetylcholine as the respective endogenous neurotransmitters. Dysfunction of the cardiac nervous system is implicated in various types of cardiac disease, such as heart failure, myocardial infarction and diabetic autonomic neuropathy. In vivo assessment of the distribution and function of cardiac sympathetic and parasympathetic neurones with positron emission tomography (PET) and single-photon emission tomography (SPET) can be achieved by means of a number of carbon-11-, fluorine-18-, bromine-76- and iodine-123-labelled tracer molecules. Available tracers for mapping sympathetic neurones can be divided into radiolabelled catecholamines, such as 6-[ 18 F]fluorodopamine, (-)-6-[ 18 F]fluoronorepinephrine and (-)-[ 11 C]epinephrine, and radiolabelled catecholamine analogues, such as [ 123 I]meta-iodobenzylguanidine, [ 11 C]meta-hydroxyephedrine, [ 18 F]fluorometaraminol, [ 11 C]phenylephrine and meta-[ 76 Br]bromobenzylguanidine. Resistance to metabolism by monoamine oxidase and catechol-O-methyl transferase simplifies the myocardial kinetics of the second group. Both groups of compounds are excellent agents for an overall assessment of sympathetic innervation. Biomathematical modelling of tracer kinetics is complicated by the complexity of the steps governing neuronal uptake, retention and release of these agents as well as by their high neuronal affinity, which leads to partial flow dependence of uptake. Mapping of cardiac parasympathetic neurones is limited by a low density and focal distribution pattern of these neurones in myocardium. Available tracers are derivatives of vesamicol, a molecule that binds to a receptor associated with the vesicular acetylcholine transporter. Compounds like (-)-[ 18 F]fluoroethoxybenzovesamicol display a high degree of non-specific binding in myocardium which restricts their utility for cardiac neuronal imaging. (orig.)

  13. PET image reconstruction using multi-parametric anato-functional priors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mehranian, Abolfazl; Belzunce, Martin A.; Niccolini, Flavia; Politis, Marios; Prieto, Claudia; Turkheimer, Federico; Hammers, Alexander; Reader, Andrew J.

    2017-08-01

    In this study, we investigate the application of multi-parametric anato-functional (MR-PET) priors for the maximum a posteriori (MAP) reconstruction of brain PET data in order to address the limitations of the conventional anatomical priors in the presence of PET-MR mismatches. In addition to partial volume correction benefits, the suitability of these priors for reconstruction of low-count PET data is also introduced and demonstrated, comparing to standard maximum-likelihood (ML) reconstruction of high-count data. The conventional local Tikhonov and total variation (TV) priors and current state-of-the-art anatomical priors including the Kaipio, non-local Tikhonov prior with Bowsher and Gaussian similarity kernels are investigated and presented in a unified framework. The Gaussian kernels are calculated using both voxel- and patch-based feature vectors. To cope with PET and MR mismatches, the Bowsher and Gaussian priors are extended to multi-parametric priors. In addition, we propose a modified joint Burg entropy prior that by definition exploits all parametric information in the MAP reconstruction of PET data. The performance of the priors was extensively evaluated using 3D simulations and two clinical brain datasets of [18F]florbetaben and [18F]FDG radiotracers. For simulations, several anato-functional mismatches were intentionally introduced between the PET and MR images, and furthermore, for the FDG clinical dataset, two PET-unique active tumours were embedded in the PET data. Our simulation results showed that the joint Burg entropy prior far outperformed the conventional anatomical priors in terms of preserving PET unique lesions, while still reconstructing functional boundaries with corresponding MR boundaries. In addition, the multi-parametric extension of the Gaussian and Bowsher priors led to enhanced preservation of edge and PET unique features and also an improved bias-variance performance. In agreement with the simulation results, the clinical results

  14. Development and automation of a novel NET-PET tracer: [11C]Me@APPI.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mark, Christina; Bornatowicz, Birgit; Mitterhauser, Markus; Hendl, Matthias; Nics, Lukas; Haeusler, Daniela; Lanzenberger, Rupert; Berger, Michael L; Spreitzer, Helmut; Wadsak, Wolfgang

    2013-02-01

    The norepinephrine transporter (NET) is an important target for research in neurology and psychology and is involved in the pathophysiology of many neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and attention deficient hyperactivity disorder. For visualization of NET abundance and deregulation, a novel PET tracer--[(11)C]Me@APPI--has been developed. For precursor synthesis, a 4-step synthesis starting from N-phenyl-o-phenylenediamine was set up. Radiosynthesis was established and optimized using standard methods and subsequently automated in a GE TRACERlabFx C Pro synthesizer. Preclinical testing was performed comprising affinity and selectivity testing on human membranes as well as stability and blood-brain-barrier-penetration using in-vitro models. Precursor molecule (APPI:0) and reference compound (Me@APPI) were synthesized with 26.5% and 21.4% overall yield, respectively. So far, 1.25±0.72 GBq [(11)C]Me@APPI with 54.35±7.80 GBq/μmol specific activity were produced (n=11). Affinity of reference compounds was determined as 8.08±1.75 nM for Me@APPI and 19.31±2.91 nM for APPI:0, respectively (n≥9). IAM-chromatography experiments (n=3) revealed a P(m) value of 1.51±0.34 for Me@APPI. Stability testing using human liver microsomes revealed that 99.5% of the tracer was found to be still intact after 60 minutes (n=4). Present data indicate that [(11)C]Me@APPI has promising properties to become a clinically useful NET-PET-tracer. Further in-vitro and in-vivo evaluations are currently under way. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Development and automation of a novel NET-PET tracer: [11C]Me@APPI

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mark, Christina; Bornatowicz, Birgit; Mitterhauser, Markus; Hendl, Matthias; Nics, Lukas; Haeusler, Daniela; Lanzenberger, Rupert; Berger, Michael L.; Spreitzer, Helmut; Wadsak, Wolfgang

    2013-01-01

    Introduction: The norepinephrine transporter (NET) is an important target for research in neurology and psychology and is involved in the pathophysiology of many neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and attention deficient hyperactivity disorder. For visualization of NET abundance and deregulation, a novel PET tracer – [ 11 C]Me@APPI – has been developed. Methods: For precursor synthesis, a 4-step synthesis starting from N-phenyl-o-phenylenediamine was set up. Radiosynthesis was established and optimized using standard methods and subsequently automated in a GE TRACERlabFx C Pro synthesizer. Preclinical testing was performed comprising affinity and selectivity testing on human membranes as well as stability and blood–brain-barrier-penetration using in-vitro models. Results: Precursor molecule (APPI:0) and reference compound (Me@APPI) were synthesized with 26.5% and 21.4% overall yield, respectively. So far, 1.25 ± 0.72 GBq [ 11 C]Me@APPI with 54.35 ± 7.80 GBq/μmol specific activity were produced (n = 11). Affinity of reference compounds was determined as 8.08 ± 1.75 nM for Me@APPI and 19.31 ± 2.91 nM for APPI:0, respectively (n ≥ 9). IAM-chromatography experiments (n = 3) revealed a P m value of 1.51 ± 0.34 for Me@APPI. Stability testing using human liver microsomes revealed that 99.5% of the tracer was found to be still intact after 60 minutes (n = 4). Conclusion: Present data indicate that [ 11 C]Me@APPI has promising properties to become a clinically useful NET-PET-tracer. Further in-vitro and in-vivo evaluations are currently under way

  16. Functional neuroimaging in epilepsy: FDG-PET and SPECT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Sang Kun; Lee, Dong Soo

    2003-01-01

    Finding epileptogenic zone is the most important step for the successful epilepsy surgery. F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) can be used in the localization of epileptogenic foci. In medial temporal lobe epilepsy, the diagnostic sensitivity of FDG-PET and ictal SPECT is excellent. However, detection of hippocampal sclerosis by MRI is so certain that use of FDG-PET and ictal SPECT in medial temporal lobe epilepsy is limited for some occasions. In neocortical epilepsy, the sensitivities of FDG-PET or ictal SPECT are fair. However, FDG-PET and ictal SPECT can have a crucial role in the localization of epileptogenic foci for non-lesional neocortical epilepsy. Interpretation of FDG-PET has been recently advanced by voxel-based analysis and automatic volume of interest analysis based on a population template. Both analytical methods can aid the objective diagnosis of epileptogenic foci. lctal SPECT was analyzed using subtraction methods and voxel-based analysis. Rapidity of injection of tracers, ictal EEG findings during injection of tracer, and repeated ictal SPECT were important technical issues of ictal SPECT. SPECT can also be used in the evaluation of validity of Wada test

  17. Functional neuroimaging in epilepsy: FDG-PET and SPECT

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Sang Kun; Lee, Dong Soo [Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2003-02-01

    Finding epileptogenic zone is the most important step for the successful epilepsy surgery. F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) can be used in the localization of epileptogenic foci. In medial temporal lobe epilepsy, the diagnostic sensitivity of FDG-PET and ictal SPECT is excellent. However, detection of hippocampal sclerosis by MRI is so certain that use of FDG-PET and ictal SPECT in medial temporal lobe epilepsy is limited for some occasions. In neocortical epilepsy, the sensitivities of FDG-PET or ictal SPECT are fair. However, FDG-PET and ictal SPECT can have a crucial role in the localization of epileptogenic foci for non-lesional neocortical epilepsy. Interpretation of FDG-PET has been recently advanced by voxel-based analysis and automatic volume of interest analysis based on a population template. Both analytical methods can aid the objective diagnosis of epileptogenic foci. lctal SPECT was analyzed using subtraction methods and voxel-based analysis. Rapidity of injection of tracers, ictal EEG findings during injection of tracer, and repeated ictal SPECT were important technical issues of ictal SPECT. SPECT can also be used in the evaluation of validity of Wada test.

  18. Dosimetry of 64Cu-DOTA-AE105, a PET tracer for uPAR imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Persson, Morten; El Ali, Henrik H.; Binderup, Tina; Pfeifer, Andreas; Madsen, Jacob; Rasmussen, Palle; Kjaer, Andreas

    2014-01-01

    64 Cu-DOTA-AE105 is a novel positron emission tomography (PET) tracer specific to the human urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR). In preparation of using this tracer in humans, as a new promising method to distinguish between indolent and aggressive cancers, we have performed PET studies in mice to evaluate the in vivo biodistribution and estimate human dosimetry of 64 Cu-DOTA-AE105. Methods: Five mice received iv tail injection of 64 Cu-DOTA-AE105 and were PET/CT scanned 1, 4.5 and 22 h post injection. Volume-of-interest (VOI) were manually drawn on the following organs: heart, lung, liver, kidney, spleen, intestine, muscle, bone and bladder. The activity concentrations in the mentioned organs [%ID/g] were used for the dosimetry calculation. The %ID/g of each organ at 1, 4.5 and 22 h was scaled to human value based on a difference between organ and body weights. The scaled values were then exported to OLINDA software for computation of the human absorbed doses. The residence times as well as effective dose equivalent for male and female could be obtained for each organ. To validate this approach, of human projection using mouse data, five mice received iv tail injection of another 64 Cu-DOTA peptide-based tracer, 64 Cu-DOTA-TATE, and underwent same procedure as just described. The human dosimetry estimates were then compared with observed human dosimetry estimate recently found in a first-in-man study using 64 Cu-DOTA-TATE. Results: Human estimates of 64 Cu-DOTA-AE105 revealed the heart wall to receive the highest dose (0.0918 mSv/MBq) followed by the liver (0.0815 mSv/MBq), All other organs/tissue were estimated to receive doses in the range of 0.02–0.04 mSv/MBq. The mean effective whole-body dose of 64 Cu-DOTA-AE105 was estimated to be 0.0317 mSv/MBq. Relatively good correlation between human predicted and observed dosimetry estimates for 64 Cu-DOTA-TATE was found. Importantly, the effective whole body dose was predicted with very high

  19. Dosimetry of 64Cu-DOTA-AE105, a PET tracer for uPAR imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Persson, Morten; El Ali, Henrik H; Binderup, Tina; Pfeifer, Andreas; Madsen, Jacob; Rasmussen, Palle; Kjaer, Andreas

    2014-03-01

    (64)Cu-DOTA-AE105 is a novel positron emission tomography (PET) tracer specific to the human urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR). In preparation of using this tracer in humans, as a new promising method to distinguish between indolent and aggressive cancers, we have performed PET studies in mice to evaluate the in vivo biodistribution and estimate human dosimetry of (64)Cu-DOTA-AE105. Five mice received iv tail injection of (64)Cu-DOTA-AE105 and were PET/CT scanned 1, 4.5 and 22 h post injection. Volume-of-interest (VOI) were manually drawn on the following organs: heart, lung, liver, kidney, spleen, intestine, muscle, bone and bladder. The activity concentrations in the mentioned organs [%ID/g] were used for the dosimetry calculation. The %ID/g of each organ at 1, 4.5 and 22 h was scaled to human value based on a difference between organ and body weights. The scaled values were then exported to OLINDA software for computation of the human absorbed doses. The residence times as well as effective dose equivalent for male and female could be obtained for each organ. To validate this approach, of human projection using mouse data, five mice received iv tail injection of another (64)Cu-DOTA peptide-based tracer, (64)Cu-DOTA-TATE, and underwent same procedure as just described. The human dosimetry estimates were then compared with observed human dosimetry estimate recently found in a first-in-man study using (64)Cu-DOTA-TATE. Human estimates of (64)Cu-DOTA-AE105 revealed the heart wall to receive the highest dose (0.0918 mSv/MBq) followed by the liver (0.0815 mSv/MBq), All other organs/tissue were estimated to receive doses in the range of 0.02-0.04 mSv/MBq. The mean effective whole-body dose of (64)Cu-DOTA-AE105 was estimated to be 0.0317 mSv/MBq. Relatively good correlation between human predicted and observed dosimetry estimates for (64)Cu-DOTA-TATE was found. Importantly, the effective whole body dose was predicted with very high precision

  20. Evaluation of [{sup 11}C]rofecoxib as PET tracer for cyclooxygenase 2 overexpression in rat models of inflammation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vries, Erik F.J. de [Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 30.001, 9700 RB Groningen (Netherlands)], E-mail: e.f.j.de.vries@ngmb.umcg.nl; Doorduin, Janine; Dierckx, Rudi A.; Waarde, Aren van [Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 30.001, 9700 RB Groningen (Netherlands)

    2008-01-15

    Background: Overexpression of cyclooxygenase type 2 (COX-2) is triggered by inflammatory stimuli, but it also plays a prominent role in the initiation and progression of various diseases. This study aims to investigate [{sup 11}C]rofecoxib as a positron emission tomography (PET) tracer for COX-2 expression. Methods: [{sup 11}C]Rofecoxib was prepared by methylation of its sulphinate precursor. Regional brain distribution and specific binding of [{sup 11}C]rofecoxib in healthy rats was studied by ex vivo biodistribution and autoradiography. Regional brain distribution and PET imaging studies were also performed on rats with severe encephalitis, caused by nasal infection with herpes simplex virus (HSV). Finally, ex vivo biodistribution and blocking studies were carried in rats with a sterile inflammation, induced by intramuscular turpentine injection. Results: [{sup 11}C]rofecoxib brain uptake in control animals corresponded with the known distribution of COX-2. Pretreatment with NS398 significantly reduced tracer uptake in the cingulate/frontopolar cortex, whereas the reduction in hippocampus approached significance. Ex vivo autoradiography also revealed preferential tracer uptake in hippocampus and cortical areas that could be blocked by NS398. In HSV-infected animals, [{sup 11}C]rofecoxib uptake was moderately increased in all brain regions, but it could not be blocked with indomethacin. Yet, some PET images revealed increased tracer uptake in brain areas with microglia activation. In turpentine-injected animals, [{sup 11}C]rofecoxib uptake in inflamed muscle was not higher than in control muscle and could not be blocked with NS398. Indomethacin caused a slight reduction in muscle uptake. Conclusions: Despite the apparent correlation between [{sup 11}C]rofecoxib uptake and COX-2 distribution in healthy rats, [{sup 11}C]rofecoxib could not unambiguously detect COX-2 overexpression in two rat models of inflammation.

  1. Non-FDG PET imaging of brain tumors

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    HUANG Zemin; GUAN Yihui; ZUO Chuantao; ZHANG Zhengwei; XUE Fangping; LIN Xiangtong

    2007-01-01

    Due to relatively high uptake of glucose in the brain cortex, the use of FDG PET imaging is greatly limited in brain tumor imaging, especially for low-grade gliomas and some metastatic tumours. More and more tracers with higher specificity were developed lately for brain tumor imaging. There are 3 main types of non-FDG PET tracers:amino acid tracers, choline tracers and nucleic acid tracers. These tracers are now widely applied in many aspects of brain tumor imaging. This article summarized the general use of non-FDG PET in different aspects of brain tumor imaging.

  2. Validation of nonrigid registration for multi-tracer PET-CT treatment planning in rectal cancer radiotherapy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Slagmolen, Pieter; Roels, Sarah; Loeckx, Dirk; Haustermans, Karin; Maes, Frederik

    2009-02-01

    The goal of radiotherapy is to deliver maximal dose to the tumor and minimal dose to the surrounding tissue. This requires accurate target definition. In sites were the tumor is difficult to see on the CT images, such as for rectal cancer, PET-CT imaging can be used to better define the target. If the information from multiple PETCT images with different tracers needs to be combined, a nonrigid registration is indispensable to compensate for rectal tissue deformations. Such registration is complicated by the presence of different volumes of bowel gas in the images to be registered. In this paper, we evaluate the performance of different nonrigid registration approaches by looking at the overlap of manually delineated rectum contours after registration. Using a B-spline transformation model, the results for two similarity measures, sum of squared differences and mutual information, either calculated over the entire image or on a region of interest are compared. Finally, we also assess the effect of the registration direction. We show that the combination of MI with a region of interest is best able to cope with residual rectal contrast and differences in bowel filling. We also show that for optimal performance the registration direction should be chosen depending on the difference in bowel filling in the images to be registered.

  3. Dynamic whole-body PET parametric imaging: II. Task-oriented statistical estimation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karakatsanis, Nicolas A; Lodge, Martin A; Zhou, Y; Wahl, Richard L; Rahmim, Arman

    2013-10-21

    In the context of oncology, dynamic PET imaging coupled with standard graphical linear analysis has been previously employed to enable quantitative estimation of tracer kinetic parameters of physiological interest at the voxel level, thus, enabling quantitative PET parametric imaging. However, dynamic PET acquisition protocols have been confined to the limited axial field-of-view (~15-20 cm) of a single-bed position and have not been translated to the whole-body clinical imaging domain. On the contrary, standardized uptake value (SUV) PET imaging, considered as the routine approach in clinical oncology, commonly involves multi-bed acquisitions, but is performed statically, thus not allowing for dynamic tracking of the tracer distribution. Here, we pursue a transition to dynamic whole-body PET parametric imaging, by presenting, within a unified framework, clinically feasible multi-bed dynamic PET acquisition protocols and parametric imaging methods. In a companion study, we presented a novel clinically feasible dynamic (4D) multi-bed PET acquisition protocol as well as the concept of whole-body PET parametric imaging employing Patlak ordinary least squares (OLS) regression to estimate the quantitative parameters of tracer uptake rate Ki and total blood distribution volume V. In the present study, we propose an advanced hybrid linear regression framework, driven by Patlak kinetic voxel correlations, to achieve superior trade-off between contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and mean squared error (MSE) than provided by OLS for the final Ki parametric images, enabling task-based performance optimization. Overall, whether the observer's task is to detect a tumor or quantitatively assess treatment response, the proposed statistical estimation framework can be adapted to satisfy the specific task performance criteria, by adjusting the Patlak correlation-coefficient (WR) reference value. The multi-bed dynamic acquisition protocol, as optimized in the preceding companion study

  4. Dynamic whole-body PET parametric imaging: II. Task-oriented statistical estimation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Karakatsanis, Nicolas A; Lodge, Martin A; Zhou, Y; Wahl, Richard L; Rahmim, Arman

    2013-01-01

    In the context of oncology, dynamic PET imaging coupled with standard graphical linear analysis has been previously employed to enable quantitative estimation of tracer kinetic parameters of physiological interest at the voxel level, thus, enabling quantitative PET parametric imaging. However, dynamic PET acquisition protocols have been confined to the limited axial field-of-view (∼15–20 cm) of a single-bed position and have not been translated to the whole-body clinical imaging domain. On the contrary, standardized uptake value (SUV) PET imaging, considered as the routine approach in clinical oncology, commonly involves multi-bed acquisitions, but is performed statically, thus not allowing for dynamic tracking of the tracer distribution. Here, we pursue a transition to dynamic whole-body PET parametric imaging, by presenting, within a unified framework, clinically feasible multi-bed dynamic PET acquisition protocols and parametric imaging methods. In a companion study, we presented a novel clinically feasible dynamic (4D) multi-bed PET acquisition protocol as well as the concept of whole-body PET parametric imaging employing Patlak ordinary least squares (OLS) regression to estimate the quantitative parameters of tracer uptake rate K i and total blood distribution volume V. In the present study, we propose an advanced hybrid linear regression framework, driven by Patlak kinetic voxel correlations, to achieve superior trade-off between contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and mean squared error (MSE) than provided by OLS for the final K i parametric images, enabling task-based performance optimization. Overall, whether the observer's task is to detect a tumor or quantitatively assess treatment response, the proposed statistical estimation framework can be adapted to satisfy the specific task performance criteria, by adjusting the Patlak correlation-coefficient (WR) reference value. The multi-bed dynamic acquisition protocol, as optimized in the preceding companion

  5. Small Molecule PET-Radiopharmaceuticals

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Elsinga, Philip H.; Dierckx, Rudi A. J. O.

    This review describes several aspects required for the development of small molecule PET-tracers. Design and selection criteria are important to consider before starting to develop novel PET-tracers. Principles and latest trends in C-11 and F-18-radiochemistry are summarized. In addition an update

  6. SPECT and PET in cerebrovascular diseases. SPECT und PET bei cerebrovaskulaeren Erkrankungen

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Knapp, W.H. (Herzzentrum Nordrhein-Westfalen, Bad Oeynhausen (Germany). Inst. fuer Nuklearmedizin)

    1993-02-01

    Investigations using recently emerged perfusion tracers for SPECT, Tc-99m-HMPAO in particular, and studies of local glucose metabolism and oxygen utilisation with PET have deepened our knowledge of the pathophysiology in development and in the sequel of stroke. Studies of local cerebral blood flow and cerebrovascular reserve capacity are indicated in case of neurological symptoms suspected to be caused by transient ischemic attacks or in case of significant narrowing of the cerebral arteries. PET investigations of local metabolism (at the present state) are indicated in patients with incompleted stroke or with infarction and extended ischemic border zone. The differential diagnosis between multi-infarct-dementia and primarily neurodegenerative dementias is facilitated, in some individuals, by the characteristic topography of reduced flow. (orig./MG).

  7. Analysis of metabolism of 6FDG: a PET glucose transport tracer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Muzic, Raymond F., E-mail: raymond.muzic@case.edu [Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106 (United States); Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106 (United States); Chandramouli, Visvanathan [Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106 (United States); Huang, Hsuan-Ming [Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106 (United States); Wu Chunying; Wang Yanming [Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106 (United States); Ismail-Beigi, Faramarz [Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106 (United States)

    2011-07-15

    Introduction: We are developing {sup 18}F-labeled 6-fluoro-6-deoxy-D-glucose ([{sup 18}F]6FDG) as a tracer of glucose transport. As part of this process it is important to characterize and quantify putative metabolites. In contrast to the ubiquitous positron emission tomography (PET) tracer {sup 18}F-labeled 2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose ([{sup 18}F]2FDG) which is phosphorylated and trapped intracellularly, the substitution of fluorine for a hydroxyl group at carbon-6 in [{sup 18}F]6FDG should prevent its phosphorylation. Consequently, [{sup 18}F]6FDG has the potential to trace the transport step of glucose metabolism without the confounding effects of phosphorylation and subsequent steps of metabolism. Herein the focus is to determine whether, and the degree to which, [{sup 18}F]6FDG remains unchanged following intravenous injection. Methods: Biodistribution studies were performed using 6FDG labeled with {sup 18}F or with the longer-lived radionuclides {sup 3}H and {sup 14}C. Tissues were harvested at 1, 6, and 24 h following intravenous administration and radioactivity was extracted from the tissues and analyzed using a combination of ion exchange columns, high-performance liquid chromatography, and chemical reactivity. Results: At the 1 h time-point, the vast majority of radioactivity in the liver, brain, heart, skeletal muscle, and blood was identified as 6FDG. At the 6-h and 24-h time points, there was evidence of a minor amount of radioactive material that appeared to be 6-fluoro-6-deoxy-D-sorbitol and possibly 6-fluoro-6-deoxy-D-gluconic acid. Conclusion: On the time scale typical of PET imaging studies radioactive metabolites of [{sup 18}F]6FDG are negligible.

  8. Local recurrence of prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy is at risk to be missed in {sup 68}Ga-PSMA-11-PET of PET/CT and PET/MRI: comparison with mpMRI integrated in simultaneous PET/MRI

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Freitag, Martin T. [Department of Radiology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg (Germany); Clinical Cooperation Unit Nuclear Medicine, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg (Germany); Radtke, Jan P. [Department of Radiology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg (Germany); University Hospital Heidelberg, Department of Urology, Heidelberg (Germany); Afshar-Oromieh, Ali; Flechsig, Paul; Giesel, Frederik; Haberkorn, Uwe [University Hospital Heidelberg, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Heidelberg (Germany); Roethke, Matthias C.; Bonekamp, David; Schlemmer, Heinz-Peter [Department of Radiology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg (Germany); Hadaschik, Boris A.; Hohenfellner, Markus [University Hospital Heidelberg, Department of Urology, Heidelberg (Germany); Gleave, Martin [University of British Columbia, The Vancouver Prostate Centre, Vancouver (Canada); Kopka, Klaus; Eder, Matthias [Division of Radiopharmaceutical Chemistry, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg (Germany); Heusser, Thorsten; Kachelriess, Marc [Department of Medical Physics in Radiology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg (Germany); Wieczorek, Kathrin [University Hospital Heidelberg, Institute of Pathology, Heidelberg (Germany); Sachpekidis, Christos; Dimitrakopoulou-Strauss, A. [Clinical Cooperation Unit Nuclear Medicine, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg (Germany)

    2017-05-15

    The positron emission tomography (PET) tracer {sup 68}Ga-PSMA-11, targeting the prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA), is rapidly excreted into the urinary tract. This leads to significant radioactivity in the bladder, which may limit the PET-detection of local recurrence (LR) of prostate cancer (PC) after radical prostatectomy (RP), developing in close proximity to the bladder. Here, we analyze if there is additional value of multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) compared to the {sup 68}Ga-PSMA-11-PET-component of PET/CT or PET/MRI to detect LR. One hundred and nineteen patients with biochemical recurrence after prior RP underwent both hybrid {sup 68}Ga-PSMA-11-PET/CT{sub low-dose} (1 h p.i.) and -PET/MRI (2-3 h p.i.) including a mpMRI protocol of the prostatic bed. The comparison of both methods was restricted to the abdomen with focus on LR (McNemar). Bladder-LR distance and recurrence size were measured in axial T2w-TSE. A logistic regression was performed to determine the influence of these variables on detectability in {sup 68}Ga-PSMA-11-PET. Standardized-uptake-value (SUV{sub mean}) quantification of LR was performed. There were 93/119 patients that had at least one pathologic finding. In addition, 18/119 Patients (15.1%) were diagnosed with a LR in mpMRI of PET/MRI but only nine were PET-positive in PET/CT and PET/MRI. This mismatch was statistically significant (p = 0.004). Detection of LR using the PET-component was significantly influenced by proximity to the bladder (p = 0.028). The PET-pattern of LR-uptake was classified into three types (1): separated from bladder; (2): fuses with bladder, and (3): obliterated by bladder. The size of LRs did not affect PET-detectability (p = 0.84), mean size was 1.7 ± 0.69 cm long axis, 1.2 ± 0.46 cm short-axis. SUV{sub mean} in nine men was 8.7 ± 3.7 (PET/CT) and 7.0 ± 4.2 (PET/MRI) but could not be quantified in the remaining nine cases (obliterated by bladder). The present study demonstrates

  9. Semiautomated analysis of small-animal PET data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kesner, Adam L; Dahlbom, Magnus; Huang, Sung-Cheng; Hsueh, Wei-Ann; Pio, Betty S; Czernin, Johannes; Kreissl, Michael; Wu, Hsiao-Ming; Silverman, Daniel H S

    2006-07-01

    The objective of the work reported here was to develop and test automated methods to calculate biodistribution of PET tracers using small-animal PET images. After developing software that uses visually distinguishable organs and other landmarks on a scan to semiautomatically coregister a digital mouse phantom with a small-animal PET scan, we elastically transformed the phantom to conform to those landmarks in 9 simulated scans and in 18 actual PET scans acquired of 9 mice. Tracer concentrations were automatically calculated in 22 regions of interest (ROIs) reflecting the whole body and 21 individual organs. To assess the accuracy of this approach, we compared the software-measured activities in the ROIs of simulated PET scans with the known activities, and we compared the software-measured activities in the ROIs of real PET scans both with manually established ROI activities in original scan data and with actual radioactivity content in immediately harvested tissues of imaged animals. PET/atlas coregistrations were successfully generated with minimal end-user input, allowing rapid quantification of 22 separate tissue ROIs. The simulated scan analysis found the method to be robust with respect to the overall size and shape of individual animal scans, with average activity values for all organs tested falling within the range of 98% +/- 3% of the organ activity measured in the unstretched phantom scan. Standardized uptake values (SUVs) measured from actual PET scans using this semiautomated method correlated reasonably well with radioactivity content measured in harvested organs (median r = 0.94) and compared favorably with conventional SUV correlations with harvested organ data (median r = 0.825). A semiautomated analytic approach involving coregistration of scan-derived images with atlas-type images can be used in small-animal whole-body radiotracer studies to estimate radioactivity concentrations in organs. This approach is rapid and less labor intensive than are

  10. In vivo imaging of brain androgen receptors in rats: a [18F]FDHT PET study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khayum, M.A.; Doorduin, J.; Antunes, I.F.; Kwizera, C.; Zijlma, R.; Boer, J.A. den; Dierckx, R.A.J.O.; Vries, E.F.J. de

    2015-01-01

    Introduction: Steroid hormones like androgens play an important role in the development and maintenance of several brain functions. Androgens can act through androgen receptors (AR) in the brain. This study aims to demonstrate the feasibility of positron emission tomography (PET) with 16β-[ 18 F]fluoro-5α-dihydrotestosterone ([ 18 F]FDHT) to image AR expression in the brain. Methods: Male Wistar rats were either orchiectomized to inhibit endogenous androgen production or underwent sham-surgery. Fifteen days after surgery, rats were subjected to a 90-min dynamic [ 18 F]FDHT PET scan with arterial blood sampling. In a subset of orchiectomized rats, 1 mg/kg dihydrotestosterone was co-injected with the tracer in order to saturate the AR. Plasma samples were analyzed for the presence of radioactive metabolites by radio-TLC. Pharmacokinetic modeling was performed to quantify brain kinetics of the tracer. After the PET scan, the animals were terminated for ex-vivo biodistribution. Results: PET imaging and ex vivo biodistribution studies showed low [ 18 F]FDHT uptake in all brain regions, except pituitary. [ 18 F]FDHT uptake in the surrounding cranial bones was high and increased over time. [ 18 F]FDHT was rapidly metabolized in rats. Metabolism was significantly faster in orchiectomized rats than in sham-orchiectomized rats. Quantitative analysis of PET data indicated substantial spill-over of activity from cranial bones into peripheral brain regions, which prevented further analysis of peripheral brain regions. Logan graphical analysis and kinetic modeling using 1- and 2-tissue compartment models showed reversible and homogenously distributed tracer uptake in central brain regions. [ 18 F]FDHT uptake in the brain could not be blocked by endogenous androgens or administration of dihydrotestosterone. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that imaging of AR availability in rat brain with [ 18 F]FDHT PET is not feasible. The low AR expression in the brain, the

  11. 18F fluoroethylations: different strategies for the rapid translation of 11C-methylated radiotracers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wadsak, Wolfgang; Mien, Leonhard-Key; Ettlinger, Dagmar E.; Eidherr, Harald; Haeusler, Daniela; Sindelar, Karoline-Maria; Keppler, Bernhard K.; Dudczak, Robert; Kletter, Kurt; Mitterhauser, Markus

    2007-01-01

    Introduction: The translation of 11 C-labeled compounds into their respective 18 F-labeled derivatives is an important tool in the rapid development of positron emission tomography (PET) tracers. Thus, our aim was the development of a general method for the preparation of 18 F-fluoroethylated compounds that (a) is applicable to a variety of precursors, (b) can be performed in a fully automated commercially available synthesizer and (c) enables this rapid translation of 11 C-methylated tracers into their 18 F-fluoroethylated analogs sharing the same precursor molecules. Methods: Ten methods for the preparation and purification of different 18 F-fluoroethylating agents were compared. Subsequently, five 18 F-labeled PET tracers were synthesized under fully automated conditions. Results: Radiochemical yields ranged from 34.4% to 60.8%, and time consumption ranged from 20 to 55 min for all methods. Use of 1-bromo-2-[ 18 F]fluoroethane and distillation evinced as the method of choice. Conclusions: We were able to develop a general method for the preparation of a variety of 18 F-fluoroethylated molecules. The provided tool is solely based on commercially available resources and has the potential to simplify and accelerate innovative PET tracer development in the future

  12. (18)F-alfatide II and (18)F-FDG dual-tracer dynamic PET for parametric, early prediction of tumor response to therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Jinxia; Guo, Ning; Lang, Lixin; Kiesewetter, Dale O; Xie, Qingguo; Li, Quanzheng; Eden, Henry S; Niu, Gang; Chen, Xiaoyuan

    2014-01-01

    A single dynamic PET acquisition using multiple tracers administered closely in time could provide valuable complementary information about a tumor's status under quasiconstant conditions. This study aimed to investigate the utility of dual-tracer dynamic PET imaging with (18)F-alfatide II ((18)F-AlF-NOTA-E[PEG4-c(RGDfk)]2) and (18)F-FDG for parametric monitoring of tumor responses to therapy. We administered doxorubicin to one group of athymic nude mice with U87MG tumors and paclitaxel protein-bound particles to another group of mice with MDA-MB-435 tumors. To monitor therapeutic responses, we performed dual-tracer dynamic imaging, in sessions that lasted 90 min, starting with injection via the tail vein catheters with (18)F-alfatide II, followed 40 min later by (18)F-FDG. To achieve signal separation of the 2 tracers, we fit a 3-compartment reversible model to the time-activity curve of (18)F-alfatide II for the 40 min before (18)F-FDG injection and then extrapolated to 90 min. The (18)F-FDG tumor time-activity curve was isolated from the 90-min dual-tracer tumor time-activity curve by subtracting the fitted (18)F-alfatide II tumor time-activity curve. With separated tumor time-activity curves, the (18)F-alfatide II binding potential (Bp = k3/k4) and volume of distribution (VD) and (18)F-FDG influx rate ((K1 × k3)/(k2 + k3)) based on the Patlak method were calculated to validate the signal recovery in a comparison with 60-min single-tracer imaging and to monitor therapeutic response. The transport and binding rate parameters K1-k3 of (18)F-alfatide II, calculated from the first 40 min of the dual-tracer dynamic scan, as well as Bp and VD correlated well with the parameters from the 60-min single-tracer scan (R(2) > 0.95). Compared with the results of single-tracer PET imaging, (18)F-FDG tumor uptake and influx were recovered well from dual-tracer imaging. On doxorubicin treatment, whereas no significant changes in static tracer uptake values of (18)F-alfatide II

  13. Design of Infusion Schemes for Neuroreceptor Imaging: Application to [11C]Flumazenil-PET Steady-State Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ling Feng

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available This study aims at developing a simulation system that predicts the optimal study design for attaining tracer steady-state conditions in brain and blood rapidly. Tracer kinetics was determined from bolus studies and used to construct the system. Subsequently, the system was used to design inputs for bolus infusion (BI or programmed infusion (PI experiments. Steady-state quantitative measurements can be made with one short scan and venous blood samples. The GABAA receptor ligand [C11]Flumazenil (FMZ was chosen for this purpose, as it lacks a suitable reference region. Methods. Five bolus [C11]FMZ-PET scans were conducted, based on which population-based PI and BI schemes were designed and tested in five additional healthy subjects. The design of a PI was assisted by an offline feedback controller. Results. The system could reproduce the measurements in blood and brain. With PI, [C11]FMZ steady state was attained within 40 min, which was 8 min earlier than the optimal BI (B/I ratio = 55 min. Conclusions. The system can design both BI and PI schemes to attain steady state rapidly. For example, subjects can be [C11]FMZ-PET scanned after 40 min of tracer infusion for 40 min with venous sampling and a straight-forward quantification. This simulation toolbox is available for other PET-tracers.

  14. In vivo PET/CT in a human glioblastoma chicken chorioallantoic membrane model: a new tool for oncology and radiotracer development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Warnock, Geoff; Turtoi, Andrei; Blomme, Arnaud; Bretin, Florian; Bahri, Mohamed Ali; Lemaire, Christian; Libert, Lionel Cyrille; Seret, Alain E J J; Luxen, André; Castronovo, Vincenzo; Plenevaux, Alain R E G

    2013-10-01

    For many years the laboratory mouse has been used as the standard model for in vivo oncology research, particularly in the development of novel PET tracers, but the growth of tumors on chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) provides a more rapid, low cost, and ethically sustainable alternative. For the first time, to our knowledge, we demonstrate the feasibility of in vivo PET and CT imaging in a U87 glioblastoma tumor model on chicken CAM, with the aim of applying this model for screening of novel PET tracers. U87 glioblastoma cells were implanted on the CAM at day 11 after fertilization and imaged at day 18. A small-animal imaging cell was used to maintain incubation and allow anesthesia using isoflurane. Radiotracers were injected directly into the exposed CAM vasculature. Sodium (18)F-fluoride was used to validate the imaging protocol, demonstrating that image-degrading motion can be removed with anesthesia. Tumor glucose metabolism was imaged using (18)F-FDG, and tumor protein synthesis was imaged using 2-(18)F-fluoro-l-tyrosine. Anatomic images were obtained by contrast-enhanced CT, facilitating clear delineation of the tumor, delineation of tracer uptake in tumor versus embryo, and accurate volume measurements. PET imaging of tumor glucose metabolism and protein synthesis was successfully demonstrated in the CAM U87 glioblastoma model. Catheterization of CAM blood vessels facilitated dynamic imaging of glucose metabolism with (18)F-FDG and demonstrated the ability to study PET tracer uptake over time in individual tumors, and CT imaging improved the accuracy of tumor volume measurements. We describe the novel application of PET/CT in the CAM tumor model, with optimization of typical imaging protocols. PET imaging in this valuable tumor model could prove particularly useful for rapid, high-throughput screening of novel radiotracers.

  15. Novel tracer for radiation treatment planning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schwarzenboeck, S.; Krause, B.J.; Herrmann, K.; Gaertner, F.; Souvatzoglou, M.; Klaesner, B.

    2011-01-01

    PET and PET/CT with innovative tracers gain increasing importance in diagnosis and therapy management, and radiation treatment planning in radio-oncology besides the widely established FDG. The introduction of [ 18 F]Fluorothymidine ([ 18 F]FLT) as marker of proliferation, [ 18 F]Fluoromisonidazole ([ 18 F]FMISO) and [ 18 F]Fluoroazomycin-Arabinoside ([ 18 F]FAZA) as tracer of hypoxia, [ 18 F]Fluoroethyltyrosine ([ 18 F]FET) and [ 11 C]Methionine for brain tumour imaging, [ 68 Ga]DOTATOC for somatostatin receptor imaging, [ 18 F]FDOPA for dopamine synthesis and radioactively labeled choline derivatives for imaging phospholipid metabolism have opened novel approaches to tumour imaging. Some of these tracers have already been implemented into radio-oncology: Amino acid PET and PET/CT have the potential to optimise radiation treatment planning of brain tumours through accurate delineation of tumour tissue from normal tissue, necrosis and edema. Hypoxia represents a major therapeutic problem in radiation therapy. Hypoxia imaging is very attractive as it may allow to increase the dose in hypoxic tumours potentially allowing for a better tumour control. Advances in hybrid imaging, i.e. the introduction of MR/PET, may also have an impact in radio-oncology through synergies related to the combination of molecular signals of PET and a high soft tissue contrast of MRI as well as functional MRI capabilities. (orig.)

  16. 64Cu-NODAGA-c(RGDyK) Is a Promising New Angiogenesis PET Tracer: Correlation between Tumor Uptake and Integrin αvβ3 Expression in Human Neuroendocrine Tumor Xenografts

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Oxbøl, Jytte; Schjøth-Eskesen, Christina; El Ali, Henrik H.

    2012-01-01

    727) were administered (64)Cu-NODAGA-c(RGDyK) i.v. for study of biodistribution as well as for dynamic PET. Gene expression of angiogenesis markers integrin α(V), integrin β(3), and VEGF-A were analyzed using QPCR and correlated to the tracer uptake in the tumors (%ID/g). From biodistribution data......Purpose. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate a new PET tracer (64)Cu-NODAGA-c(RGDyK) for imaging of tumor angiogenesis using gene expression of angiogenesis markers as reference and to estimate radiation dosimetry for humans. Procedures. Nude mice with human neuroendocrine tumor xenografts (H...... was estimated to be 0.038 and 0.029 mSv/MBq for females and males, respectively, with highest absorbed dose in bladder wall. Conclusion. (64)Cu-NODAGA-c(RGDyK) is a promising new angiogenesis PET tracer with potential for human use....

  17. PET imaging of angiogenesis after myocardial infarction/reperfusion using a one-step labeled integrin-targeted tracer {sup 18}F-AlF-NOTA-PRGD2

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gao, Haokao [The Fourth Military Medical University, Department of Cardiology, Xijing Hospital, Xi' an (China); National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Laboratory of Molecular Imaging and Nanomedicine (LOMIN), Bethesda, MD (United States); Lang, Lixin; Guo, Ning; Quan, Qimeng; Hu, Shuo; Kiesewetter, Dale O.; Niu, Gang; Chen, Xiaoyuan [National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Laboratory of Molecular Imaging and Nanomedicine (LOMIN), Bethesda, MD (United States); Cao, Feng [The Fourth Military Medical University, Department of Cardiology, Xijing Hospital, Xi' an (China)

    2012-04-15

    The {alpha}{sub v}{beta}{sub 3} integrin represents a potential target for noninvasive imaging of angiogenesis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a novel one-step labeled integrin {alpha}{sub v}{beta}{sub 3}-targeting positron emission tomography (PET) probe, {sup 18}F-AlF-NOTA-PRGD2, for angiogenesis imaging in a myocardial infarction/reperfusion (MI/R) animal model. Male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent 45-min transient left coronary artery occlusion followed by reperfusion. The myocardial infarction was confirmed by ECG, {sup 18}F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) imaging, and cardiac ultrasound. In vivo PET imaging was used to determine myocardial uptake of {sup 18}F-AlF-NOTA-PRGD2 at different time points following reperfusion. The control peptide RAD was labeled with a similar procedure and used to confirm the specificity. Ex vivo autoradiographic analysis and CD31/CD61 double immunofluorescence staining were performed to validate the PET results. Myocardial origin of the {sup 18}F-AlF-NOTA-PRGD2 accumulation was confirmed by {sup 18}F-FDG and autoradiography. PET imaging demonstrated increased focal accumulation of {sup 18}F-AlF-NOTA-PRGD2 in the infarcted area which started at day 3 (0.28 {+-} 0.03%ID/g, p < 0.05) and peaked between 1 and 3 weeks (0.59 {+-} 0.16 and 0.55 {+-} 0.13%ID/g, respectively). The focal accumulation decreased but still kept at a higher level than the sham group after 4 months of reperfusion (0.31 {+-} 0.01%ID/g, p < 0.05). Pretreatment with unlabeled arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) peptide significantly decreased tracer uptake, indicating integrin specificity of this tracer. At 1 week after MI/R, uptake of the control tracer {sup 18}F-AlF-NOTA-RAD that does not bind to integrin, in the infarcted area, was only 0.21 {+-} 0.01%ID/g. Autoradiographic imaging showed the same trend of uptake in the myocardial infarction area. The time course of focal tracer uptake was consistent with the pattern of vascular density and integrin {beta

  18. Comparison of two new angiogenesis PET tracers 68Ga-NODAGA-E[c(RGDyK)]2 and 64Cu-NODAGA-E[c(RGDyK)]2; in vivo imaging studies in human xenograft tumors

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Oxbøl, Jytte; Brandt-Larsen, Malene; Schjøth-Eskesen, Christina

    2014-01-01

    INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to synthesize and perform a side-by-side comparison of two new tumor-angiogenesis PET tracers (68)Ga-NODAGA-E[c(RGDyK)](2) and (64)Cu-NODAGA-E[c(RGDyK)](2) in vivo using human xenograft tumors in mice. Human radiation burden was estimated to evaluate...... potential for future use as clinical PET tracers for imaging of neo-angiogenesis. METHODS: A (68)Ge/(68)Ga generator was used for the synthesis of (68)Ga-NODAGA-E[c(RGDyK)](2). (68)Ga and (64)Cu labeled NODAGA-E[c(RGDyK)](2) tracers were administrated in nude mice bearing either human glioblastoma (U87MG......) or human neuroendocrine (H727) xenograft tumors. PET/CT scans at 3 time points were used for calculating the tracer uptake in tumors (%ID/g), integrin αVβ3 target specificity was shown by blocking with cold NODAGA-E[c(RGDyK)](2), and biodistribution in normal organs were also examined. From biodistribution...

  19. The application of PET and PET-CT in cervical cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang Jianmin; Pan Liping; Li Dongxue

    2007-01-01

    Cervical cancer is the common malignancies in woman, 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose ( 18 F-FDG) PET is a well-established method for detecting, staging, cancer recurrence, therapeutic response and prognosis of cervical cancer. PET-CT can accurately locate the anatomical sites of tracer uptake and improve the diagnostic accuraccy of PET. (authors)

  20. Fluorine-18 labeled tracers for PET studies in the neurosciences

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ding, Yu-Shin; Fowler, J.S.

    1995-12-31

    This chapter focuses on fluorine-18, the positron emitter with the longest half-life, the lowest positron energy and probably, the most challenging chemistry. The incorporation of F-18 into organic compounds presents many challenges, including: the need to synthesize and purify the compound within a 2--3 hour time frame; the limited number of labeled precursor molecules; the need to work on a microscale; and the need to produce radiotracers which are chemically and radiochemically pure, sterile and pyrogen-free, and suitable for intravenous injection. The PET method and F-18 labeling of organic molecules are described followed by highlights of the applications of F-18 labeled compounds in the neurosciences and neuropharmacology. It is important to emphasize the essential and pivotal role that organic synthesis has played in the progression of the PET field over the past twenty years from one in which only a handful of institutions possessed the instrumentation and staff to carry out research to the present-day situation where there are more than 200 PET centers worldwide. During this period PET has become an important scientific tool in the neurosciences, cardiology and oncology. It is important to point out that PET is by no means a mature field. The fact that a hundreds of different F-18 labeled compounds have been developed but only a few possess the necessary selectivity and sensitivity in vivo to track a specific biochemical process illustrates this and underscores a major difficulty in radiotracer development, namely the selection of priority structures for synthesis and the complexities of the interactions between chemical compounds and living systems. New developments in rapid organic synthesis are needed in order to investigate new molecular targets and to improve the quantitative nature of PET experiments.

  1. Fluorine-18 labeled tracers for PET studies in the neurosciences

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ding, Yu-Shin; Fowler, J.S.

    1995-01-01

    This chapter focuses on fluorine-18, the positron emitter with the longest half-life, the lowest positron energy and probably, the most challenging chemistry. The incorporation of F-18 into organic compounds presents many challenges, including: the need to synthesize and purify the compound within a 2--3 hour time frame; the limited number of labeled precursor molecules; the need to work on a microscale; and the need to produce radiotracers which are chemically and radiochemically pure, sterile and pyrogen-free, and suitable for intravenous injection. The PET method and F-18 labeling of organic molecules are described followed by highlights of the applications of F-18 labeled compounds in the neurosciences and neuropharmacology. It is important to emphasize the essential and pivotal role that organic synthesis has played in the progression of the PET field over the past twenty years from one in which only a handful of institutions possessed the instrumentation and staff to carry out research to the present-day situation where there are more than 200 PET centers worldwide. During this period PET has become an important scientific tool in the neurosciences, cardiology and oncology. It is important to point out that PET is by no means a mature field. The fact that a hundreds of different F-18 labeled compounds have been developed but only a few possess the necessary selectivity and sensitivity in vivo to track a specific biochemical process illustrates this and underscores a major difficulty in radiotracer development, namely the selection of priority structures for synthesis and the complexities of the interactions between chemical compounds and living systems. New developments in rapid organic synthesis are needed in order to investigate new molecular targets and to improve the quantitative nature of PET experiments

  2. Early-Dynamic Positron Emission Tomography (PET)/Computed Tomography and PET Angiography for Endoleak Detection After Endovascular Aneurysm Repair.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Drescher, Robert; Gühne, Falk; Freesmeyer, Martin

    2017-06-01

    To propose a positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) protocol including early-dynamic and late-phase acquisitions to evaluate graft patency and aneurysm diameter, detect endoleaks, and rule out graft or vessel wall inflammation after endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) in one examination without intravenous contrast medium. Early-dynamic PET/CT of the endovascular prosthesis is performed for 180 seconds immediately after intravenous injection of F-18-fluorodeoxyglucose. Data are reconstructed in variable time frames (time periods after tracer injection) to visualize the arterial anatomy and are displayed as PET angiography or fused with CT images. Images are evaluated in view of vascular abnormalities, graft configuration, and tracer accumulation in the aneurysm sac. Whole-body PET/CT is performed 90 to 120 minutes after tracer injection. This protocol for early-dynamic PET/CT and PET angiography has the potential to evaluate vascular diseases, including the diagnosis of complications after endovascular procedures.

  3. Measurement of cardiovascular function using a novel view-sharing PET reconstruction method and tracer kinetic analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paul R. Territo

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Recent advancements in PET instrumentation have made the non-invasive assessment of cardiovascular function in small animals a reality. The majority of small animal PET systems use stationary detector gantries, thus affording high temporal resolution imaging of cardiac function. Systems designed to maximize spatial resolution and detection sensitivity employing rotating gantry designs are suboptimal when high temporal resolution imaging is needed. To overcome this limitation, the current work developed a novel view-sharing data analysis scheme suitable for dynamic cardiac PET imaging using 18F-NaF as the tracer and tracer kinetic model analysis. This scheme was tested in a rat model of cardiovascular function where the relationship between direct transonic flow measures of cardiac output were highly correlated (f(x = 1.0216x − 24.233, R = 0.9158, p < 0.001 with the new model. Similarly, derived measures of stroke volume were also highly correlated (f(x = 0.9655x − 0.0428, R = 0.9453, p < 0.001 with the current approach. Administration of xylazine caused a statistically significant increase in stroke volume (0.32 ± 0.07 ml, p = 0.003, n = 4 and a significant decrease in both heart rate (−155 ± 7.1 beats/min, p < 0.001, n = 4 and cardiac output (−75.9 ± 23.0 ml/kg min, p = 0.01, n = 4. These findings suggest that the new sinogram binning and kinetic modeling methods produce reliable cardiac function measures suitable for longitudinal monitoring of cardiovascular function.

  4. Kinetic modeling in PET imaging of hypoxia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Fan; Joergensen, Jesper T; Hansen, Anders E; Kjaer, Andreas

    2014-01-01

    Tumor hypoxia is associated with increased therapeutic resistance leading to poor treatment outcome. Therefore the ability to detect and quantify intratumoral oxygenation could play an important role in future individual personalized treatment strategies. Positron Emission Tomography (PET) can be used for non-invasive mapping of tissue oxygenation in vivo and several hypoxia specific PET tracers have been developed. Evaluation of PET data in the clinic is commonly based on visual assessment together with semiquantitative measurements e.g. standard uptake value (SUV). However, dynamic PET contains additional valuable information on the temporal changes in tracer distribution. Kinetic modeling can be used to extract relevant pharmacokinetic parameters of tracer behavior in vivo that reflects relevant physiological processes. In this paper, we review the potential contribution of kinetic analysis for PET imaging of hypoxia. PMID:25250200

  5. New SPECT tracers: Example of tracers of proteoglycans and melanin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cachin, F.; Mestas, D.; Kelly, A.; Merlin, C.; Veyre, A.; Maublant, J.; Cachin, F.; Chezal, J.M.; Miot-Noirault, E.; Moins, N.; Auzeloux, P.; Vidal, A.; Bonnet-Duquennoy, M.; Boisgard, S.; D'Incan, M.; Madelmont, J.C.; Maublant, J.; Boisgard, S.; D'Incan, M.; Redini, F.; Filaire, M.

    2009-01-01

    The majority of research program on new radiopharmaceuticals turn to tracers used for positron emission tomography (PET). Only a few teams work on new non fluorine labeled tracers. However, the coming of SPECT/CT gamma cameras, the arrival of semi-conductors gamma cameras should boost the development of non-PET tracers. We exhibit in this article the experience acquired by our laboratory in the conception and design of two new non fluorine labelled compounds. The 99m Tc-N.T.P. 15-5 (N.T.P. 15-5 for N-[tri-ethyl-ammonium]-3-propyl-[15]ane-N5) which binds to proteoglycans could be used for the diagnosis and staging of osteoarthritis and chondrosarcoma. The iodo benzamides, specific to the melanin, are nowadays compared to 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose in a phase III clinical trial for the diagnosis and detection of melanoma metastasis. Our last development focus on N-[2-(diethyl-amino)ethyl]-4 and 2-iodo benzamides respectively B.Z.A. and B.Z.A.2 hetero-aromatic analogues usable for melanoma treatment. (authors)

  6. Biocompatible branched copolymer nanoparticles prepared by RAFT polymerization as MRI/PET bimodal tracers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yang, Chang-Tong [Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University (Singapore); Tao, He; Jackson, Alexander W [Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences, Agency for Science Technology and Research (Singapore); Chandrasekharan, Prashant [Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Singapore Bioimaging Consortium, Agency for Science Technology and Research (Singapore); Padmanabhan, Parasuraman [Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University (Singapore); Gulyás, Balázs; Halldin, Christer [Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University (Singapore); Karolinska Institutet, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Stockholm (Sweden)

    2015-05-18

    Stable branched copolymer nanoparticles of varying size (Dh = 20 – 35 nm) have been developed and employed as MRI nano-sized contrast agents. RAFT polymerization has been employed to prepare these novel nanoparticles possessing DO3A macrocycles within their cores and succinimidyl ester benzoate functionalities within their coronas. It has been demonstrated that these nanoparticles can chelate gadolinium and in vitro cytotoxicity studies using HK-2 cells established their negligible toxicity profile. In vivo MRI experiments showed that these nanoparticles have a high relaxivity and a long blood retention time. Xenograft experiments further illustrated the ability of these nanoparticles to perfuse and passively accumulate in tumor cells, presumably through the enhanced EPR effect. The presence of the succinimidyl ester benzoate functionalities within the nanoparticle coronas will permit future surface modification with fluorophores or targeting moieties to generate nanoparticles to study opportunities for bimodal imaging nano-probes or active cell targeting contrast agents. The chelation with PET radioisotopes (68Ga(III) or 64Cu(II)) can afford various PET tracers.

  7. Biocompatible branched copolymer nanoparticles prepared by RAFT polymerization as MRI/PET bimodal tracers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, Chang-Tong; Tao, He; Jackson, Alexander W; Chandrasekharan, Prashant; Padmanabhan, Parasuraman; Gulyás, Balázs; Halldin, Christer

    2015-01-01

    Stable branched copolymer nanoparticles of varying size (Dh = 20 – 35 nm) have been developed and employed as MRI nano-sized contrast agents. RAFT polymerization has been employed to prepare these novel nanoparticles possessing DO3A macrocycles within their cores and succinimidyl ester benzoate functionalities within their coronas. It has been demonstrated that these nanoparticles can chelate gadolinium and in vitro cytotoxicity studies using HK-2 cells established their negligible toxicity profile. In vivo MRI experiments showed that these nanoparticles have a high relaxivity and a long blood retention time. Xenograft experiments further illustrated the ability of these nanoparticles to perfuse and passively accumulate in tumor cells, presumably through the enhanced EPR effect. The presence of the succinimidyl ester benzoate functionalities within the nanoparticle coronas will permit future surface modification with fluorophores or targeting moieties to generate nanoparticles to study opportunities for bimodal imaging nano-probes or active cell targeting contrast agents. The chelation with PET radioisotopes (68Ga(III) or 64Cu(II)) can afford various PET tracers.

  8. Synthesis of tracers using automated radiochemistry and robotics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dannals, R.F.

    1992-07-01

    Synthesis of high specific activity radiotracers labeled with short-lived positron-emitting radionuclides for positron emission tomography (PET) often requires handling large initial quantities of radioactivity. High specific activities are required when preparing tracers for use in PET studies of neuroreceptors. A fully automated approach for tracer synthesis is highly desirable. This proposal involves the development of a system for the Synthesis of Tracers using Automated Radiochemistry and Robotics (STARR) for this purpose. While the long range objective of the proposed research is the development of a totally automated radiochemistry system for the production of major high specific activity 11 C-radiotracers for use in PET, the specific short range objectives are the automation of 11 C-methyl iodide ( 11 CH 3 I) production via an integrated approach using both radiochemistry modular labstations and robotics, and the extension of this automated capability to the production of several radiotracers for PET (initially, 11 C-methionine, 3-N-[ 11 C-methyl]spiperone, and [ 11 C]-carfentanil)

  9. Two anti-angiogenic TKI-PET tracers, [11C]axitinib and [11C]nintedanib: Radiosynthesis, in vivo metabolism and initial biodistribution studies in rodents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Slobbe, Paul; Poot, Alex J.; Haumann, Rianne; Schuit, Robert C.; Windhorst, Albert D.; Dongen, Guus A.M.S. van

    2016-01-01

    Introduction: Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are very attractive targeted drugs, although a large portion of patients remains unresponsive. PET imaging with EGFR targeting TKIs ([ 11 C]erlotinib and [ 18 F]afatinib) showed promise in identifying treatment sensitive tumors. The aim of this study was to synthesize two anti-angiogenic TKI tracers, [ 11 C]axitinib and [ 11 C]nintedanib, and to evaluate their potential for PET. Methods: Following successful tracer synthesis, biodistribution studies in VU-SCC-OE and FaDu xenograft bearing mice were performed. Furthermore, tracer stability studies in mice were performed employing (radio-)HPLC and LC–MS/MS techniques. For [ 11 C]nintedanib an LC–MS/MS method was developed to detect the primary carboxylic acid metabolite, resulting from methylester cleavage, in plasma and tumors, because this metabolite is postulated to be important for nintedanib efficacy. LC–MS/MS was also explored to assess the metabolic fate of [ 11 C]axitinib in vivo, since axitinib has an isomerizable double bond. Results: [ 11 C]axitinib and [ 11 C]nintedanib were successfully synthesized with 10.5 ± 2.6% and 25.6 ± 3.3% radiochemical yield (corrected for decay), respectively. Biodistribution studies only demonstrated tumor uptake of [ 11 C]nintedanib in FaDu xenografts of 1.66 ± 0.02% ID/g at 60 min p.i. In vivo stability analysis of [ 11 C]axitinib at 45 min p.i. revealed the formation of predominantly non-polar metabolites (36.6 ± 6.8% vs 47.1 ± 8.4% of parent tracer and 16.3 ± 2.1% of polar metabolites), while for [ 11 C]nintedanib mostly polar metabolites were found (70.9 ± 4.1 vs 26.7 ± 3.9% of parent tracer and only 2.4 ± 1.6 of a non-polar metabolites). No isomerization of [ 11 C]axtinib was observed in vivo; however, a sulfoxide metabolite could be detected using LC–MS/MS. For [ 11 C]nintedanib, LC–MS/MS revealed formation of the reported primary carboxylic acid metabolite when in vitro plasma incubations were performed

  10. 11C-harmine as a potential PET tracer for ductal pancreas cancer: in vitro studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Herlin, G.; Persson, B.; Laangstroem, B.; Aspelin, P.; Bergstroem, M.

    2003-01-01

    Our objective was to find a tracer in diagnosing human pancreatic cancer using positron emission tomography (PET). For this purpose in vitro test of pancreatic tissues with autoradiography was used. Autoradiography was performed with 11 C-harmine (a MAO-A-inhibitor) with and without competitive inhibition. Tissue preparations were obtained from normal human pancreas and pancreatic cancer. The uptake was compared with rat brain or pig brain, tissues with high expression of MAO-A. Nine autoradiography studies on 16 samples from five different human pancreatic cancers gave a significant level of specific binding of 11 C-harmine in 13, and 3 samples did not give a significant level of specific binding of 11 C-harmine. All 16 samples were analysed with autoradiography. Compared with rat brain, the uptake in the human cancers varied between 9 and 43% except for one tissue preparation which had a too low value for measurement. This study shows expression of MAO-A in human pancreatic cancer. This is readily characterised in vitro. The potential use of 11 C-harmine in the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer using PET might be limited, but further PET studies are necessary. (orig.)

  11. Clinical application of PET in abdominal cancers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choi, Chang Woon

    2002-01-01

    Clinical application of positron emission tomography (PET) is rapidly increasing for the detection and staging of cancer at whole-body studies performed with the glucose analogue tracer 2-[fluorine-18]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FG). Although FDG PET cannot match the anatomic resolution of conventional imaging techniques in the liver and the other abdominal organs, it is particularly useful for identification and characterization of the entire body simultaneously. FDG PET can show foci of metastatic disease that may not be apparent at conventional anatomic imaging and can aid in the characterizing of indeterminate soft-tissue masses. Most abdominal cancer requires surgical management. FGD PET can improve the selection of patients for surgical treatment and thereby reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with inappropriate surgery. FDG PET is also useful for the early detection of recurrence and the monitoring of therapeutic effect. The abdominal cancers, such as gastroesophageal cancer, colorectal cancer, liver cancer and pancreatic cancer, are common malignancies in Korea, and PET is one of the most promising and useful methodologies for the management of abdominal cancers

  12. Other PET tracers for neuroendocrine tumors

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Koopmans, Klaas Pieter; Glaudemans, Andor W J M

    In this article the applicability of (124)I-MIBG and (11)C-5-HTP PET for the detection of abdominal gastro-enteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors is discussed. (124)I-MIBG is a positron-emitting variant of (123)I-MIBG and therefore suited for PET imaging. Due to the better intrinsic characteristics

  13. Evaluation of Positron Emission Tomographic Tracers for Imaging of Papillomavirus-Induced Tumors in Rabbits

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sonja Probst

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available In this study, simultaneous positron emission tomography (PET/magnetic resonance (MR imaging was employed to evaluate the feasibility of the PET tracers 2-deoxy-2-18F-fluoro-D-glucose (18F-FDG, 11C-choline, and 18F-fluorothymidine (18F-FLT to detect papillomavirus-induced tumors in an established rabbit model system. The combined PET/MR allowed the analysis of tracer uptake of the tumors using the morphologic information acquired by MR. New Zealand White rabbits were infected with cottontail rabbit papillomavirus genomes and were imaged for up to 10 months with a simultaneous PET/MR system during the course of infection. The uptake characteristics of the PET tracers 11C-choline and 18F-FLT of tumors and reference tissues were examined relative to the clinical standard, 18F-FDG. Tracer biodistribution of various organs was measured by gamma-counting after the last PET scan and compared to the in vivo PET/MR 18F-FDG uptake. Increased tracer uptake was found 2 months postinfection in primary tumors with 18F-FDG and 11C-choline, whereas 18F-FLT failed to detect the tumors at all measured time points. Our data show that the PET tracer 18F-FDG is superior for imaging papillomavirus-induced tumors in rabbits compared to 11C-choline and 18F-FLT. However, 11C-choline imaging, which has previously been applied to detect various tumor entities in patients, appears to be an alternative to 18F-FDG.

  14. Dual-Tracer PET Using Generalized Factor Analysis of Dynamic Sequences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fakhri, Georges El; Trott, Cathryn M.; Sitek, Arkadiusz; Bonab, Ali; Alpert, Nathaniel M.

    2013-01-01

    Purpose With single-photon emission computed tomography, simultaneous imaging of two physiological processes relies on discrimination of the energy of the emitted gamma rays, whereas the application of dual-tracer imaging to positron emission tomography (PET) imaging has been limited by the characteristic 511-keV emissions. Procedures To address this limitation, we developed a novel approach based on generalized factor analysis of dynamic sequences (GFADS) that exploits spatio-temporal differences between radiotracers and applied it to near-simultaneous imaging of 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose (FDG) (brain metabolism) and 11C-raclopride (D2) with simulated human data and experimental rhesus monkey data. We show theoretically and verify by simulation and measurement that GFADS can separate FDG and raclopride measurements that are made nearly simultaneously. Results The theoretical development shows that GFADS can decompose the studies at several levels: (1) It decomposes the FDG and raclopride study so that they can be analyzed as though they were obtained separately. (2) If additional physiologic/anatomic constraints can be imposed, further decomposition is possible. (3) For the example of raclopride, specific and nonspecific binding can be determined on a pixel-by-pixel basis. We found good agreement between the estimated GFADS factors and the simulated ground truth time activity curves (TACs), and between the GFADS factor images and the corresponding ground truth activity distributions with errors less than 7.3±1.3 %. Biases in estimation of specific D2 binding and relative metabolism activity were within 5.9±3.6 % compared to the ground truth values. We also evaluated our approach in simultaneous dual-isotope brain PET studies in a rhesus monkey and obtained accuracy of better than 6 % in a mid-striatal volume, for striatal activity estimation. Conclusions Dynamic image sequences acquired following near-simultaneous injection of two PET radiopharmaceuticals

  15. Metabolic imaging using PET

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kudo, Takashi

    2007-01-01

    There is growing evidence that myocardial metabolism plays a key role not only in ischaemic heart disease but also in a variety of diseases which involve myocardium globally, such as heart failure and diabetes mellitus. Understanding myocardial metabolism in such diseases helps to elucidate the pathophysiology and assists in making therapeutic decisions. As well as providing information on regional changes, PET can deliver quantitative information about both regional and global changes in metabolism. This capability of quantitative measurement is one of the major advantages of PET along with physiological positron tracers, especially relevant in evaluating diseases which involve the whole myocardium. This review discusses major PET tracers for metabolic imaging and their clinical applications and contributions to research regarding ischaemic heart disease and other diseases such as heart failure and diabetic heart disease. Future applications of positron metabolic tracers for the detection of vulnerable plaque are also highlighted briefly. (orig.)

  16. Joint estimation of activity and attenuation for PET using pragmatic MR-based prior: application to clinical TOF PET/MR whole-body data for FDG and non-FDG tracers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahn, Sangtae; Cheng, Lishui; Shanbhag, Dattesh D.; Qian, Hua; Kaushik, Sandeep S.; Jansen, Floris P.; Wiesinger, Florian

    2018-02-01

    Accurate and robust attenuation correction remains challenging in hybrid PET/MR particularly for torsos because it is difficult to segment bones, lungs and internal air in MR images. Additionally, MR suffers from susceptibility artifacts when a metallic implant is present. Recently, joint estimation (JE) of activity and attenuation based on PET data, also known as maximum likelihood reconstruction of activity and attenuation, has gained considerable interest because of (1) its promise to address the challenges in MR-based attenuation correction (MRAC), and (2) recent advances in time-of-flight (TOF) technology, which is known to be the key to the success of JE. In this paper, we implement a JE algorithm using an MR-based prior and evaluate the algorithm using whole-body PET/MR patient data, for both FDG and non-FDG tracers, acquired from GE SIGNA PET/MR scanners with TOF capability. The weight of the MR-based prior is spatially modulated, based on MR signal strength, to control the balance between MRAC and JE. Large prior weights are used in strong MR signal regions such as soft tissue and fat (i.e. MR tissue classification with a high degree of certainty) and small weights are used in low MR signal regions (i.e. MR tissue classification with a low degree of certainty). The MR-based prior is pragmatic in the sense that it is convex and does not require training or population statistics while exploiting synergies between MRAC and JE. We demonstrate the JE algorithm has the potential to improve the robustness and accuracy of MRAC by recovering the attenuation of metallic implants, internal air and some bones and by better delineating lung boundaries, not only for FDG but also for more specific non-FDG tracers such as 68Ga-DOTATOC and 18F-Fluoride.

  17. Positron emitting tracers for studies of cocaine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fowler, J.S.; Gatley, S.J.; MacGregor, R.R.; Wolf, A.P.; Yu, D.W.; Dewey, S.L.; Schlyer, D.J.; Volkow, N.D.; Bendriem, B.; Logan, J.

    1990-01-01

    The use of PET to study the behavior and mechanism of action of therapeutic drugs and substances of abuse can be approached from a number of perspectives. The most common approach is to measure the effect of a drug on some aspect of metabolism and requires well characterized radiotracers whose behavior in vivo can be related to a discrete biochemical transformation. A second approach is to study the labeled drug itself. This provides information on the drug's regional distribution and kinetics as well as its pharmacological profile and metabolism. Cocaine has been labeled in different positions with carbon-11 and with fluorine-18 and the stereoisomers of cocaine have also been labeled to characterize its binding and metabolism in human and baboon brain. Regional cocaine binding as measured by PET is consistent with reversible binding to striatal dopamine reuptake sites and its time course parallels the behavioral activation of cocaine. The behaviorally inactive enantiomer (+)-cocaine is rapidly metabolized in serum preventing its entry into the brain. These PET tracers are useful in understanding the neurochemical basis of cocaine's action

  18. PET/MR imaging of bone lesions - implications for PET quantification from imperfect attenuation correction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Samarin, Andrei; Burger, Cyrill; Crook, David W.; Burger, Irene A.; Schmid, Daniel T.; Schulthess, Gustav K. von; Kuhn, Felix P.; Wollenweber, Scott D.

    2012-01-01

    Accurate attenuation correction (AC) is essential for quantitative analysis of PET tracer distribution. In MR, the lack of cortical bone signal makes bone segmentation difficult and may require implementation of special sequences. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the need for accurate bone segmentation in MR-based AC for whole-body PET/MR imaging. In 22 patients undergoing sequential PET/CT and 3-T MR imaging, modified CT AC maps were produced by replacing pixels with values of >100 HU, representing mostly bone structures, by pixels with a constant value of 36 HU corresponding to soft tissue, thereby simulating current MR-derived AC maps. A total of 141 FDG-positive osseous lesions and 50 soft-tissue lesions adjacent to bones were evaluated. The mean standardized uptake value (SUVmean) was measured in each lesion in PET images reconstructed once using the standard AC maps and once using the modified AC maps. Subsequently, the errors in lesion tracer uptake for the modified PET images were calculated using the standard PET image as a reference. Substitution of bone by soft tissue values in AC maps resulted in an underestimation of tracer uptake in osseous and soft tissue lesions adjacent to bones of 11.2 ± 5.4 % (range 1.5-30.8 %) and 3.2 ± 1.7 % (range 0.2-4 %), respectively. Analysis of the spine and pelvic osseous lesions revealed a substantial dependence of the error on lesion composition. For predominantly sclerotic spine lesions, the mean underestimation was 15.9 ± 3.4 % (range 9.9-23.5 %) and for osteolytic spine lesions, 7.2 ± 1.7 % (range 4.9-9.3 %), respectively. CT data simulating treating bone as soft tissue as is currently done in MR maps for PET AC leads to a substantial underestimation of tracer uptake in bone lesions and depends on lesion composition, the largest error being seen in sclerotic lesions. Therefore, depiction of cortical bone and other calcified areas in MR AC maps is necessary for accurate quantification of tracer uptake

  19. PET/CT in renal, bladder and testicular cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bouchelouche, Kirsten; Physician, Chief; Choyke, Peter L.

    2015-01-01

    Imaging plays an important role in the clinical management of cancer patients. Hybrid imaging with PET/CT is having a broad impact in oncology, and in recent years PET/CT is beginning to have an impact in uro-oncology as well. In both bladder and renal cancer there is a need to study the efficacy of other tracers than F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG), particularly tracers with only limited renal excretion. Thus, new tracers are being introduced in these malignancies. This review focuses on the clinical role of FDG and other PET agents in renal, bladder and testicular cancer. PMID:26099672

  20. Rapid kit-based (68)Ga-labelling and PET imaging with THP-Tyr(3)-octreotate: a preliminary comparison with DOTA-Tyr(3)-octreotate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Michelle T; Cullinane, Carleen; Waldeck, Kelly; Roselt, Peter; Hicks, Rodney J; Blower, Philip J

    2015-12-01

    Ge/(68)Ga generators provide an inexpensive source of a PET isotope to hospitals without cyclotron facilities. The development of new (68)Ga-based molecular imaging agents and subsequent clinical translation would be greatly facilitated by simplification of radiochemical syntheses. We report the properties of a tris(hydroxypyridinone) conjugate of the SSTR2-targeted peptide, Tyr(3)-octreotate (TATE), and compare the (68)Ga-labelling and biodistribution of [(68)Ga(THP-TATE)] with the clinical radiopharmaceutical [(68)Ga(DOTATATE)]. A tris(hydroxypyridinone) with a pendant isothiocyanate group was conjugated to the primary amine terminus of H2N-PEG2-Lys(iv-Dde)(5)-TATE, and the resulting conjugate was deprotected to provide THP-TATE. THP-TATE was radiolabelled with (68)Ga(3+) from a (68)Ge/(68)Ga generator. In vitro uptake was assessed in SSTR2-positive 427-7 cells and SSTR2-negative 427 (parental) cells. Biodistribution of [(68)Ga(THP-TATE)] was compared with that of [(68)Ga(DOTATATE)] in Balb/c nude mice bearing SSTR2-positive AR42J tumours. PET scans were obtained 1 h post-injection, after which animals were euthanised and tissues/organs harvested and counted. [(68)Ga(THP-TATE)] was radiolabelled and formulated rapidly in negative cells, and receptor binding and internalisation were specific. Animals administered [(68)Ga(THP-TATE)] demonstrated comparable SSTR2-positive tumour activity (11.5 ± 0.6 %ID g(-1)) compared to animals administered [(68)Ga(DOTATATE)] (14.4 ± 0.8 %ID g(-1)). Co-administration of unconjugated Tyr(3)-octreotate effectively blocked tumour accumulation of [(68)Ga(THP-TATE)] (2.7 ± 0.6 %ID g(-1)). Blood clearance of [(68)Ga(THP-TATE)] was rapid and excretion was predominantly renal, although compared to [(68)Ga(DOTATATE)], [(68)Ga(THP-TATE)] exhibited comparatively longer kidney retention. Radiochemical synthesis of [(68)Ga(THP-TATE)] is significantly faster, proceeds under milder conditions, and requires less manipulation

  1. A fast chemoenzymatic synthesis of [11C]-N5,N10-methylenetetrahydrofolate as a potential PET tracer for proliferating cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saeed, Muhammad; Tewson, Timothy J.; Erdahl, Colbin E.; Kohen, Amnon

    2012-01-01

    Introduction: Thymidylate synthase and folate receptors are well-developed targets of cancer therapy. Discovery of a simple and fast method for the conversion of 11 CH 3 Ito[ 11 C]-formaldehyde ( 11 CH 2 O) encouraged us to label the co-factor of this enzyme. Preliminary studies conducted on cell lines have demonstrated a preferential uptake of [11- 14 C]-(R)-N 5 ,N 10 -methylene-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrofolate ( 14 CH 2 H 4 folate) by cancerous cell vs. normal cells from the same organ (Saeed M., Sheff D. and Kohen A. Novel positron emission tomography tracer distinguishes normal from cancerous cells. J Biol Chem 2011;286:33872–33878), pointing out 11 CH 2 H 4 folate as a positron emission tomography (PET) tracer for cancer imaging. Herein we report the synthesis of 11 CH 2 H 4 folate, which may serve as a potential PET tracer. Methods: In a remotely controlled module, methyl iodide ( 11 CH 3 I) was bubbled into a reaction vial containing trimethylamine N-oxide in N,N-Dimethylformamide (DMF) and heated to 70°C for 2 min. Formaldehyde ( 11 CH 2 O) formed after the completion of reaction was then mixed with a solution of freshly prepared tetrahydrofolate (H 4 folate) by using a fast chemoenzymatic approach to accomplish synthesis of 11 CH 2 H 4 folate. Purification of the product was carried out by loading the crude reaction mixture on a SAX cartridge, washing with water to remove unbound impurities and finally eluting with a saline solution. Results: The synthesis and purification of 11 CH 2 H 4 folate were completed within 5 min. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis of the product after SAX purification indicates that more than 90% of the radioactivity that was retained on the SAX cartridge was in 11 CH 2 H 4 folate, with minor ( 11 CH 2 O. Conclusion: We present a fast (∼5 min) synthesis and purification of 11 CH 2 H 4 folate as a potential PET tracer. The final product is received in physiologically compatible buffer (100 mM sodium phosphate, pH 7

  2. Technology challenges in small animal PET imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lecomte, Roger

    2004-01-01

    Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a non-invasive nuclear imaging modality allowing biochemical processes to be investigated in vivo with sensitivity in the picomolar range. For this reason, PET has the potential to play a major role in the emerging field of molecular imaging by enabling the study of molecular pathways and genetic processes in living animals non-invasively. The challenge is to obtain a spatial resolution that is appropriate for rat and mouse imaging, the preferred animal models for research in biology, while achieving a sensitivity adequate for real-time measurement of rapid dynamic processes in vivo without violating tracer kinetic principles. An overview of the current state of development of dedicated small animal PET scanners is given, and selected applications are reported and discussed with respect to performance and significance to research in biology

  3. Synthesis of 1-[11C]-D,L-homocysteine thiolactone: a potential tracer for myocardial ischemia using PET

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hamacher, K.; Hanus, J.

    1989-01-01

    The synthesis of 1-[ 11 C]-D,L-homocysteine thiolactone, a potential tracer for PET imaging of ischemic heart regions, is described. The labelling is achieved by reaction of [ 11 C]carbon dioxide with α-lithiated S-(tetrahydro-pyran-2-yl)3-thiopropylisonitrile. Deprotection of the mercapto group and lactonisation of the resulting thioamino acid is accomplished in an acid catalysed reaction. The radiochemical yield obtained is 10 to 15% and the synthesis time, including the HPLC purification is about 45 min. (author)

  4. PET imaging in multiple sclerosis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Faria, Daniele de Paula; Copray, Sjef; Buchpiguel, Carlos; Dierckx, Rudi; de Vries, Erik

    Positron emission tomography (PET) is a non-invasive technique for quantitative imaging of biochemical and physiological processes in animals and humans. PET uses probes labeled with a radioactive isotope, called PET tracers, which can bind to or be converted by a specific biological target and thus

  5. STRATEGIES FOR QUANTIFYING PET IMAGING DATA FROM TRACER STUDIES OF BRAIN RECEPTORS AND ENZYMES.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Logan, J.

    2001-04-02

    A description of some of the methods used in neuroreceptor imaging to distinguish changes in receptor availability has been presented in this chapter. It is necessary to look beyond regional uptake of the tracer since uptake generally is affected by factors other than the number of receptors for which the tracer has affinity. An exception is the infusion method producing an equilibrium state. The techniques vary in complexity some requiring arterial blood measurements of unmetabolized tracer and multiple time uptake data. Others require only a few plasma and uptake measurements and those based on a reference region require no plasma measurements. We have outlined some of the limitations of the different methods. Laruelle (1999) has pointed out that test/retest studies to which various methods can be applied are crucial in determining the optimal method for a particular study. The choice of method will also depend upon the application. In a clinical setting, methods not involving arterial blood sampling are generally preferred. In the future techniques for externally measuring arterial plasma radioactivity with only a few blood samples for metabolite correction will extend the modeling options of clinical PET. Also since parametric images can provide information beyond that of ROI analysis, improved techniques for generating such images will be important, particularly for ligands requiring more than a one-compartment model. Techniques such as the wavelet transform proposed by Turkheimer et al. (2000) may prove to be important in reducing noise and improving quantitation.

  6. Investigation of 6-[¹⁸F]-fluoromaltose as a novel PET tracer for imaging bacterial infection.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gayatri Gowrishankar

    Full Text Available Despite advances in the field of nuclear medicine, the imaging of bacterial infections has remained a challenge. The existing reagents suffer from poor sensitivity and specificity. In this study we investigate the potential of a novel PET (positron emission tomography tracer that overcomes these limitations.6-[¹⁸F]-fluoromaltose was synthesized. Its behavior in vitro was evaluated in bacterial and mammalian cultures. Detailed pharmacokinetic and biodistribution profiles for the tracer were obtained from a murine model.6-[¹⁸F]-fluoromaltose is taken up by multiple strains of pathogenic bacteria. It is not taken up by mammalian cancer cell lines. 6-[¹⁸F]-fluoromaltose is retained in infected muscles in a murine model of bacterial myositis. It does not accumulate in inflamed tissue.We have shown that 6-[¹⁸F]-fluoromaltose can be used to image bacterial infection in vivo with high specificity. We believe that this class of agents will have a significant impact on the clinical management of patients.

  7. The role of PET quantification in cardiovascular imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Slomka, Piotr; Berman, Daniel S; Alexanderson, Erick; Germano, Guido

    2014-08-01

    Positron Emission Tomography (PET) has several clinical and research applications in cardiovascular imaging. Myocardial perfusion imaging with PET allows accurate global and regional measurements of myocardial perfusion, myocardial blood flow and function at stress and rest in one exam. Simultaneous assessment of function and perfusion by PET with quantitative software is currently the routine practice. Combination of ejection fraction reserve with perfusion information may improve the identification of severe disease. The myocardial viability can be estimated by quantitative comparison of fluorodeoxyglucose ( 18 FDG) and rest perfusion imaging. The myocardial blood flow and coronary flow reserve measurements are becoming routinely included in the clinical assessment due to enhanced dynamic imaging capabilities of the latest PET/CT scanners. Absolute flow measurements allow evaluation of the coronary microvascular dysfunction and provide additional prognostic and diagnostic information for coronary disease. Standard quantitative approaches to compute myocardial blood flow from kinetic PET data in automated and rapid fashion have been developed for 13 N-ammonia, 15 O-water and 82 Rb radiotracers. The agreement between software methods available for such analysis is excellent. Relative quantification of 82 Rb PET myocardial perfusion, based on comparisons to normal databases, demonstrates high performance for the detection of obstructive coronary disease. New tracers, such as 18 F-flurpiridaz may allow further improvements in the disease detection. Computerized analysis of perfusion at stress and rest reduces the variability of the assessment as compared to visual analysis. PET quantification can be enhanced by precise coregistration with CT angiography. In emerging clinical applications, the potential to identify vulnerable plaques by quantification of atherosclerotic plaque uptake of 18 FDG and 18 F-sodium fluoride tracers in carotids, aorta and coronary arteries

  8. Radiosynthesis and initial characterization of a PDE10A specific PET tracer [18 F]AMG 580 in non-human primates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hwang, Dah-Ren; Hu, Essa; Allen, Jennifer R.; Davis, Carl; Treanor, James; Miller, Silke; Chen, Hang; Shi, Bingzhi; Narayanan, Tanjorie K.; Barret, Olivier; Alagille, David; Yu, Zhigang; Slifstein, Mark

    2015-01-01

    Introduction: Phosphodiesterase 10A (PDE10A) is an intracellular enzyme responsible for the breakdown of cyclic nucleotides which are important second messengers for neurotransmission. Inhibition of PDE10A has been identified as a potential target for treatment of various neuropsychiatric disorders. To assist drug development, we have identified a selective PDE10A positron emission tomography (PET) tracer, AMG 580. We describe here the radiosynthesis of [ 18 F]AMG 580 and in vitro and in vivo characterization results. Methods: The potency and selectivity were determined by in vitro assay using [ 3 H]AMG 580 and baboon brain tissues. [ 18 F]AMG 580 was prepared by a 1-step [ 18 F]fluorination procedure. Dynamic brain PET scans were performed in non-human primates. Regions-of-interest were defined on individuals’ MRIs and transferred to the co-registered PET images. Data were analyzed using two tissue compartment analysis (2TC), Logan graphical (Logan) analysis with metabolite-corrected input function and the simplified reference tissue model (SRTM) method. A PDE10A inhibitor and unlabeled AMG 580 were used to demonstrate the PDE10A specificity. K D was estimated by Scatchard analysis of high and low affinity PET scans. Results: AMG 580 has an in vitro K D of 71.9 pM. Autoradiography showed specific uptake in striatum. Mean activity of 121 ± 18 MBq was used in PET studies. In Rhesus, the baseline BP ND for putamen and caudate was 3.38 and 2.34, respectively, via 2TC, and 3.16, 2.34 via Logan, and 2.92, and 2.01 via SRTM. A dose dependent decrease of BP ND was observed by the pre-treatment with a PDE10A inhibitor. In baboons, 0.24 mg/kg dose of AMG 580 resulted in about 70% decrease of BP ND . The in vivo K D of [ 18 F]AMG 580 was estimated to be around 0.44 nM in baboons. Conclusion: [ 18 F]AMG 580 is a selective and potent PDE10A PET tracer with excellent specific striatal binding in non-human primates. It warrants further evaluation in humans

  9. New PET tracers for cerebral dopamine: Should 6-[18f]fluoro-dopa be replaced?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Firnau, G.; Chirakal, R.; Chen, J.J.; Murthy, D.; Nahmias, C.; Garnett, E.S.

    1993-01-01

    The visualization with PET of dopaminergic terminals in the human brain has been accomplished by a variety of approaches using β + -labelled substrates 1. for Aromatic L-Amino acid Decarboxylase, AADC, (6-[ 18 F]fluoro-L-dopa, FD; 6-[ 18 F]fluoro-L-meta-tyrosine, FmT; L-[ 11 C]Dopa); and β + -labelled inhibitors 2. for reuptake transporter ([ 11 C]Cocain, [ 11 C]WIN 35,428); 3. for Monoamine Oxidase-B ([ 11 C]deprenyl); 4. for the Vesicular uptake site ([ 11 C]tetrabenzamine). The enzyme approach with FD has been particularly successful in providing important insights into Parkinson's disease and dystonias. The extraction of quantitative data from FD/PET studies in humans is complicated by the formation of O-methylFD in the periphery, which, like FD, also enters the brain. Following the suggestion by deJesus (1988) to use a labelled meta-tyrosine (substrate for AADC but not COMT) the authors have synthesized FmT, developed it into a radiopharmaceutical (toxicology and radiation dose in humans) and studied the intracerebral distribution in man and the metabolites in monkeys. They found that FmT's peripheral metabolite does not enter the brain. Unlike FD, FmT delineates with greater clarity the dopaminergic terminals and cells including those in the substantia nigra that, so far, could not be investigated with any other PET tracer. Thus, FmT appears to be superior to FD

  10. [F-18]fluoro-meta-L-tyrosine is a better PET tracer than [F-18]fluoro-L-dopa for the delineation of dopaminergic structures in the human brain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Firnau, G.; Chirakal, R.; Nahmias, C.; Garnett, E.S.

    1990-01-01

    Fluorine-18 labelled fluoro-m-L-tyrosine (FmLtyr) and fluoro-L-Dopa (F-Dopa) have been synthesized, and the utility of FmLtyr for PET investigations of dopaminergic brain regions has been compared to that of F-dopa. Experimental results from both monkey and human studies indicate that FmLtyr gives better delineation of striatum, and is a better PET tracer than F-dopa

  11. Multi-layer cube sampling for liver boundary detection in PET-CT images.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Xinxin; Yang, Jian; Song, Shuang; Song, Hong; Ai, Danni; Zhu, Jianjun; Jiang, Yurong; Wang, Yongtian

    2018-06-01

    Liver metabolic information is considered as a crucial diagnostic marker for the diagnosis of fever of unknown origin, and liver recognition is the basis of automatic diagnosis of metabolic information extraction. However, the poor quality of PET and CT images is a challenge for information extraction and target recognition in PET-CT images. The existing detection method cannot meet the requirement of liver recognition in PET-CT images, which is the key problem in the big data analysis of PET-CT images. A novel texture feature descriptor called multi-layer cube sampling (MLCS) is developed for liver boundary detection in low-dose CT and PET images. The cube sampling feature is proposed for extracting more texture information, which uses a bi-centric voxel strategy. Neighbour voxels are divided into three regions by the centre voxel and the reference voxel in the histogram, and the voxel distribution information is statistically classified as texture feature. Multi-layer texture features are also used to improve the ability and adaptability of target recognition in volume data. The proposed feature is tested on the PET and CT images for liver boundary detection. For the liver in the volume data, mean detection rate (DR) and mean error rate (ER) reached 95.15 and 7.81% in low-quality PET images, and 83.10 and 21.08% in low-contrast CT images. The experimental results demonstrated that the proposed method is effective and robust for liver boundary detection.

  12. High-resolution multi-slice PET

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yasillo, N.J.; Chintu Chen; Ordonez, C.E.; Kapp, O.H.; Sosnowski, J.; Beck, R.N.

    1992-01-01

    This report evaluates the progress to test the feasibility and to initiate the design of a high resolution multi-slice PET system. The following specific areas were evaluated: detector development and testing; electronics configuration and design; mechanical design; and system simulation. The design and construction of a multiple-slice, high-resolution positron tomograph will provide substantial improvements in the accuracy and reproducibility of measurements of the distribution of activity concentrations in the brain. The range of functional brain research and our understanding of local brain function will be greatly extended when the development of this instrumentation is completed

  13. Towards truly integrated hardware fusion with PET/CT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beyer, T.

    2005-01-01

    Combined PET/CT imaging is a non-invasive means of acquiring and reviewing both, the anatomy and the molecular pathways of a patient during a quasi-simultaneous examination. Since the introduction of the prototype PET/CT in 1998 this imaging technology has evolved rapidly. State-of-the-art PET/CT tomographs combine the latest technology in spiral, multi-slice CT and PET using novel scintillator materials and image reconstruction techniques. Together with novel patient positioning systems PET/CT tomographs allow to acquire complementary PET and CT data in a single exam with the best intrinsic co-registration. In addition to the hardware integration efforts have been made to integrate the acquisition and viewing software in PET/CT, thus making the diagnostic review and reporting more efficient. Based on the first clinical experiences and the technical evolution of combined imaging technology PET/CT has become a standard in diagnostic oncology. With high-performance imaging technology at hand today, standardized, high-quality PET/CT imaging protocols are needed to provide best oncology patient care. These protocols mandate the joint efforts of a multi-disciplinary team of physicians, physicists and radiochemists. (orig.)

  14. Issues in quantification of registered respiratory gated PET/CT in the lung

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cuplov, Vesna; Holman, Beverley F.; McClelland, Jamie; Modat, Marc; Hutton, Brian F.; Thielemans, Kris

    2018-01-01

    PET/CT quantification of lung tissue is limited by several difficulties: the lung density and local volume changes during respiration, the anatomical mismatch between PET and CT and the relative contributions of tissue, air and blood to the PET signal (the tissue fraction effect). Air fraction correction (AFC) has been shown to improve PET image quantification in the lungs. Methods to correct for the movement and anatomical mismatch involve respiratory gating and image registration techniques. While conventional registration methods only account for spatial mismatch, the Jacobian determinant of the deformable registration transformation field can be used to estimate local volume changes and could therefore potentially be used to correct (i.e. Jacobian Correction, JC) the PET signal for changes in concentration due to local volume changes. This work aims to investigate the relationship between variations in the lung due to respiration, specifically density, tracer concentration and local volume changes. In particular, we study the effect of AFC and JC on PET quantitation after registration of respiratory gated PET/CT patient data. Six patients suffering from lung cancer with solitary pulmonary nodules underwent 18 F-FDG PET/cine-CT. The PET data were gated into six respiratory gates using displacement gating based on a real-time position management (RPM) signal and reconstructed with matched gated CT. The PET tracer concentration and tissue density were extracted from registered gated PET and CT images before and after corrections (AFC or JC) and compared to the values from the reference images. Before correction, we observed a linear correlation between the PET tracer concentration values and density. Across all gates and patients, the maximum relative change in PET tracer concentration before (after) AFC was found to be 16.2% (4.1%) and the maximum relative change in tissue density and PET tracer concentration before (after) JC was found to be 17.1% (5.5%) and 16

  15. Conspicuity of FDG-aid osseous lesions on PET/MRI versus PET/CT: A quantitative and visual analysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fraum, Tyler J.; Fowler, Kathryn J.; Mcconathy, Jonathan [Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis (United States)

    2016-09-15

    Because standard MRI-based attenuation correction (AC) does not account for the attenuation of photons by cortical bone, PET/MRI may have reduced sensitivity for FDG-avid focal bone lesions (FFBLs). This study evaluates whether MRI-based AC compromises detection of FFBLs, by comparing their conspicuity both quantitatively and qualitatively on PET/MRI versus PET/CT. One hundred ninety general oncology patients underwent whole-body PET/CT followed by whole-body PET/MRI, utilizing the same FDG dose. Thirteen patients with a total of 50 FFBLs were identified. Using automated contouring software, a volumetric contour was generated for each FFBL. Adjacent regions of normal background bone (BB) were selected manually. For each contour, SUV-max and SUV-mean were determined. Lesion-to-background SUV ratios served as quantitative metrics of conspicuity. Additionally, two blinded readers evaluated the relative conspicuity of FFBLs on PET images derived from MRI-based AC versus CT-based AC. Visibility of an anatomic correlate for FFBLs on the corresponding CT and MR images was also assessed. SUV-mean was lower on PET/MRI for both FFBLs (-6.5 %, p = 0.009) and BB (-20.5 %, p < 0.001). SUV-max was lower on PET/MRI for BB (-14.2 %, p = 0.002) but not for FFBLs (-6.2 %, p = 0.068). The ratio of FFBL SUV-mean to BB SUV-mean was higher for PET/MRI (+29.5 %, p < 0.001). Forty of 50 lesions (80 %) were visually deemed to be of equal or greater conspicuity on PET images derived from PET/MRI. Thirty-five of 50 FFBLs (70 %) had CT correlates, while 40/50 FFBLs (80 %) had a correlate on at least one MRI sequence. The mean interval from tracer administration to imaging was longer (p < 0.001) for PET/MRI (127 v. 62 min). Both FFBLs and BB had lower mean SUVs on PET/MRI than PET/CT. This finding was likely in part due to differences in the handling of cortical bone by MRI-based AC versus CT-based AC. Despite this systematic bias, FFBLs had greater conspicuity on PET

  16. Radiosynthesis and in vivo evaluation of a series of substituted {sup 11}C-phenethylamines as 5-HT{sub 2A} agonist PET tracers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ettrup, Anders; Santini, Martin A.; Palner, Mikael; Knudsen, Gitte M. [Copenhagen University Hospital, Neurobiology Research Unit, Copenhagen (Denmark); Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Center for Integrated Molecular Brain Imaging (Cimbi), Copenhagen (Denmark); Hansen, Martin; Paine, James; Kristensen, Jesper; Begtrup, Mikael [University of Copenhagen, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Copenhagen (Denmark); Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Center for Integrated Molecular Brain Imaging (Cimbi), Copenhagen (Denmark); Gillings, Nic; Herth, Matthias M.; Madsen, Jacob [Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, PET and Cyclotron Unit, Copenhagen (Denmark); Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Center for Integrated Molecular Brain Imaging (Cimbi), Copenhagen (Denmark); Lehel, Szabolcs [Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, PET and Cyclotron Unit, Copenhagen (Denmark)

    2011-04-15

    Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of serotonin 2A (5-HT{sub 2A}) receptors with agonist tracers holds promise for the selective labelling of 5-HT{sub 2A} receptors in their high-affinity state. We have previously validated [{sup 11}C]Cimbi-5 and found that it is a 5-HT{sub 2A} receptor agonist PET tracer. In an attempt to further optimize the target-to-background binding ratio, we modified the chemical structure of the phenethylamine backbone and carbon-11 labelling site of [{sup 11}C]Cimbi-5 in different ways. Here, we present the in vivo validation of nine novel 5-HT{sub 2A} receptor agonist PET tracers in the pig brain. Each radiotracer was injected intravenously into anaesthetized Danish Landrace pigs, and the pigs were subsequently scanned for 90 min in a high-resolution research tomography scanner. To evaluate 5-HT{sub 2A} receptor binding, cortical nondisplaceable binding potentials (BP{sub ND}) were calculated using the simplified reference tissue model with the cerebellum as a reference region. After intravenous injection, all compounds entered the brain and distributed preferentially into the cortical areas, in accordance with the known 5-HT{sub 2A} receptor distribution. The largest target-to-background binding ratio was found for [{sup 11}C]Cimbi-36 which also had a high brain uptake compared to its analogues. The cortical binding of [{sup 11}C]Cimbi-36 was decreased by pretreatment with ketanserin, supporting 5-HT{sub 2A} receptor selectivity in vivo. [{sup 11}C]Cimbi-82 and [{sup 11}C]Cimbi-21 showed lower cortical BP{sub ND}, while [{sup 11}C]Cimbi-27, [{sup 11}C]Cimbi-29, [{sup 11}C]Cimbi-31 and [{sup 11}C]Cimbi-88 gave rise to cortical BP{sub ND} similar to that of [{sup 11}C]Cimbi-5. [{sup 11}C]Cimbi-36 is currently the most promising candidate for investigation of 5-HT{sub 2A} receptor agonist binding in the living human brain with PET. (orig.)

  17. Quantitative assessment of dynamic PET imaging data in cancer imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muzi, Mark; O'Sullivan, Finbarr; Mankoff, David A; Doot, Robert K; Pierce, Larry A; Kurland, Brenda F; Linden, Hannah M; Kinahan, Paul E

    2012-11-01

    Clinical imaging in positron emission tomography (PET) is often performed using single-time-point estimates of tracer uptake or static imaging that provides a spatial map of regional tracer concentration. However, dynamic tracer imaging can provide considerably more information about in vivo biology by delineating both the temporal and spatial pattern of tracer uptake. In addition, several potential sources of error that occur in static imaging can be mitigated. This review focuses on the application of dynamic PET imaging to measuring regional cancer biologic features and especially in using dynamic PET imaging for quantitative therapeutic response monitoring for cancer clinical trials. Dynamic PET imaging output parameters, particularly transport (flow) and overall metabolic rate, have provided imaging end points for clinical trials at single-center institutions for years. However, dynamic imaging poses many challenges for multicenter clinical trial implementations from cross-center calibration to the inadequacy of a common informatics infrastructure. Underlying principles and methodology of PET dynamic imaging are first reviewed, followed by an examination of current approaches to dynamic PET image analysis with a specific case example of dynamic fluorothymidine imaging to illustrate the approach. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Fluorinated tracers for imaging cancer with positron emission tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Couturier, Olivier; Chatal, Jean-Francois; Luxen, Andre; Vuillez, Jean-Philippe; Rigo, Pierre; Hustinx, Roland

    2004-01-01

    2-[ 18 F]fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose (FDG) is currently the only fluorinated tracer used in routine clinical positron emission tomography (PET). Fluorine-18 is considered the ideal radioisotope for PET imaging owing to the low positron energy (0.64 MeV), which not only limits the dose rate to the patient but also results in a relatively short range of emission in tissue, thereby providing high-resolution images. Further, the 110-min physical half-life allows for high-yield radiosynthesis, transport from the production site to the imaging site and imaging protocols that may span hours, which permits dynamic studies and assessment of potentially fairly slow metabolic processes. The synthesis of fluorinated tracers as an alternative to FDG was initially tested using nucleophilic fluorination of the molecule, as performed when radiolabelling with iodine-124 or bromide-76. However, in addition to being long, with multiple steps, this procedure is not recommended for bioactive molecules containing reactive groups such as amine or thiol groups. Radiochemical yields are also often low. More recently, radiosynthesis from prosthetic group precursors, which allows easier radiolabelling of biomolecules, has led to the development of numerous fluorinated tracers. Given the wide availability of 18 F, such tracers may well develop into important routine tracers. This article is a review of the literature concerning fluorinated radiotracers recently developed and under investigation for possible PET imaging in cancer patients. Two groups can be distinguished. The first includes ''generalist'' tracers, i.e. tracers amenable to use in a wide variety of tumours and indications, very similar in this respect to FDG. These are tracers for non-specific cell metabolism, such as protein synthesis, amino acid transport, nucleic acid synthesis or membrane component synthesis. The second group consists of ''specific'' tracers for receptor expression (i.e. oestrogens or somatostatin), cell

  19. FDG PET/CT for therapeutic response monitoring in multi-site non-respiratory tuberculosis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Geng Tian; Yong Xiao; Bin Chen; Jun Xia; Hong Guan; Qunyi Deng

    2010-01-01

    Background: Tuberculosis (TB) can produce positive signals during 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission/computed tomography (FDG PET/CT) scanning. Until now, there has been no better method than clinical assessment to evaluate the therapeutic response of non-respiratory TB (NRTB). Purpose: To retrospectively assess the ability of FDG PET/CT to evaluate the response to anti-TB treatment in patients with NRTB. Material and Methods: Three patients with multi-site NRTB underwent repeat PET/CT scans during anti-TB treatment. Changes in maximal standard uptake value (SUVmax) of the TB lesions on PET/CT images were analyzed between two scans. Initial PET/CT scans were performed before the start of anti-TB treatment, and later scans were performed after completion of the treatment. Results: Patient 1, a 63-year-old female, and patient 2, a 50-year-old male, were diagnosed as multi-site NRTB by biopsy. Patient 3, a 37-year-old male was diagnosed clinically. These patients demonstrated multiple FDG-avid lesions in whole body on initial PET/CT images. The highest SUVmax of patient 1, 2, and 3 were 13.6, 17.7, and 13.9 separately. After completion of the treatment, all positive signals of patient 1, 2, and 3 decreased to undetectable value on repeated PET/CT scans with intervals of 318 days, 258 days, and 182 days separately. Conclusion: FDG PET/CT scan may be useful for monitoring responses to anti-TB treatment in patients with NRTB

  20. Bone formation rather than inflammation reflects Ankylosing Spondylitis activity on PET-CT: a pilot study

    OpenAIRE

    Bruijnen, Stefan TG; van der Weijden, Mignon AC; Klein, Joannes P; Hoekstra, Otto S; Boellaard, Ronald; van Denderen, J Christiaan; Dijkmans, Ben AC; Voskuyl, Alexandre E; van der Horst-Bruinsma, Irene E; van der Laken, Conny J

    2012-01-01

    Introduction Positron Emission Tomography - Computer Tomography (PET-CT) is an interesting imaging technique to visualize Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) activity using specific PET tracers. Previous studies have shown that the PET tracers [18F]FDG and [11C](R)PK11195 can target inflammation (synovitis) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and may therefore be useful in AS. Another interesting tracer for AS is [18F]Fluoride, which targets bone formation. In a pilot setting, the potential of PET-CT in ima...

  1. Adapting MR-BrainPET scans for comparison with conventional PET: experiences with dynamic FET-PET in brain tumours

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lohmann, Philipp; Herzog, Hans; Kops, Elena Rota; Stoffels, Gabriele; Filss, Christian [Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3,-4,-5), Forschungszentrum Juelich, Juelich (Germany); Galldiks, Norbert [Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3,-4,-5), Forschungszentrum Juelich, Juelich (Germany); Department of Neurology, University of Cologne, Cologne (Germany); Coenen, Heinrich H; Shah, N Jon; Langen, Karl-Josef [Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3,-4,-5), Forschungszentrum Juelich, Juelich (Germany)

    2014-07-29

    Imaging results from subsequent measurements (preclinical 3T MR-BrainPET, HR+) are compared. O-(2-[{sup 18}F]fluoroethyl)-L-tyrosine (FET) may exhibit non-uniform tracer uptake in gliomas. The aim was to analyse and adapt the physical properties of the scanners and study variations of biological tumour volume (BTV) in early and late FET-PET.

  2. [1-11C]octanoate as a PET tracer for studying ischemic stroke. Evaluation in a canine model of thromboembolic stroke with positron emission tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kuge, Yuji; Kawashima, Hidefumi; Minematsu, Kazuo

    2000-01-01

    Octanoate is taken up by the brain and converted in astrocytes to glutamine through the TCA cycle after β-oxidation. Consequently, [1- 11 C]octanoate might serve as a useful positron emission tomography (PET) probe for studying cerebral oxidative metabolism and/or astroglial functions. The present study attempted to evaluate the utility of using [1- 11 C]octanoate as a PET tracer for imaging and evaluating the pathophysiology of ischemic stroke. We used a canine model of thromboembolic stroke. Five male beagle dogs were implanted with an indwelling catheter in the left internal carotid artery. A single autologous blood clot was injected into the left internal carotid artery through the catheter. The brain distribution of [1- 11 C]octanoate and cerebral blood flow (CBF) were determined 24 h after insult using a high resolution PET scanner. Post mortem brain regions unstained with 2, 3, 5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) were defined as infarcts. In the region of an infarct, accumulation of [1- 11 C]octanoate decreased concurrently with CBF reduction. In contrast, normal accumulation of [1- 11 C]octanoate was observed in ischemic but vital regions, suggesting that an increased accumulation of [1- 11 C]octanoate relative to CBF takes place in these regions. In conclusion, [1- 11 C]octanoate accumulated in ischemic but vital regions, indicating that [1- 11 C]octanoate is a potentially useful PET tracer for imaging and evaluating the pathophysiology of ischemic stroke. (author)

  3. Radiosynthesis of N-¹¹C-Methyl-Taurine-Conjugated Bile Acids and Biodistribution Studies in Pigs by PET/CT.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schacht, Anna Christina; Sørensen, Michael; Munk, Ole Lajord; Frisch, Kim

    2016-04-01

    During cholestasis, accumulation of conjugated bile acids may occur in the liver and lead to hepatocellular damage. Inspired by our recent development of N-(11)C-methyl-glycocholic acid-that is, (11)C-cholylsarcosine-a tracer for PET of the endogenous glycine conjugate of cholic acid, we report here a radiosynthesis of N-(11)C-methyl-taurine-conjugated bile acids and biodistribution studies in pigs by PET/CT. A radiosynthesis of N-(11)C-methyl-taurine-conjugated bile acids was developed and used to prepare N-(11)C-methyl-taurine conjugates derived from cholic, chenodeoxycholic, deoxycholic, ursodeoxycholic, and lithocholic acid. The lipophilicity of these new tracers was determined by reversed-phase thin-layer chromatography. The effect of lipophilicity and structure on the biodistribution was investigated in pigs by PET/CT using the tracers derived from cholic acid (3α-OH, 7α-OH, 12α-OH), ursodeoxycholic acid (3α-OH, 7β-OH), and lithocholic acid (3α-OH). The radiosyntheses of the N-(11)C-methyl-taurine-conjugated bile acids proceeded with radiochemical yields of 61% (decay-corrected) or greater and radiochemical purities greater than 99%. PET/CT in pigs revealed that the tracers were rapidly taken up by the liver and secreted into bile. There was no detectable radioactivity in urine. Significant reflux of N-(11)C-methyl-taurolithocholic acid into the stomach was observed. We have successfully developed a radiosynthesis of N-(11)C-methyl-taurine-conjugated bile acids. These tracers behave in a manner similar to endogenous taurine-conjugated bile acids in vivo and are thus promising for functional PET of patients with cholestatic diseases. © 2016 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Inc.

  4. PET and PET-CT. State of the art and future prospects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fanti, Stefano; Franchi, Roberto; Battista, Giuseppe; Monetti, Nino; Canini, Romeo

    2005-01-01

    Fluoro-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG PET) enables the in vivo study of tissue metabolism, and thus is able to identify malignant tumours as hypermetabolic lesions by an increase in tracer uptake. Many papers have demonstrated both the relevant impact of FDG PET on staging of many cancers and the superior accuracy of the technique compared with conventional diagnostic methods for pre-treatment evaluation, therapy response evaluation and relapse identification. In particular PET was found useful in identifying lymph nodal and metastatic spread. thus altering patient management in more than 30% of cases. PET images, however, provide limited anatomical data, which in regions such as the head and neck, mediastinum and pelvic cavity is a significant drawback. The exact localization of lesions may also be difficult in some cases, on the basis of PET images alone. The introduction of combined PET-computed tomography (PET-CT) scanners enables the almost simultaneous acquisition of transmission and emission images, thus obtaining optimal fusion images in a very short time. PET-CT fusion images enable lesions to be located, reducing false positive studies and increasing accuracy; the overall duration of examination may also be reduced. On the basis of both literature data and our experience we established the clinical indications when PET-CT may be particularly useful, in comparison with PET alone. It should also be underlined that the use of PET-CT is almost mandatory for new traces such as C-choline and C-methionine; these new tracers may be applied for studying tumours not assessable with FDG, such as prostate cancer. In conclusion PET-CT is at present the most advanced method for metabolic imaging, and is capable of precisely localizing and assessing tumours; fusion images reduce false positive and inconclusive studies, thus increasing diagnostic accuracy [it

  5. [18F]FE rate at SUPPY: a suitable PET tracer for the adenosine A3 receptor? An in vivo study in rodents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haeusler, Daniela; Zeilinger, Markus; Wadsak, Wolfgang; Hacker, Marcus; Mitterhauser, Markus; Kuntner, Claudia; Wanek, Thomas; Langer, Oliver; Nics, Lukas; Savli, Markus; Lanzenberger, Rupert R.; Karagiannis, Panagiotis; Shanab, Karem; Spreitzer, Helmut

    2015-01-01

    The adenosine A 3 receptor (A3R) is involved in cardiovascular, neurological and tumour-related pathologies and serves as an exceptional pharmaceutical target in the clinical setting. A3R antagonists are considered antiinflammatory, antiallergic and anticancer agents, and to have potential for the treatment of asthma, COPD, glaucoma and stroke. Hence, an appropriate A3R PET tracer would be highly beneficial for the diagnosis and therapy monitoring of these diseases. Therefore, in this preclinical in vivo study we evaluated the potential as a PET tracer of the A3R antagonist [ 18 F]FE rate at SUPPY. Rats were injected with [ 18 F]FE rate at SUPPY for baseline scans and blocking scans (A3R with MRS1523 or FE rate at SUPPY, P-gp with tariquidar; three animals each). Additionally, metabolism was studied in plasma and brain. In a preliminary experiment in a mouse xenograft model (mice injected with cells expressing the human A3R; three animals), the animals received [ 18 F]FE rate at SUPPY and [ 18 F]FDG. Dynamic PET imaging was performed (60 min in rats, 90 min in xenografted mice). In vitro stability of [ 18 F]FE rate at SUPPY in human and rat plasma was also evaluated. [ 18 F]FE rate at SUPPY showed high uptake in fat-rich regions and low uptake in the brain. Pretreatment with MRS1523 led to a decrease in [ 18 F]FE rate at SUPPY uptake (p = 0.03), and pretreatment with the P-gp inhibitor tariquidar led to a 1.24-fold increase in [ 18 F]FE rate at SUPPY uptake (p = 0.09) in rat brain. There was no significant difference in metabolites in plasma and brain in the treatment groups. However, plasma concentrations of [ 18 F]FE rate at SUPPY were reduced to levels similar to those in rat brain after blocking. In contrast to [ 18 F]FDG uptake (p = 0.12), the xenograft model showed significantly increased uptake of [ 18 F]FE rate at SUPPY in the tissue masses from CHO cells expressing the human A3R (p = 0.03). [ 18 F]FE rate at SUPPY was stable in human plasma. Selective and

  6. Relevance of positron emission tomography (PET) in oncology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weber, W.A.; Avril, N.; Schwaiger, M.

    1999-01-01

    Background: The clinical use of positron emission tomography (PET) for detection and staging of malignant tumors is rapidly increasing. Furthermore, encouraging results for monitoring the effects of radio- and chemotherapy have been reported. Methods: This review describes the technical principles of PET and the biological characteristics of tracers used in oncological research and patient studies. The results of clinical studies published in peer reviewed journals during the last 5 years are summarized and clinical indications for PET scans in various tumor types are discussed. Results and Conclusions: Numerous studies have documented the high diagnostic accuracy of PET studies using the glucose analogue F-18-fluordeoxyglucose (FDG-PET) for detection and staging of malignant tumors. In this field, FDG-PET has been particularly successful in lung cancer, colorectal cancer, malignant lymphoma and melanoma. Furthermore, FDG-PET has often proven to be superior to morphological imaging techniques for differentation of tumor recurrence from scar tissue. Due to the high glucose utilization of normal gray matter radiolabeled amino-acids like C-11-methionine are superior to FDG for detection and delineation of brain tumors by PET. In the future, more specific markers of tumor cell proliferation and gene expression may allow the application of PET not only for dianostic imaging also but for non-invasive biological characterization of malignant tumors and early monitoring of therapeutic interventions. (orig.) [de

  7. PET/CT studies of multiple myeloma using {sup 18}F-FDG and {sup 18}F-NaF: comparison of distribution patterns and tracers' pharmacokinetics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sachpekidis, Christos [Clinical Cooperation Unit Nuclear Medicine, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg (Germany); German Cancer Research Center, Medical PET Group - Biological Imaging Clinical Cooperation Unit Nuclear Medicine, Heidelberg (Germany); Goldschmidt, Hartmut; Hose, Dirk [University of Heidelberg, Medical Clinic V, Heidelberg (Germany); National Center for Tumor Diseases Heidelberg, Heidelberg (Germany); Pan, Leyun; Cheng, Caixia; Dimitrakopoulou-Strauss, Antonia [Clinical Cooperation Unit Nuclear Medicine, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg (Germany); Kopka, Klaus [German Cancer Research Center, Division of Radiopharmaceutical Chemistry, Heidelberg (Germany); Haberkorn, Uwe [Clinical Cooperation Unit Nuclear Medicine, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg (Germany); University of Heidelberg, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Heidelberg (Germany)

    2014-07-15

    The aim of this prospective study is to evaluate the combined use of fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose ({sup 18}F-FDG) and fluorine-18 sodium fluoride ({sup 18}F-NaF) PET/CT in the skeletal assessment of patients with multiple myeloma (MM) and to compare the efficacy of these two PET tracers regarding detection of myeloma-indicative osseous lesions. The study includes 60 patients with multiple myeloma (MM) diagnosed according to standard criteria. All patients underwent dynamic (dPET/CT) scanning of the pelvis as well as whole body PET/CT studies with both tracers. The interval between the two exams was one day. Sites of focal increased {sup 18}F-FDG uptake were considered as highly suspicious of myelomatous involvement. The lesions detected on the {sup 18}F-NaF PET/CT scans were then correlated with those detected on {sup 18}F-FDG PET/CT, which served as a reference. Moreover, the {sup 18}F-FDG PET/CT results were also correlated with the low-dose CT findings. The evaluation of dPET/CT studies was based on qualitative evaluation, SUV calculation, and quantitative analysis based on a 2-tissue compartment model and a non-compartmental approach. Whole body {sup 18}F-FDG PET/CT revealed approximately 343 focal lesions while {sup 18}F-NaF PET/CT revealed 135 MM-indicative lesions (39 % correlation). CT demonstrated 150 lesions that correlated with those in {sup 18}F-FDG PET/CT (44 % correlation). Six patients demonstrated a diffuse pattern of disease with {sup 18}F-FDG, while 15 of them had a mixed (diffuse and focal) pattern of skeletal {sup 18}F-FDG uptake. A high number of degenerative, traumatic and arthritic disease lesions were detected with {sup 18}F-NaF PET/CT. In three patients with multiple focal {sup 18}F-FDG-uptake, {sup 18}F-NaF PET/CT failed to demonstrate any bone lesion. The dPET/CT scanning of the pelvic area with {sup 18}F-FDG and {sup 18}F-NaF revealed 77 and 24 MM-indicative lesions, respectively. Kinetic analysis of {sup 18}F-FDG revealed the

  8. Amyloid PET in pseudotumoral multiple sclerosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matías-Guiu, Jordi A; Cabrera-Martín, María Nieves; Cortés-Martínez, Ana; Pytel, Vanesa; Moreno-Ramos, Teresa; Oreja-Guevara, Celia; Carreras, José Luis; Matías-Guiu, Jorge

    2017-07-01

    Pseudotumoral multiple sclerosis is a rare form of demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. Positron emission tomography (PET) using amyloid-tracers has also been suggested as a marker of damage in white matter lesions in multiple sclerosis due to the nonspecific uptake of these tracers in white matter. We present the case of a 59 year-old woman with a pathological-confirmed pseudotumoral multiple sclerosis, who was studied with the amyloid tracer 18 F-florbetaben. The patient had developed word-finding difficulties and right hemianopia twelve years ago. In that time, MRI showed a lesion on the left hemisphere with an infiltrating aspect in frontotemporal lobes. Brain biopsy showed demyelinating areas and inflammation. During the following years, two new clinical relapses occurred. 18 F-florbetaben PET showed lower uptake in the white matter lesion visualized in the CT and MRI images. Decreased tracer uptake was also observed in a larger area of the left hemisphere beyond the lesions observed on MRI or CT. White matter lesion volume on FLAIR was 44.2mL, and tracer uptake change between damaged white matter and normal appearing white matter was - 40.5%. Standardized uptake value was inferior in the pseudotumoral lesion than in the other white matter lesions. We report the findings of amyloid PET in a patient with pseudotumoral multiple sclerosis. This case provides further evidence on the role of amyloid PET in the assessment of white matter and demyelinating diseases. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Quantitative PET of liver functions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keiding, Susanne; Sørensen, Michael; Frisch, Kim; Gormsen, Lars C; Munk, Ole Lajord

    2018-01-01

    Improved understanding of liver physiology and pathophysiology is urgently needed to assist the choice of new and upcoming therapeutic modalities for patients with liver diseases. In this review, we focus on functional PET of the liver: 1) Dynamic PET with 2-deoxy-2-[ 18 F]fluoro- D -galactose ( 18 F-FDGal) provides quantitative images of the hepatic metabolic clearance K met (mL blood/min/mL liver tissue) of regional and whole-liver hepatic metabolic function. Standard-uptake-value ( SUV ) from a static liver 18 F-FDGal PET/CT scan can replace K met and is currently used clinically. 2) Dynamic liver PET/CT in humans with 11 C-palmitate and with the conjugated bile acid tracer [ N -methyl- 11 C]cholylsarcosine ( 11 C-CSar) can distinguish between individual intrahepatic transport steps in hepatic lipid metabolism and in hepatic transport of bile acid from blood to bile, respectively, showing diagnostic potential for individual patients. 3) Standard compartment analysis of dynamic PET data can lead to physiological inconsistencies, such as a unidirectional hepatic clearance of tracer from blood ( K 1 ; mL blood/min/mL liver tissue) greater than the hepatic blood perfusion. We developed a new microvascular compartment model with more physiology, by including tracer uptake into the hepatocytes from the blood flowing through the sinusoids, backflux from hepatocytes into the sinusoidal blood, and re-uptake along the sinusoidal path. Dynamic PET data include information on liver physiology which cannot be extracted using a standard compartment model. In conclusion , SUV of non-invasive static PET with 18 F-FDGal provides a clinically useful measurement of regional and whole-liver hepatic metabolic function. Secondly, assessment of individual intrahepatic transport steps is a notable feature of dynamic liver PET.

  10. Quantitative PET of liver functions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keiding, Susanne; Sørensen, Michael; Frisch, Kim; Gormsen, Lars C; Munk, Ole Lajord

    2018-01-01

    Improved understanding of liver physiology and pathophysiology is urgently needed to assist the choice of new and upcoming therapeutic modalities for patients with liver diseases. In this review, we focus on functional PET of the liver: 1) Dynamic PET with 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-galactose (18F-FDGal) provides quantitative images of the hepatic metabolic clearance K met (mL blood/min/mL liver tissue) of regional and whole-liver hepatic metabolic function. Standard-uptake-value (SUV) from a static liver 18F-FDGal PET/CT scan can replace K met and is currently used clinically. 2) Dynamic liver PET/CT in humans with 11C-palmitate and with the conjugated bile acid tracer [N-methyl-11C]cholylsarcosine (11C-CSar) can distinguish between individual intrahepatic transport steps in hepatic lipid metabolism and in hepatic transport of bile acid from blood to bile, respectively, showing diagnostic potential for individual patients. 3) Standard compartment analysis of dynamic PET data can lead to physiological inconsistencies, such as a unidirectional hepatic clearance of tracer from blood (K 1; mL blood/min/mL liver tissue) greater than the hepatic blood perfusion. We developed a new microvascular compartment model with more physiology, by including tracer uptake into the hepatocytes from the blood flowing through the sinusoids, backflux from hepatocytes into the sinusoidal blood, and re-uptake along the sinusoidal path. Dynamic PET data include information on liver physiology which cannot be extracted using a standard compartment model. In conclusion, SUV of non-invasive static PET with 18F-FDGal provides a clinically useful measurement of regional and whole-liver hepatic metabolic function. Secondly, assessment of individual intrahepatic transport steps is a notable feature of dynamic liver PET. PMID:29755841

  11. Recent and ancient recharge deciphered by multi-dating tracer technique

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dogramaci, Shawan; Cook, Peter; Mccallum, Jimes; Purtchert, Roland

    2017-04-01

    Determining groundwater residence time from environmental tracer concentrations obtained from open bores or long screened intervals is fraught with difficulty because the sampled water represents variety of ages. Information on the distribution of groundwater age is commonly obtained by measuring more than one tracer. We examined the use of the multi-tracer technique representing different time frames (39Ar, 85Kr, 14C, 3H, CFC 11- CFC-12 CFC-113, SF6 and Cl,) to decipher the groundwater ages sampled from long screened bores in a regional aquifer in the Pilbara region of northwest Australia. We then applied a technique that assumes limited details of the form of the age distribution. Tracer concentrations suggest that groundwater samples are a mixture of young and old water - the former is inferred to represent localised recharge from an adjacent creek, and the latter to be diffuse recharge. Using our method, we were able to identify distinct age components in the groundwater. The results suggest the presence of four distinct age groups; zero and 20 years, 50 to 100 years, 100 to 600 years and approximately 1000 years old. These relatively high recharge events were consistent with local recharge sources (50-100 years) and confirmed by palaeo-climate record obtained from lake sediments. We found that although the ages of these components were well constrained, the relative proportions of each component was highly sensitive to errors of environmental tracer data. Our results show that the method we implemented can identify distinct age groups in groundwater samples without prior knowledge of the age distribution. The presence of distinct recharge times gives insight into groundwater flow conditions over long periods of time.

  12. PET/MR in oncology

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Balyasnikova, Svetlana; Löfgren, Johan; de Nijs, Robin

    2012-01-01

    of the challenges inherent in this new technology, but focus on potential applications for simultaneous PET/MR in the field of oncology. Methods and tracers for use with the PET technology will be familiar to most readers of this journal; thus this paper aims to provide a short and basic introduction to a number...... be applied together with PET increasing the amount of information about the tissues of interest. The potential clinical benefit of applying PET/MR in staging, radiotherapy planning and treatment evaluation in oncology, as well as the research perspectives for the use of PET/MR in the development of new...

  13. Development of PET and SPECT radiopharmaceuticals to study multi-drug resistance (MDR)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Katsififs, A.; Dikic, B.; Greguric, I.; Knott, R.; Mattner, F.

    2002-01-01

    Full text: Cellular resistance or Multidrug Resistance (MDR) to cytotoxic agents is the major cause of treatment failure in many human cancers. P-glycoprotein (Pgp), a Mr 17,0000 transmembrane protein and Multi Resistance Protein (MRP) are two proteins that are over expressed and confer resistance to a large number of chemotherapeutic agents by enhancing their extracellular transport. P-glycoprotein is expressed at a relative high level in treated and untreated human malignant tumours, including renal, colonic, adrenal, hepatocellular carcinoma and a considerable percentage of breast carcinomas. 99m Tc-Sestamibi, a lipophilic cationic complex is a transport substrate for Pgp. In clinical studies of human neoplasms it was found that tumour uptake and clearance of this tracer correlate with Pgp expression and may be used for the phenotypic assessment of MDR. However, new tracers with better substrate specificity for Pgp and other drug transporters would greatly assist in optimising chemotherapeutic treatment and improving patient management by predicting tumour response to therapy and to assist in the development of antagonists, which may reverse or halt MDR. The aim of this project is therefore to develop PET and SPECT radiopharmaceuticals with improved affinity and selectivity for Pgp and MRP for the clinical evaluation of MDR in cancer patients. To optimise cellular transport characteristics, a number of chemical families that have been found to be substrates of Pgp and other drug efflux pumps, will be investigated. In the first instance, a series of drugs based on the flavonol natural product, Quercetin will be developed, screened for MDR and radiolabelled with PET and SPECT isotopes. Quercetin and related flavonol derivatives have been selected for this project because of their moderate to good affinity for Pgp. With the assistance of molecular modeling and in vitro studies, structural modification will be undertaken to improve the specificity and affinity for

  14. Demonstration of metabolic and cellular effects of portal vein ligation using multi-modal PET/MRI measurements in healthy rat liver.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    András Fülöp

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVES: In the early recognition of portal vein ligation (PVL induced tumor progression, positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI could improve diagnostic accuracy of conventionally used methods. It is unknown how PVL affects metabolic patterns of tumor free hepatic tissues. The aim of this preliminary study is to evaluate the effect of PVL on glucose metabolism, using PET/MRI imaging in healthy rat liver. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Male Wistar rats (n=30 underwent PVL. 2-deoxy-2-(18Ffluoro-D-glucose (FDG PET/MRI imaging (nanoScan PET/MRI and morphological/histological examination were performed before (Day 0 and 1, 2, 3, and 7 days after PVL. Dynamic PET data were collected and the standardized uptake values (SUV for ligated and non-ligated liver lobes were calculated in relation to cardiac left ventricle (SUVVOI/SUVCLV and mean liver SUV (SUVVOI/SUVLiver. RESULTS: PVL induced atrophy of ligated lobes, while non-ligated liver tissue showed compensatory hypertrophy. Dynamic PET scan revealed altered FDG kinetics in both ligated and non-ligated liver lobes. SUVVOI/SUVCLV significantly increased in both groups of lobes, with a maximal value at the 2nd postoperative day and returned near to the baseline 7 days after the ligation. After PVL, ligated liver lobes showed significantly higher tracer uptake compared to the non-ligated lobes (significantly higher SUVVOI/SUVLiver values were observed at postoperative day 1, 2 and 3. The homogenous tracer biodistribution observed before PVL reappeared by 7th postoperative day. CONCLUSION: The observed alterations in FDG uptake dynamics should be taken into account during the assessment of PET data until the PVL induced atrophic and regenerative processes are completed.

  15. Synthesis and preliminary evaluation of 18F-labeled 4-thia palmitate as a PET tracer of myocardial fatty acid oxidation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    DeGrado, Timothy R.; Wang Shuyan; Holden, James E.; Nickles, R. Jerome; Taylor, Michael; Stone, Charles K.

    2000-01-01

    Interest remains strong for the development of a noninvasive technique for assessment of regional fatty acid oxidation rate in the myocardium. 18 F-labeled 4-thia palmitate (FTP, 16-[ 18 F]fluoro-4-thia-hexadecanoic acid) has been synthesized and preliminarily evaluated as a metabolically trapped probe of myocardial fatty acid oxidation for positron emission tomography (PET). The radiotracer is synthesized by Kryptofix 2.2.2/K 2 CO 3 assisted nucleophilic radiofluorination of an iodo-ester precursor, followed by alkaline hydrolysis and by purification by reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography. Biodistribution studies in rats showed high uptake and long retention of FTP in heart, liver, and kidneys consistent with relatively high fatty acid oxidation rates in these tissues. Inhibition of carnitine palmitoyl-transferase-I caused an 80% reduction in myocardial uptake, suggesting the dependence of trapping on the transport of tracer into the mitochondrion. Experiments with perfused rat hearts showed that the estimates of the fractional metabolic trapping rate (FR) of FTP tracked inhibition of oxidation rate of palmitate with hypoxia, whereas the FR of the 6-thia analog 17-[ 18 F]fluoro-6-thia-heptadecanoic acid was insensitive to hypoxia. In vivo defluorination of FTP in the rat was evidenced by bone uptake of radioactivity. A PET imaging study with FTP in normal swine showed excellent myocardial images, prolonged myocardial retention, and no bone uptake of radioactivity up to 3 h, the last finding suggesting a species dependence for defluorination of the omega-labeled fatty acid. The results support further investigation of FTP as a potential PET tracer for assessing regional fatty acid oxidation rate in the human myocardium

  16. Diagnostic accuracy of 18F amyloid PET tracers for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morris, Elizabeth; Chalkidou, Anastasia; Hammers, Alexander; Peacock, Janet; Summers, Jennifer; Keevil, Stephen

    2016-01-01

    Imaging or tissue biomarker evidence has been introduced into the core diagnostic pathway for Alzheimer's disease (AD). PET using 18 F-labelled beta-amyloid PET tracers has shown promise for the early diagnosis of AD. However, most studies included only small numbers of participants and no consensus has been reached as to which radiotracer has the highest diagnostic accuracy. First, we performed a systematic review of the literature published between 1990 and 2014 for studies exploring the diagnostic accuracy of florbetaben, florbetapir and flutemetamol in AD. The included studies were analysed using the QUADAS assessment of methodological quality. A meta-analysis of the sensitivity and specificity reported within each study was performed. Pooled values were calculated for each radiotracer and for visual or quantitative analysis by population included. The systematic review identified nine studies eligible for inclusion. There were limited variations in the methods between studies reporting the same radiotracer. The meta-analysis results showed that pooled sensitivity and specificity values were in general high for all tracers. This was confirmed by calculating likelihood ratios. A patient with a positive ratio is much more likely to have AD than a patient with a negative ratio, and vice versa. However, specificity was higher when only patients with AD were compared with healthy controls. This systematic review and meta-analysis found no marked differences in the diagnostic accuracy of the three beta-amyloid radiotracers. All tracers perform better when used to discriminate between patients with AD and healthy controls. The sensitivity and specificity for quantitative and visual analysis are comparable to those of other imaging or biomarker techniques used to diagnose AD. Further research is required to identify the combination of tests that provides the highest sensitivity and specificity, and to identify the most suitable position for the tracer in the

  17. Improved quantitation and reproducibility in multi-PET/CT lung studies by combining CT information.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holman, Beverley F; Cuplov, Vesna; Millner, Lynn; Endozo, Raymond; Maher, Toby M; Groves, Ashley M; Hutton, Brian F; Thielemans, Kris

    2018-06-05

    Matched attenuation maps are vital for obtaining accurate and reproducible kinetic and static parameter estimates from PET data. With increased interest in PET/CT imaging of diffuse lung diseases for assessing disease progression and treatment effectiveness, understanding the extent of the effect of respiratory motion and establishing methods for correction are becoming more important. In a previous study, we have shown that using the wrong attenuation map leads to large errors due to density mismatches in the lung, especially in dynamic PET scans. Here, we extend this work to the case where the study is sub-divided into several scans, e.g. for patient comfort, each with its own CT (cine-CT and 'snap shot' CT). A method to combine multi-CT information into a combined-CT has then been developed, which averages the CT information from each study section to produce composite CT images with the lung density more representative of that in the PET data. This combined-CT was applied to nine patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, imaged with dynamic 18 F-FDG PET/CT to determine the improvement in the precision of the parameter estimates. Using XCAT simulations, errors in the influx rate constant were found to be as high as 60% in multi-PET/CT studies. Analysis of patient data identified displacements between study sections in the time activity curves, which led to an average standard error in the estimates of the influx rate constant of 53% with conventional methods. This reduced to within 5% after use of combined-CTs for attenuation correction of the study sections. Use of combined-CTs to reconstruct the sections of a multi-PET/CT study, as opposed to using the individually acquired CTs at each study stage, produces more precise parameter estimates and may improve discrimination between diseased and normal lung.

  18. PET tracer for imaging of neuroendocrine tumors

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    2013-01-01

    There is provided a radiolabelled peptide-based compound for diagnostic imaging using positron emission tomography (PET). The compound may thus be used for diagnosis of malignant diseases. The compound is particularly useful for imaging of somatostatin overexpression in tumors, wherein the compound...... is capable of being imaged by PET when administered with a target dose in the range of 150-350 MBq, such as 150-250 MBq, preferable in the range of 191-210 MBq....

  19. A novel APD-based detector module for multi-modality PET/SPECT/CT scanners

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saoudi, A.; Lecomte, R.

    1999-01-01

    The lack of anatomical information in SPECT and PET images is one of the major factors limiting the ability to localize and accurately quantify radionuclide uptake in small regions of interest. This problem could be resolved by using multi-modality scanners having the capability to acquire anatomical and functional images simultaneously. The feasibility of a novel detector suitable for measuring high-energy annihilation radiation in PET, medium-energy γ-rays in SPECT and low-energy X-rays in transmission CT is demonstrated and its performance is evaluated for potential use in multi-modality PET/SPECT/CT imaging. The proposed detector consists of a thin CsI(Tl) scintillator sitting on top of a deep GSO/LSO pair read out by an avalanche photodiode. The GSO/LOS pair provides depth-of-interaction information for 511 keV detection in PET, while the thin CsI(Tl) that is essentially transparent to annihilation radiation is used for detecting lower energy X- and γ-rays. The detector performance is compared to that of an LSO/YSO phoswich. Although the implementation of the proposed GSO/LSO/CsI(Tl) detector raises special problems that increase complexity, it generally outperforms the LSO/YSO phoswich for simultaneous PET, SPECT and CT imaging

  20. Bringing Physiology into PET of the Liver

    OpenAIRE

    Keiding, Susanne

    2012-01-01

    Several physiologic features make interpretation of PET studies of liver physiology an exciting challenge. As with other organs, hepatic tracer kinetics using PET is quantified by dynamic recording of the liver after the administration of a radioactive tracer, with measurements of time–activity curves in the blood supply. However, the liver receives blood from both the portal vein and the hepatic artery, with the peak of the portal vein time–activity curve being delayed and dispersed compared...

  1. Role of PET in gene therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Kyung Han

    2002-01-01

    In addition to the well-established use of positron emission tomography (PET) in clinical oncology, novel roles for PET are rapidly emerging in the field of gene therapy. Methods for controlled gene delivery to living bodies, made available through advances in molecular biology, are currently being employed in animals for reasearch purposes and in humans to treat diseases such as cancer. Although gene therapy is still in its early developmental stage, it is perceived that many serious illnesses could be treated successfully by the use of therapeutic gene delivery. A major challenge for the widespread use of human gene therapy is to achieve a controlled and effective delivery of foreign genes to target cells and subsequently, adequate levels of expression. As such, the availability of noninvasive imaging methods to accurately assess the location, duration, and level of transgene expression is critical for optimizing gene therapy strategies. Current endeavors to achieve this goal include methods that utilize magnetic resonance imaging, optical imaging, and nuclear imaging techniques. As for PET, reporter systems that utilize gene encoding enzymes that accumulate postion labeled substrates and those transcribing surface receptors that bind specific positron labeled ligands have been successfully developed. More recent advances in this area include improved reporter gene constructs and radiotracers, introduction of potential strategies to monitor endogenous gene expression, and human pilot studies evaluating the distribution and safety of reporter PET tracers. The remarkably rapid progress occuring in gene imaging technology indicates its importance and wide range of application. As such, gene imaging is likely to become a major and exciting new area for future application of PET technology

  2. Role of PET in gene therapy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Kyung Han [School of Medicine, Sungkyunkwan Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2002-02-01

    In addition to the well-established use of positron emission tomography (PET) in clinical oncology, novel roles for PET are rapidly emerging in the field of gene therapy. Methods for controlled gene delivery to living bodies, made available through advances in molecular biology, are currently being employed in animals for reasearch purposes and in humans to treat diseases such as cancer. Although gene therapy is still in its early developmental stage, it is perceived that many serious illnesses could be treated successfully by the use of therapeutic gene delivery. A major challenge for the widespread use of human gene therapy is to achieve a controlled and effective delivery of foreign genes to target cells and subsequently, adequate levels of expression. As such, the availability of noninvasive imaging methods to accurately assess the location, duration, and level of transgene expression is critical for optimizing gene therapy strategies. Current endeavors to achieve this goal include methods that utilize magnetic resonance imaging, optical imaging, and nuclear imaging techniques. As for PET, reporter systems that utilize gene encoding enzymes that accumulate postion labeled substrates and those transcribing surface receptors that bind specific positron labeled ligands have been successfully developed. More recent advances in this area include improved reporter gene constructs and radiotracers, introduction of potential strategies to monitor endogenous gene expression, and human pilot studies evaluating the distribution and safety of reporter PET tracers. The remarkably rapid progress occuring in gene imaging technology indicates its importance and wide range of application. As such, gene imaging is likely to become a major and exciting new area for future application of PET technology.

  3. Systematic screening of imaging biomarkers for the Islets of Langerhans, among clinically available positron emission tomography tracers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Karlsson, Filip; Antonodimitrakis, Pantelis Clewemar; Eriksson, Olof

    2015-01-01

    Introduction: Functional imaging could be utilized for visualizing pancreatic islets of Langerhans. Therefore, we present a stepwise algorithm for screening of clinically available positron emission tomography (PET) tracers for their use in imaging of the neuroendocrine pancreas in the context of diabetes. Methods: A stepwise procedure was developed for screening potential islet imaging agents. Suitable PET-tracer candidates were identified by their molecular mechanism of targeting. Clinical abdominal examinations were retrospectively analyzed for pancreatic uptake and retention. The target protein localization in the pancreas was assessed in silico by –omics approaches and the in vitro by binding assays to human pancreatic tissue. Results: Six putative candidates were identified and screened by using the stepwise procedure. Among the tested PET tracers, only [ 11 C]5-Hydroxy-tryptophan passed all steps. The remaining identified candidates were falsified as candidates and discarded following in silico and in vitro screening. Conclusions: Of the six clinically available PET tracers identified, [ 11 C]5-HTP was found to be a promising candidate for beta cell imaging, based on intensity of in vivo pancreatic uptake in humans, and islet specificity as assessed on human pancreatic cell preparations. The flow scheme described herein constitutes a methodology for evaluating putative islet imaging biomarkers among clinically available PET tracers

  4. Regional distribution and kinetics of [18F]fluciclovine (anti-[18F]FACBC), a tracer of amino acid transport, in subjects with primary prostate cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sörensen, Jens; Owenius, Rikard; Lax, Michelle; Johansson, Silvia

    2013-02-01

    [(18)F]Fluciclovine (anti-[(18)F]FACBC) is a synthetic amino acid developed for PET assessment of the anabolic component of tumour metabolism in clinical routine. This phase 1 trial evaluated the safety, tracer stability and uptake kinetics of [(18)F]fluciclovine in patients. Six patients with biopsy-proven prostate cancer were investigated with 3-T MRI and PET/CT. All underwent dynamic [(18)F]fluciclovine PET/CT of the pelvic area for up to 120 min after injection of 418 ± 10 MBq of tracer with simultaneous blood sampling of radioactivity. The kinetics of uptake in tumours and normal tissues were evaluated using standardized uptake values (SUVs) and compartmental modelling. Tumour deposits as defined by MRI were clearly visualized by PET. Urine excretion was minimal and normal tissue background was low. Uptake of [(18)F]fluciclovine in tumour from the blood was rapid and the tumour-to-normal tissue contrast was highest between 1 and 15 min after injection with a 65 % reduction in mean tumour uptake at 90 min after injection. A one-compartment model fitted the tracer kinetics well. Early SUVs correlated well with both the influx rate constant (K (1)) and the volume of distribution of the tracer (V (T)). There were no signs of tracer metabolite formation. The product was well tolerated in all patients without significant adverse events. [(18)F]Fluciclovine shows high uptake in prostate cancer deposits and appears safe for use in humans. The production is robust and the formulation stable in vivo. An early imaging window seems to provide the best visual results. SUV measurements capture most of the kinetic information that can be obtained from more advanced models, potentially simplifying quantification in future studies.

  5. Radiation monitoring of PET staff

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Trang, A.

    2004-01-01

    Full text: Positron emission tomography (PET) is becoming a common diagnostic tool in hospitals, often located in and employing staff from the Nuclear Medicine or Radiology departments. Although similar in some ways, staff in PET departments are commonly found to have the highest radiation doses in the hospital environment due to unique challenges which PET tracers present in administration as well as production. The establishment of a PET centre with a dedicated cyclotron has raised concerns of radiation protection to the staff at the WA PET Centre and the Radiopharmaceutical Production and Development (RAPID) team. Since every PET centre has differing designs and practices, it was considered important to closely monitor the radiation dose to our staff so that improvements to practices and design could be made to reduce radiation dose. Electronic dosimeters (MGP DMC 2000XB), which have a facility to log time and dose at 10 second intervals, were provided to three PET technologists and three PET nurses. These were worn in the top pocket of their lab coats throughout a whole day. Each staff member was then asked to note down their duties throughout the day and also note the time they performed each duty. The duties would then correlate with the dose with which the electronic monitor recorded and an estimate of radiation dose per duty could be given. Also an estimate of the dose per day to each staff member could be made. PET nurses averaged approximately 20 μ8v per day getting their largest dose from caring for occasional problematic patients. Smaller doses of a 1-2 μ8v were recorded for injections and removing cannulas. PET technologists averaged approximately 15 μ8v per day getting their largest dose of 1-5μ8v mainly from positioning of patients and sometimes larger doses due to problematic patients. Smaller doses of 1-2 μ5v were again recorded for injections and removal of cannulas. Following a presentation given to staff, all WA PET Centre and RAPID staff

  6. Automatic extraction of forward stroke volume using dynamic PET/CT

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Harms, Hans; Tolbod, Lars Poulsen; Hansson, Nils Henrik

    Background: Dynamic PET can be used to extract forward stroke volume (FSV) by the indicator dilution principle. The technique employed can be automated and is in theory independent on the tracer used and may therefore be added to any dynamic cardiac PET protocol. The aim of this study...... was to validate automated methods for extracting FSV directly from dynamic PET studies for two different tracers and to examine potential scanner hardware bias. Methods: 21 subjects underwent a dynamic 27 min 11C-acetate PET scan on a Siemens Biograph TruePoint 64 PET/CT scanner (scanner I). In addition, 8...... subjects underwent a dynamic 6 min 15O-water PET scan followed by a 27 min 11C-acetate PET scan on a GE Discovery ST PET/CT scanner (scanner II). The LV-aortic time-activity curve (TAC) was extracted automatically from dynamic PET data using cluster analysis. The first-pass peak was isolated by automatic...

  7. Clinical Applications of FDG PET and PET/CT in Head and Neck Cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Akram Al-Ibraheem

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available 18F-FDG PET plays an increasing role in diagnosis and management planning of head and neck cancer. Hybrid PET/CT has promoted the field of molecular imaging in head and neck cancer. This modality is particular relevant in the head and neck region, given the complex anatomy and variable physiologic FDG uptake patterns. The vast majority of 18F-FDG PET and PET/CT applications in head and neck cancer related to head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Clinical applications of 18F-FDG PET and PET/CT in head and neck cancer include diagnosis of distant metastases, identification of synchronous 2nd primaries, detection of carcinoma of unknown primary and detection of residual or recurrent disease. Emerging applications are precise delineation of the tumor volume for radiation treatment planning, monitoring treatment, and providing prognostic information. The clinical role of 18F-FDG PET/CT in N0 disease is limited which is in line with findings of other imaging modalities. MRI is usually used for T staging with an intense discussion concerning the preferable imaging modality for regional lymph node staging as PET/CT, MRI, and multi-slice spiral CT are all improving rapidly. Is this review, we summarize recent literature on 18F-FDG PET and PET/CT imaging of head and neck cancer.

  8. Diagnostic accuracy of {sup 18}F amyloid PET tracers for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Morris, Elizabeth; Chalkidou, Anastasia [St Thomas' Hospital, King' s Technology Evaluation Centre, King' s College London, London (United Kingdom); St Thomas' Hospital, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King' s College London, London (United Kingdom); Hammers, Alexander [St Thomas' Hospital, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King' s College London, London (United Kingdom); Peacock, Janet; Summers, Jennifer [St Thomas' Hospital, King' s Technology Evaluation Centre, King' s College London, London (United Kingdom); King' s College London, Division of Health and Social Care Research, London (United Kingdom); King' s College London, NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at Guy' s and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London (United Kingdom); Keevil, Stephen [St Thomas' Hospital, King' s Technology Evaluation Centre, King' s College London, London (United Kingdom); St Thomas' Hospital, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King' s College London, London (United Kingdom); St Thomas' Hospital, Department of Medical Physics, Guy' s and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London (United Kingdom)

    2016-02-15

    Imaging or tissue biomarker evidence has been introduced into the core diagnostic pathway for Alzheimer's disease (AD). PET using {sup 18}F-labelled beta-amyloid PET tracers has shown promise for the early diagnosis of AD. However, most studies included only small numbers of participants and no consensus has been reached as to which radiotracer has the highest diagnostic accuracy. First, we performed a systematic review of the literature published between 1990 and 2014 for studies exploring the diagnostic accuracy of florbetaben, florbetapir and flutemetamol in AD. The included studies were analysed using the QUADAS assessment of methodological quality. A meta-analysis of the sensitivity and specificity reported within each study was performed. Pooled values were calculated for each radiotracer and for visual or quantitative analysis by population included. The systematic review identified nine studies eligible for inclusion. There were limited variations in the methods between studies reporting the same radiotracer. The meta-analysis results showed that pooled sensitivity and specificity values were in general high for all tracers. This was confirmed by calculating likelihood ratios. A patient with a positive ratio is much more likely to have AD than a patient with a negative ratio, and vice versa. However, specificity was higher when only patients with AD were compared with healthy controls. This systematic review and meta-analysis found no marked differences in the diagnostic accuracy of the three beta-amyloid radiotracers. All tracers perform better when used to discriminate between patients with AD and healthy controls. The sensitivity and specificity for quantitative and visual analysis are comparable to those of other imaging or biomarker techniques used to diagnose AD. Further research is required to identify the combination of tests that provides the highest sensitivity and specificity, and to identify the most suitable position for the tracer in the

  9. Biodistribution and stability studies of [18F]Fluoroethylrhodamine B, a potential PET myocardial perfusion agent

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gottumukkala, Vijay; Heinrich, Tobias K.; Baker, Amanda; Dunning, Patricia; Fahey, Frederic H.; Treves, S. Ted; Packard, Alan B.

    2010-01-01

    Introduction: Fluorine-18-labeled rhodamine B was developed as a potential positron emission tomography (PET) tracer for the evaluation of myocardial perfusion, but preliminary studies in mice showed no accumulation in the heart suggesting that it was rapidly hydrolyzed in vivo in mice. A study was therefore undertaken to further evaluate this hypothesis. Methods: [ 18 F]Fluoroethylrhodamine B was equilibrated for 2 h at 37 deg. C in human, rat and mouse serum and in phosphate-buffered saline. Samples were removed periodically and assayed by high-performance liquid chromatography. Based on the results of the stability study, microPET imaging and a biodistribution study were carried out in rats. Results: In vitro stability studies demonstrated that [ 18 F]fluoroethylrhodamine B much more stable in rat and human sera than in mouse serum. After 2 h, the compound was >80% intact in rat serum but 18 F-labeled rhodamines should accumulate in the heart. Conclusions: [ 18 F]Fluoroethylrhodamine B is more stable in rat and human sera than it is in mouse serum. This improved stability is demonstrated by the high uptake of the tracer in the rat heart in comparison to the absence of visible uptake in the mouse heart. These observations suggest that 18 F-labeled rhodamines are promising candidates for more extensive evaluation as PET tracers for the evaluation of myocardial perfusion.

  10. Synthesis and preliminary evaluation of {sup 18}F-labeled 4-thia palmitate as a PET tracer of myocardial fatty acid oxidation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    DeGrado, Timothy R. E-mail: trd@petsparc.mc.duke.edu; Wang Shuyan; Holden, James E.; Nickles, R. Jerome; Taylor, Michael; Stone, Charles K

    2000-04-01

    Interest remains strong for the development of a noninvasive technique for assessment of regional fatty acid oxidation rate in the myocardium. {sup 18}F-labeled 4-thia palmitate (FTP, 16-[{sup 18}F]fluoro-4-thia-hexadecanoic acid) has been synthesized and preliminarily evaluated as a metabolically trapped probe of myocardial fatty acid oxidation for positron emission tomography (PET). The radiotracer is synthesized by Kryptofix 2.2.2/K{sub 2}CO{sub 3} assisted nucleophilic radiofluorination of an iodo-ester precursor, followed by alkaline hydrolysis and by purification by reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography. Biodistribution studies in rats showed high uptake and long retention of FTP in heart, liver, and kidneys consistent with relatively high fatty acid oxidation rates in these tissues. Inhibition of carnitine palmitoyl-transferase-I caused an 80% reduction in myocardial uptake, suggesting the dependence of trapping on the transport of tracer into the mitochondrion. Experiments with perfused rat hearts showed that the estimates of the fractional metabolic trapping rate (FR) of FTP tracked inhibition of oxidation rate of palmitate with hypoxia, whereas the FR of the 6-thia analog 17-[{sup 18}F]fluoro-6-thia-heptadecanoic acid was insensitive to hypoxia. In vivo defluorination of FTP in the rat was evidenced by bone uptake of radioactivity. A PET imaging study with FTP in normal swine showed excellent myocardial images, prolonged myocardial retention, and no bone uptake of radioactivity up to 3 h, the last finding suggesting a species dependence for defluorination of the omega-labeled fatty acid. The results support further investigation of FTP as a potential PET tracer for assessing regional fatty acid oxidation rate in the human myocardium.

  11. VII. Boettstein Colloquium: PET-Radiopharmaceuticals at PSI: achievement and future prospects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schubiger, P.A.; Beer, H.F.; Blaeuenstein, P.; Leenders, K.E.

    1993-01-01

    The three sessions of the 1993 Boettstein colloquium dealt with the following topics: - PET-radiopharmaceuticals, - PET-scanning: significance of tracer uptake, - clinical options using PET. 22 papers were presented. figs., refs

  12. VII. Boettstein Colloquium: PET-Radiopharmaceuticals at PSI: achievement and future prospects

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schubiger, P.A.; Beer, H.F.; Blaeuenstein, P.; Leenders, K.E.

    1993-12-31

    The three sessions of the 1993 Boettstein colloquium dealt with the following topics: - PET-radiopharmaceuticals, - PET-scanning: significance of tracer uptake, - clinical options using PET. 22 papers were presented. figs., refs.

  13. VII. Boettstein Colloquium: PET-Radiopharmaceuticals at PSI: achievement and future prospects

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schubiger, P A; Beer, H F; Blaeuenstein, P; Leenders, K E

    1994-12-31

    The three sessions of the 1993 Boettstein colloquium dealt with the following topics: - PET-radiopharmaceuticals, - PET-scanning: significance of tracer uptake, - clinical options using PET. 22 papers were presented. figs., refs.

  14. First Evaluation of PET-Based Human Biodistribution and Dosimetry of 18F-FAZA, a Tracer for Imaging Tumor Hypoxia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Savi, Annarita; Incerti, Elena; Fallanca, Federico; Bettinardi, Valentino; Rossetti, Francesca; Monterisi, Cristina; Compierchio, Antonia; Negri, Giampiero; Zannini, Piero; Gianolli, Luigi; Picchio, Maria

    2017-08-01

    18 F-labeled fluoroazomycinarabinoside ( 18 F-FAZA) is a PET biomarker for noninvasive identification of regional tumor hypoxia. The aim of the present phase I study was to evaluate the biodistribution and dosimetry of 18 F-FAZA in non-small cell lung cancer patients. Methods: Five patients awaiting surgical resection of histologically proven or radiologically suspected non-small cell lung cancer were prospectively enrolled in the study. The patients underwent PET/CT after injection of 371 ± 32 MBq of 18 F-FAZA. The protocol consisted of a 10-min dynamic acquisition of the heart to calculate the activity in blood, followed by 4 whole-body PET/CT scans, from the vertex to the mid thigh, at 10, 60, 120, and 240 min after injection. Urine samples were collected after each imaging session and at 360 min after injection. Volumes of interest were drawn around visually identifiable source organs to generate time-activity curves. Residence times were determined from time-activity curves, and effective doses to individual organs and the whole body were calculated using OLINDA/EXM 1.2 for the standard male and female phantoms. Results: Blood clearance was characterized by a rapid distribution followed by first-order elimination. The highest uptake was in muscle and liver, with respective percentage injected activity (%IA) peaks of 42.7 ± 5.3 %IA and 5.5 ± 0.6 %IA. The total urinary excretion was 15 %IA. The critical organ, with the highest absorbed radiation doses, was the urinary bladder wall, at 0.047 ± 0.008 and 0.067 ± 0.007 mGy/MBq for the 2- and 4-h voiding intervals, respectively. The effective doses for the standard male and female phantoms were 0.013 ± 0.004 and 0.014 ± 0.004 mSv/MBq, respectively, depending on the voiding schedule. Conclusion: With respect to the available literature, the biodistribution of 18 F-FAZA in humans appeared to be slightly different from that in mice, with a low clearance in humans. Therefore, use of animal data may moderately

  15. A first-in-man study of 68Ga-nanocolloid PET-CT sentinel lymph node imaging in prostate cancer demonstrates aberrant lymphatic drainage pathways.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doughton, Jacki A; Hofman, Michael S; Eu, Peter; Hicks, Rodney J; Williams, Scott G

    2018-05-04

    Purpose: To assess feasibility, safety and utility of a novel 68 Ga-nanocolloid radio-tracer with PET-CT lymphoscintigraphy for identification of sentinel lymph nodes (SLN). Methods: Pilot study of patients from a tertiary cancer hospital who required insertion of gold fiducials for prostate cancer radiation therapy. Participation did not affect cancer management. Ultrasound-guided transperineal intra-prostatic injection of PET tracer (iron oxide nanocolloid labelled with gallium-68) after placement of fiducials. PET-CT lymphoscintigraphy imaging at approximately 45 and 100 minutes after in-jection of tracer. The study was monitored using Bayesian trial design with the as-sumption that at least one sentinel lymph node (SLN) could be identified in at least two-thirds of cases with >80% confidence. Results: SLN identification was successful in all 5 participants, allowing completion of the pilot study as per protocol. No adverse effects were observed. Unexpected po-tential pathways for transit of malignant cells as well as expected regional drainage pathways were discovered. Rapid tracer drainage to pelvic bone, perivesical, mesorec-tal, inguinal and Virchow's nodes was identified. Conclusion: SLN identification using 68 Ga-nanocolloid PET-CT can be successfully performed. Non-traditional pathways of disease spread were identified including drainage to pelvic bone as well as perivesical, mesorectal, inguinal and Virchow's nodes. Prevalence of both aberrant and non-lymphatic pathways of spread should be further investigated with this technique. Copyright © 2018 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Inc.

  16. Developing multi-tracer approaches to constrain the parameterisation of leaf and soil CO2 and H2O exchange in land surface models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ogée, Jerome; Wehr, Richard; Commane, Roisin; Launois, Thomas; Meredith, Laura; Munger, Bill; Nelson, David; Saleska, Scott; Zahniser, Mark; Wofsy, Steve; Wingate, Lisa

    2016-04-01

    The net flux of carbon dioxide between the land surface and the atmosphere is dominated by photosynthesis and soil respiration, two of the largest gross CO2 fluxes in the carbon cycle. More robust estimates of these gross fluxes could be obtained from the atmospheric budgets of other valuable tracers, such as carbonyl sulfide (COS) or the carbon and oxygen isotope compositions (δ13C and δ18O) of atmospheric CO2. Over the past decades, the global atmospheric flask network has measured the inter-annual and intra-annual variations in the concentrations of these tracers. However, knowledge gaps and a lack of high-resolution multi-tracer ecosystem-scale measurements have hindered the development of process-based models that can simulate the behaviour of each tracer in response to environmental drivers. We present novel datasets of net ecosystem COS, 13CO2 and CO18O exchange and vertical profile data collected over 3 consecutive growing seasons (2011-2013) at the Harvard forest flux site. We then used the process-based model MuSICA (multi-layer Simulator of the Interactions between vegetation Canopy and the Atmosphere) to include the transport, reaction, diffusion and production of each tracer within the forest and exchanged with the atmosphere. Model simulations over the three years captured well the impact of diurnally and seasonally varying environmental conditions on the net ecosystem exchange of each tracer. The model also captured well the dynamic vertical features of tracer behaviour within the canopy. This unique dataset and model sensitivity analysis highlights the benefit in the collection of multi-tracer high-resolution field datasets and the developement of multi-tracer land surface models to provide valuable constraints on photosynthesis and respiration across scales in the near future.

  17. {sup 68}Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT in primary staging of prostate cancer: PSA and Gleason score predict the intensity of tracer accumulation in the primary tumour

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Uprimny, Christian; Kroiss, Alexander Stephan; Decristoforo, Clemens; Guggenberg, Elisabeth von; Kendler, Dorota; Scarpa, Lorenza; Di Santo, Gianpaolo; Roig, Llanos Geraldo; Maffey-Steffan, Johanna; Virgolini, Irene Johanna [Medical University Innsbruck, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Innsbruck (Austria); Fritz, Josef [Medical University Innsbruck, Department of Medical Statistics, Informatics and Health Economics, Innsbruck (Austria); Horninger, Wolfgang [Medical University Innsbruck, Department of Urology, Innsbruck (Austria)

    2017-06-15

    Prostate cancer (PC) cells typically show increased expression of prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA), which can be visualized by {sup 68}Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT. The aim of this study was to assess the intensity of {sup 68}Ga-PSMA-11 uptake in the primary tumour and metastases in patients with biopsy-proven PC prior to therapy, and to determine whether a correlation exists between the primary tumour-related {sup 68}Ga-PSMA-11 accumulation and the Gleason score (GS) or prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level. Ninety patients with transrectal ultrasound biopsy-proven PC (GS 6-10; median PSA: 9.7 ng/ml) referred for {sup 68}Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT were retrospectively analysed. PET images were analysed visually and semiquantitatively by measuring the maximum standardized uptake value (SUV{sub max}). The SUV{sub max} of the primary tumour and pathologic lesions suspicious for lymphatic or distant metastases were then compared to the physiologic background activity of normal prostate tissue and gluteal muscle. The SUV{sub max} of the primary tumour was assessed in relation to both PSA level and GS. Eighty-two patients (91.1%) demonstrated pathologic tracer accumulation in the primary tumour that exceeded physiologic tracer uptake in normal prostate tissue (median SUV{sub max}: 12.5 vs. 3.9). Tumours with GS of 6, 7a (3+4) and 7b (4+3) showed significantly lower {sup 68}Ga-PSMA-11 uptake, with median SUV{sub max} of 5.9, 8.3 and 8.2, respectively, compared to patients with GS >7 (median SUV{sub max}: 21.2; p < 0.001). PC patients with PSA ≥10.0 ng/ml exhibited significantly higher uptake than those with PSA levels <10.0 ng/ml (median SUV{sub max}: 17.6 versus 7.7; p < 0.001). In 24 patients (26.7%), 82 lymph nodes with pathologic tracer accumulation consistent with metastases were detected (median SUV{sub max}: 10.6). Eleven patients (12.2%) revealed 55 pathologic osseous lesions suspicious for bone metastases (median SUV{sub max}: 11.6). The GS and PSA level correlated with

  18. [18F]FE@SNAP—A new PET tracer for the melanin concentrating hormone receptor 1 (MCHR1): Microfluidic and vessel-based approaches

    Science.gov (United States)

    Philippe, Cécile; Ungersboeck, Johanna; Schirmer, Eva; Zdravkovic, Milica; Nics, Lukas; Zeilinger, Markus; Shanab, Karem; Lanzenberger, Rupert; Karanikas, Georgios; Spreitzer, Helmut; Viernstein, Helmut; Mitterhauser, Markus; Wadsak, Wolfgang

    2012-01-01

    Changes in the expression of the melanin concentrating hormone receptor 1 (MCHR1) are involved in a variety of pathologies, especially obesity and anxiety disorders. To monitor these pathologies in-vivo positron emission tomography (PET) is a suitable method. After the successful radiosynthesis of [11C]SNAP-7941—the first PET-Tracer for the MCHR1, we aimed to synthesize its [18F]fluoroethylated analogue: [18F]FE@SNAP. Therefore, microfluidic and vessel-based approaches were tested. [18F]fluoroethylation was conducted via various [18F]fluoroalkylated synthons and direct [18F]fluorination. Only the direct [18F]fluorination of a tosylated precursor using a flow-through microreactor was successful, affording [18F]FE@SNAP in 44.3 ± 2.6%. PMID:22921745

  19. Preclinical FLT-PET and FDG-PET imaging of tumor response to the multi-targeted Aurora B kinase inhibitor, TAK-901

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cullinane, Carleen; Waldeck, Kelly L.; Binns, David; Bogatyreva, Ekaterina; Bradley, Daniel P.; Jong, Ron de; McArthur, Grant A.; Hicks, Rodney J.

    2014-01-01

    Introduction: The Aurora kinases play a key role in mitosis and have recently been identified as attractive targets for therapeutic intervention in cancer. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate the utility of 3′-[ 18 F]fluoro-3′-deoxythymidine (FLT) and 2-deoxy-2-[ 18 F]fluoro-D-glucose (FDG) for assessment of tumor response to the multi-targeted Aurora B kinase inhibitor, TAK-901. Methods: Balb/c nude mice bearing HCT116 colorectal xenografts were treated with up to 30 mg/kg TAK 901 or vehicle intravenously twice daily for two days on a weekly cycle. Tumor growth was monitored by calliper measurements and PET imaging was performed at baseline, day 4, 8, 11 and 15. Tumors were harvested at time points corresponding to days of PET imaging for analysis of ex vivo markers of cell proliferation and metabolism together with markers of Aurora B kinase inhibition including phospho-histone H3 (pHH3) and senescence associated β-galactosidase. Results: Tumor growth was inhibited by 60% on day 12 of 30 mg/kg TAK-901 therapy. FLT uptake was significantly reduced by day 4 of treatment and this corresponded with reduction in bromodeoxyuridine and pHH3 staining by immunohistochemistry. All biomarkers rebounded towards baseline levels by the commencement of the next treatment cycle, consistent with release of Aurora B kinase suppression. TAK-901 therapy had no impact on glucose metabolism as assessed by FDG uptake and GLUT1 staining by immunohistochemistry. Conclusions: FLT-PET, but not FDG-PET, is a robust non-invasive imaging biomarker of early HCT116 tumor response to the on-target effects of the multi-targeted Aurora B kinase inhibitor, TAK-901. Advances in knowledge and implications for patient care: This is the first report to demonstrate the impact of the multi-targeted Aurora B kinase inhibitor, TAK-901 on tumor FLT uptake. The findings provide a strong rationale for the evaluation of FLT-PET as an early biomarker of tumor response in the early phase

  20. Effects of regularisation priors on dynamic PET Data

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Caldeira, Liliana; Scheins, Juergen; Silva, Nuno da; Gaens, Michaela; Shah, N Jon

    2014-01-01

    Dynamic PET provides temporal information about tracer uptake. However, each PET frame has usually low statistics, resulting in noisy images. The goal is to study effects of prior regularisation on dynamic PET data. Quantification and noise in image-domain and time-domain as well as impact on parametric images is assessed.

  1. FDG PET/CT in infection and inflammation—current and emerging clinical applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vaidyanathan, S.; Patel, C.N.; Scarsbrook, A.F.; Chowdhury, F.U.

    2015-01-01

    Integrated positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) with the glucose analogue, 2-[ 18 F]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG), is an evolving hybrid imaging technique in the evaluation of an important and diverse group of pathological conditions, which are characterised by infection and aseptic inflammation. With a rapidly expanding body of evidence, it is being increasingly recognised that, in addition to its established role in oncological imaging, FDG PET/CT also has clinical utility in suspected infection and inflammation. The technique can identify the source of infection or inflammation in a timely fashion ahead of morphological changes on conventional anatomical imaging techniques, such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), map the extent and severity of disease, identify sites for tissue sampling, and assess therapy response. FDG PET/CT exhibits distinct advantages over traditional radionuclide imaging techniques in terms of shorter duration of examination, higher spatial resolution, non-invasive nature of acquisition, ability to perform quantitative analyses, and the provision of a synergistic combination of functional and anatomical imaging. With the use of illustrative clinico-radiological cases, this article discusses the current and emerging evidence for the use of FDG PET/CT in a broad spectrum of disorders, such as fever of unknown origin, sarcoidosis, large vessel vasculitis, musculoskeletal infections, joint prosthesis or implant-related complications, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-related infections, and miscellaneous indications, such as IgG4-related systemic disease. It will also briefly summarise the role of more novel tracers such as FDG-labelled leukocytes and gallium-68 PET tracers in this arena

  2. Early [18F]florbetaben and [11C]PiB PET images are a surrogate biomarker of neuronal injury in Alzheimer's disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tiepolt, Solveig; Patt, Marianne; Luthardt, Julia; Barthel, Henryk; Hesse, Swen; Sabri, Osama; Schroeter, Matthias L.; Hoffmann, Karl-Titus; Weise, David; Gertz, Hermann-Josef

    2016-01-01

    [ 18 F]FDG is a commonly used neuronal injury biomarker for early and differential diagnosis of dementia. Typically, the blood supply to the brain is closely coupled to glucose consumption. Early uptake of the Aβ tracer [ 11 C]PiB on PET images is mainly determined by cerebral blood flow and shows a high correlation with [ 18 F]FDG uptake. Uptake data for 18 F-labelled Aβ PET tracers are, however, scarce. We investigated the value of early PET images using the novel Aβ tracer [ 18 F]FBB in the diagnosis of Alzhimers disease (AD). This retrospective analysis included 22 patients with MCI or dementia who underwent dual time-point PET imaging with either [ 11 C]PiB (11 patients) or [ 18 F]FBB (11 patients) in routine clinical practice. Images were acquired 1 - 9 min after administration of both tracers and 40 - 70 min and 90 - 110 min after administration of [ 11 C]PiB and [ 18 F]FBB, respectively. The patients also underwent [ 18 F]FDG brain PET imaging. PET data were analysed visually and semiquantitatively. Associations between early Aβ tracer uptake and dementia as well as brain atrophy were investigated. Regional visual scores of early Aβ tracer and [ 18 F]FDG PET images were significantly correlated (Spearman's ρ = 0.780, P < 0.001). Global brain visual analysis revealed identical results between early Aβ tracer and [ 18 F]FDG PET images. In a VOI-based analysis, the early Aβ tracer data correlated significantly with the [ 18 F]FDG data (r = 0.779, P < 0.001), but there were no differences between [ 18 F]FBB and [ 11 C]PiB. Cortical SUVRs in regions typically affected in AD on early Aβ tracer and [ 18 F]FDG PET images were correlated with MMSE scores (ρ = 0.458, P = 0.032, and ρ = 0.456, P = 0.033, respectively). A voxel-wise group-based search for areas with relatively higher tracer uptake on early Aβ tracer PET images compared with [ 18 F]FDG PET images revealed a small cluster in the midbrain/pons; no significant clusters were found for the

  3. Imaging with 124I in differentiated thyroid carcinoma: is PET/MRI superior to PET/CT?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Binse, I.; Poeppel, T.D.; Ruhlmann, M.; Gomez, B.; Bockisch, A.; Rosenbaum-Krumme, S.J.; Umutlu, L.

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this study was to compare integrated PET/CT and PET/MRI for their usefulness in detecting and categorizing cervical iodine-positive lesions in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer using 124 I as tracer. The study group comprised 65 patients at high risk of iodine-positive metastasis who underwent PET/CT (low-dose CT scan, PET acquisition time 2 min; PET/CT 2 ) followed by PET/MRI of the neck 24 h after 124 I administration. PET images from both modalities were analysed for the numbers of tracer-positive lesions. Two different acquisition times were used for the comparisons, one matching the PET/CT 2 acquisition time (2 min, PET/MRI 2 ) and the other covering the whole MRI scan time (30 min, PET/MRI 30 ). Iodine-positive lesions were categorized as metastasis, thyroid remnant or inconclusive according to their location on the PET/CT images. Morphological information provided by MRI was considered for evaluation of lesions on PET/MRI and for volume information. PET/MRI 2 detected significantly more iodine-positive metastases and thyroid remnants than PET/CT 2 (72 vs. 60, p = 0.002, and 100 vs. 80, p = 0.001, respectively), but the numbers of patients with at least one tumour lesion identified were not significantly different (21/65 vs. 17/65 patients). PET/MRI 30 tended to detect more PET-positive metastases than PET/MRI 2 (88 vs. 72), but the difference was not significant (p = 0.07). Of 21 lesions classified as inconclusive on PET/CT, 5 were assigned to metastasis or thyroid remnant when evaluated by PET/MRI. Volume information was available in 34 % of iodine-positive metastases and 2 % of thyroid remnants on PET/MRI. PET/MRI of the neck was found to be superior to PET/CT in detecting iodine-positive lesions. This was attributed to the higher sensitivity of the PET component, Although helpful in some cases, we found no substantial advantage of PET/MRI over PET/CT in categorizing iodine-positive lesions as either metastasis or thyroid remnant

  4. [{sup 18}F]FE rate at SUPPY: a suitable PET tracer for the adenosine A3 receptor? An in vivo study in rodents

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Haeusler, Daniela; Zeilinger, Markus; Wadsak, Wolfgang; Hacker, Marcus; Mitterhauser, Markus [Medical University of Vienna, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Vienna (Austria); Kuntner, Claudia; Wanek, Thomas; Langer, Oliver [AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Biomedical Systems, Health and Environment Department, Seibersdorf (Austria); Nics, Lukas [Medical University of Vienna, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Vienna (Austria); University of Vienna, Department of Nutritional Sciences, Vienna (Austria); Savli, Markus; Lanzenberger, Rupert R. [Medical University of Vienna, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Vienna (Austria); Karagiannis, Panagiotis [King' s College London, Cutaneous Medicine and Immunotherapy, St. John' s Institute of Dermatology, Division of Genetics and Molecular Medicine King' s College London School of Medicine, Guy' s Hospital, London (United Kingdom); Shanab, Karem; Spreitzer, Helmut [University of Vienna, Department of Drug and Natural Product Synthesis, Vienna (Austria)

    2015-04-01

    The adenosine A{sub 3} receptor (A3R) is involved in cardiovascular, neurological and tumour-related pathologies and serves as an exceptional pharmaceutical target in the clinical setting. A3R antagonists are considered antiinflammatory, antiallergic and anticancer agents, and to have potential for the treatment of asthma, COPD, glaucoma and stroke. Hence, an appropriate A3R PET tracer would be highly beneficial for the diagnosis and therapy monitoring of these diseases. Therefore, in this preclinical in vivo study we evaluated the potential as a PET tracer of the A3R antagonist [{sup 18}F]FE rate at SUPPY. Rats were injected with [{sup 18}F]FE rate at SUPPY for baseline scans and blocking scans (A3R with MRS1523 or FE rate at SUPPY, P-gp with tariquidar; three animals each). Additionally, metabolism was studied in plasma and brain. In a preliminary experiment in a mouse xenograft model (mice injected with cells expressing the human A3R; three animals), the animals received [{sup 18}F]FE rate at SUPPY and [{sup 18}F]FDG. Dynamic PET imaging was performed (60 min in rats, 90 min in xenografted mice). In vitro stability of [{sup 18}F]FE rate at SUPPY in human and rat plasma was also evaluated. [{sup 18}F]FE rate at SUPPY showed high uptake in fat-rich regions and low uptake in the brain. Pretreatment with MRS1523 led to a decrease in [{sup 18}F]FE rate at SUPPY uptake (p = 0.03), and pretreatment with the P-gp inhibitor tariquidar led to a 1.24-fold increase in [{sup 18}F]FE rate at SUPPY uptake (p = 0.09) in rat brain. There was no significant difference in metabolites in plasma and brain in the treatment groups. However, plasma concentrations of [{sup 18}F]FE rate at SUPPY were reduced to levels similar to those in rat brain after blocking. In contrast to [{sup 18}F]FDG uptake (p = 0.12), the xenograft model showed significantly increased uptake of [{sup 18}F]FE rate at SUPPY in the tissue masses from CHO cells expressing the human A3R (p = 0.03). [{sup 18}F

  5. Radiosynthesis and biological evaluation of N-(2-[18F]fluoropropionyl)-3,4-dihydroxy-l-phenylalanine as a PET tracer for oncologic imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Caihua; Nie, Dahong; Tang, Ganghua; Gao, Siyuan; Liu, Shaoyu; Wen, Fuhua; Tang, Xiaolan

    2017-07-01

    Several 11 C and 18 F labeled 3,4-dihydroxy-l-phenylalanine (l-DOPA) analogues have been used for neurologic and oncologic diseases, especially for brain tumors and neuroendocrine tumors PET imaging. However, 18 F-labeled N-substituted l-DOPA analogues have not been reported so far. In the current study, radiosynthesis and biological evaluation of a new 18 F-labeled l-DOPA analogue, N-(2-[ 18 F]fluoropropionyl)-3,4-dihydroxy-l-phenylalanine ([ 18 F]FPDOPA) for tumor PET imaging are performed. The synthesis of [ 18 F]FPDOPA was via a two-step reaction sequence from 4-nitrophenyl-2-[ 18 F]fluoropropionate ([ 18 F]NFP). The biodistribution of [ 18 F]FPDOPA was determined in normal Kunming mice. In vitro competitive inhibition and protein incorporation experiments were performed with SPC-A-1 lung adenocarcinoma cell lines. PET/CT studies of [ 18 F]FPDOPA were conducted in C6 rat glioma and SPC-A-1 human lung adenocarcinoma and H460 human large cell lung cancer-bearing nude mice. [ 18 F]FPDOPA was prepared with a decay-corrected radiochemical yield of 28±5% and a specific activity of 50±15GBq/μmol (n=10) within 125min. In vitro cell experiments showed that [ 18 F]FPDOPA uptake in SPC-A-1 cells was primarily transported through Na + -independent system L, with Na + -dependent system B 0,+ and system ASC partly involved in it. Biodistribution data in mice showed that renal-bladder route was the main excretory system of [ 18 F]FPDOPA. PET imaging demonstrated intense accumulation of [ 18 F]FPDOPA in several tumor xenografts, with (8.50±0.40)%ID/g in C6 glioma, (6.30±0.12)%ID/g in SPC-A-1 lung adenocarcinoma, and (6.50±0.10)%ID/g in H460 large cell lung cancer, respectively. A novel N-substituted 18 F-labeled L-DOPA analogue [ 18 F]FPDOPA is synthesized and evaluated in vitro and in vivo. The results support that [ 18 F]FPDOPA seems to be a potential PET tracer for tumor imaging, especially be a better potential PET tracer than [ 18 F]fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose ([ 18 F

  6. Initial evaluation of a practical PET respiratory motion correction method in clinical simultaneous PET/MRI

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Manber, Richard; Thielemans, Kris; Hutton, Brian; Barnes, Anna; Ourselin, Sebastien; Arridge, Simon; O’Meara, Celia; Atkinson, David

    2014-01-01

    Respiratory motion during PET acquisitions can cause image artefacts, with sharpness and tracer quantification adversely affected due to count ‘smearing’. Motion correction by registration of PET gates becomes increasingly difficult with shorter scan times and less counts. The advent of simultaneous PET/MRI scanners allows the use of high spatial resolution MRI to capture motion states during respiration [1, 2]. In this work, we use a respiratory signal derived from the PET list-mode data [3, ], with no requirement for an external device or MR sequence modifications.

  7. Clinical usefulness of PET in the management of oral cancer. Comparison between FDG-PET and MET-PET

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kitagawa, Yoshimasa; Saitoh, Masaaki; Nakamura, Mikiko

    2007-01-01

    Inductive chemoradiotherapy has played an important role in preserving organs and functions in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). To determine whether a reduced form of surgery should be performed after chemoradiotherapy, accurate evaluation of residual tumor cells is essential. We investigated the clinical value of positron emission tomography with 18 F labeled fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG-PET) in the management of oral SCCs. Forty-five patients underwent two FDG-PET studies, one prior to and one at 6 weeks after the chemoradiotherapy. Pretreatment FDG-PET was useful in predicting the response to treatment. Posttreatment FDG-PET could evaluate residual viable cells and prognosis. Organ preservation may be feasible based on PET evaluation. Hence FDG-PET is a valuable tool in the treatment of oral cancer. 11 C-Methionine (MET) is another promising tracer for PET that can be used to assess metabolic demand for amino acids in cancer cells. A MET-PET and FDG-PET study was performed during the same period to investigate diagnostic accuracy in 40 oral malignancies. Sensitivity and positive predictive value of MET-PET were 95% and 100%, respectively, and were comparable with those of FDG-PET. Further study is required to determine the diagnostic significance of MET-PET in evaluating response to chemoradiotherapy. (author)

  8. Biological characterization of F-18-labeled rhodamine B, a potential positron emission tomography perfusion tracer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bartholomä, Mark D; He, Huamei; Pacak, Christina A; Dunning, Patricia; Fahey, Frederic H; McGowan, Francis X; Cowan, Douglas B; Treves, S Ted; Packard, Alan B

    2013-11-01

    Myocardial infarction is the leading cause of death in western countries, and positron emission tomography (PET) plays an increasing role in the diagnosis and treatment planning for this disease. However, the absence of an (18)F-labeled PET myocardial perfusion tracer hampers the widespread use of PET in myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI). We recently reported a potential MPI agent based on (18)F-labeled rhodamine B. The goal of this study was to more completely define the biological properties of (18)F-labeled rhodamine B with respect to uptake and localization in an animal model of myocardial infarction and to evaluate the uptake (18)F-labeled rhodamine B by cardiomyocytes. A total of 12 female Sprague Dawley rats with a permanent ligation of the left anterior descending artery (LAD) were studied with small-animal PET. The animals were injected with 100-150 μCi of (18)F-labeled rhodamine B diethylene glycol ester ([(18)F]RhoBDEGF) and imaged two days before ligation. The animals were imaged again two to ten days post-ligation. After the post-surgery scans, the animals were euthanized and the hearts were sectioned into 1mm slices and myocardial infarct size was determined by phosphorimaging and 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining (TTC). In addition, the uptake of [(18)F]RhoBDEGF in isolated rat neonatal cardiomyocytes was determined by fluorescence microscopy. Small-animal PET showed intense and uniform uptake of [(18)F]RhoBDEGF throughout the myocardium in healthy rats. After LAD ligation, well defined perfusion defects were observed in the PET images. The defect size was highly correlated with the infarct size as determined ex vivo by phosphorimaging and TTC staining. In vitro, [(18)F]RhoBDEGF was rapidly internalized into rat cardiomyocytes with ~40 % of the initial activity internalized within the 60 min incubation time. Fluorescence microscopy clearly demonstrated localization of [(18)F]RhoBDEGF in the mitochondria of rat cardiomyocytes. Fluorine-18

  9. Biological characterization of F-18-labeled rhodamine B, a potential positron emission tomography perfusion tracer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bartholomä, Mark D.; He, Huamei; Pacak, Christina A.; Dunning, Patricia; Fahey, Frederic H.; McGowan, Francis X.; Cowan, Douglas B.; Treves, S. Ted; Packard, Alan B.

    2013-01-01

    Introduction: Myocardial infarction is the leading cause of death in western countries, and positron emission tomography (PET) plays an increasing role in the diagnosis and treatment planning for this disease. However, the absence of an 18 F-labeled PET myocardial perfusion tracer hampers the widespread use of PET in myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI). We recently reported a potential MPI agent based on 18 F-labeled rhodamine B. The goal of this study was to more completely define the biological properties of 18 F-labeled rhodamine B with respect to uptake and localization in an animal model of myocardial infarction and to evaluate the uptake 18 F-labeled rhodamine B by cardiomyocytes. Methods: A total of 12 female Sprague Dawley rats with a permanent ligation of the left anterior descending artery (LAD) were studied with small-animal PET. The animals were injected with 100–150 μCi of 18 F-labeled rhodamine B diethylene glycol ester ([ 18 F]RhoBDEGF) and imaged two days before ligation. The animals were imaged again two to ten days post-ligation. After the post-surgery scans, the animals were euthanized and the hearts were sectioned into 1 mm slices and myocardial infarct size was determined by phosphorimaging and 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining (TTC). In addition, the uptake of [ 18 F]RhoBDEGF in isolated rat neonatal cardiomyocytes was determined by fluorescence microscopy. Results: Small-animal PET showed intense and uniform uptake of [ 18 F]RhoBDEGF throughout the myocardium in healthy rats. After LAD ligation, well defined perfusion defects were observed in the PET images. The defect size was highly correlated with the infarct size as determined ex vivo by phosphorimaging and TTC staining. In vitro, [ 18 F]RhoBDEGF was rapidly internalized into rat cardiomyocytes with ∼ 40 % of the initial activity internalized within the 60 min incubation time. Fluorescence microscopy clearly demonstrated localization of [ 18 F]RhoBDEGF in the mitochondria

  10. Multi-modality image reconstruction for dual-head small-animal PET

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, Chang-Han; Chou, Cheng-Ying

    2015-01-01

    The hybrid positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) or positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI) has become routine practice in clinics. The applications of multi-modality imaging can also benefit research advances. Consequently, dedicated small-imaging system like dual-head small-animal PET (DHAPET) that possesses the advantages of high detection sensitivity and high resolution can exploit the structural information from CT or MRI. It should be noted that the special detector arrangement in DHAPET leads to severe data truncation, thereby degrading the image quality. We proposed to take advantage of anatomical priors and total variation (TV) minimization methods to reconstruct PET activity distribution form incomplete measurement data. The objective is to solve the penalized least-squares function consisted of data fidelity term, TV norm and medium root priors. In this work, we employed the splitting-based fast iterative shrinkage/thresholding algorithm to split smooth and non-smooth functions in the convex optimization problems. Our simulations studies validated that the images reconstructed by use of the proposed method can outperform those obtained by use of conventional expectation maximization algorithms or that without considering the anatomical prior information. Additionally, the convergence rate is also accelerated.

  11. THERANOSTICS: From Molecular Imaging Using Ga-68 Labeled Tracers and PET/CT to Personalized Radionuclide Therapy - The Bad Berka Experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baum, Richard P; Kulkarni, Harshad R

    2012-01-01

    The acronym THERANOSTICS epitomizes the inseparability of diagnosis and therapy, the pillars of medicine and takes into account personalized management of disease for a specific patient. Molecular phenotypes of neoplasms can be determined by molecular imaging with specific probes using positron emission tomography (PET), single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or optical methods, so that the treatment is specifically targeted against the tumor and its environment. To meet these demands, we need to define the targets, ligands, coupling and labeling chemistry, the most appropriate radionuclides, biodistribution modifiers, and finally select the right patients for the personalized treatment. THERANOSTICS of neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) using Ga-68 labeled tracers for diagnostics with positron emission tomography/ computed tomography (PET/CT), and using Lu-177 or other metallic radionuclides for radionuclide therapy by applying the same peptide proves that personalized radionuclide therapy today is already a fact and not a fiction.

  12. MR-based attenuation correction for cardiac FDG PET on a hybrid PET/MRI scanner: comparison with standard CT attenuation correction

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vontobel, Jan; Liga, Riccardo; Possner, Mathias; Clerc, Olivier F.; Mikulicic, Fran; Veit-Haibach, Patrick; Voert, Edwin E.G.W. ter; Fuchs, Tobias A.; Stehli, Julia; Pazhenkottil, Aju P.; Benz, Dominik C.; Graeni, Christoph; Gaemperli, Oliver; Herzog, Bernhard; Buechel, Ronny R.; Kaufmann, Philipp A. [University Hospital Zurich, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Zurich (Switzerland)

    2015-09-15

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of attenuation correction (AC) for cardiac {sup 18}F-labelled fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) using MR-based attenuation maps. We included 23 patients with no known cardiac history undergoing whole-body FDG PET/CT imaging for oncological indications on a PET/CT scanner using time-of-flight (TOF) and subsequent whole-body PET/MR imaging on an investigational hybrid PET/MRI scanner. Data sets from PET/MRI (with and without TOF) were reconstructed using MR AC and semi-quantitative segmental (20-segment model) myocardial tracer uptake (per cent of maximum) and compared to PET/CT which was reconstructed using CT AC and served as standard of reference. Excellent correlations were found for regional uptake values between PET/CT and PET/MRI with TOF (n = 460 segments in 23 patients; r = 0.913; p < 0.0001) with narrow Bland-Altman limits of agreement (-8.5 to +12.6 %). Correlation coefficients were slightly lower between PET/CT and PET/MRI without TOF (n = 460 segments in 23 patients; r = 0.851; p < 0.0001) with broader Bland-Altman limits of agreement (-12.5 to +15.0 %). PET/MRI with and without TOF showed minimal underestimation of tracer uptake (-2.08 and -1.29 %, respectively), compared to PET/CT. Relative myocardial FDG uptake obtained from MR-based attenuation corrected FDG PET is highly comparable to standard CT-based attenuation corrected FDG PET, suggesting interchangeability of both AC techniques. (orig.)

  13. Dynamic whole body PET parametric imaging: I. Concept, acquisition protocol optimization and clinical application

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karakatsanis, Nicolas A.; Lodge, Martin A.; Tahari, Abdel K.; Zhou, Y.; Wahl, Richard L.; Rahmim, Arman

    2013-01-01

    Static whole body PET/CT, employing the standardized uptake value (SUV), is considered the standard clinical approach to diagnosis and treatment response monitoring for a wide range of oncologic malignancies. Alternative PET protocols involving dynamic acquisition of temporal images have been implemented in the research setting, allowing quantification of tracer dynamics, an important capability for tumor characterization and treatment response monitoring. Nonetheless, dynamic protocols have been confined to single bed-coverage limiting the axial field-of-view to ~15–20 cm, and have not been translated to the routine clinical context of whole-body PET imaging for the inspection of disseminated disease. Here, we pursue a transition to dynamic whole body PET parametric imaging, by presenting, within a unified framework, clinically feasible multi-bed dynamic PET acquisition protocols and parametric imaging methods. We investigate solutions to address the challenges of: (i) long acquisitions, (ii) small number of dynamic frames per bed, and (iii) non-invasive quantification of kinetics in the plasma. In the present study, a novel dynamic (4D) whole body PET acquisition protocol of ~45min total length is presented, composed of (i) an initial 6-min dynamic PET scan (24 frames) over the heart, followed by (ii) a sequence of multi-pass multi-bed PET scans (6 passes x 7 bed positions, each scanned for 45sec). Standard Patlak linear graphical analysis modeling was employed, coupled with image-derived plasma input function measurements. Ordinary least squares (OLS) Patlak estimation was used as the baseline regression method to quantify the physiological parameters of tracer uptake rate Ki and total blood distribution volume V on an individual voxel basis. Extensive Monte Carlo simulation studies, using a wide set of published kinetic FDG parameters and GATE and XCAT platforms, were conducted to optimize the acquisition protocol from a range of 10 different clinically

  14. Dynamic whole-body PET parametric imaging: I. Concept, acquisition protocol optimization and clinical application.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karakatsanis, Nicolas A; Lodge, Martin A; Tahari, Abdel K; Zhou, Y; Wahl, Richard L; Rahmim, Arman

    2013-10-21

    Static whole-body PET/CT, employing the standardized uptake value (SUV), is considered the standard clinical approach to diagnosis and treatment response monitoring for a wide range of oncologic malignancies. Alternative PET protocols involving dynamic acquisition of temporal images have been implemented in the research setting, allowing quantification of tracer dynamics, an important capability for tumor characterization and treatment response monitoring. Nonetheless, dynamic protocols have been confined to single-bed-coverage limiting the axial field-of-view to ~15-20 cm, and have not been translated to the routine clinical context of whole-body PET imaging for the inspection of disseminated disease. Here, we pursue a transition to dynamic whole-body PET parametric imaging, by presenting, within a unified framework, clinically feasible multi-bed dynamic PET acquisition protocols and parametric imaging methods. We investigate solutions to address the challenges of: (i) long acquisitions, (ii) small number of dynamic frames per bed, and (iii) non-invasive quantification of kinetics in the plasma. In the present study, a novel dynamic (4D) whole-body PET acquisition protocol of ~45 min total length is presented, composed of (i) an initial 6 min dynamic PET scan (24 frames) over the heart, followed by (ii) a sequence of multi-pass multi-bed PET scans (six passes × seven bed positions, each scanned for 45 s). Standard Patlak linear graphical analysis modeling was employed, coupled with image-derived plasma input function measurements. Ordinary least squares Patlak estimation was used as the baseline regression method to quantify the physiological parameters of tracer uptake rate Ki and total blood distribution volume V on an individual voxel basis. Extensive Monte Carlo simulation studies, using a wide set of published kinetic FDG parameters and GATE and XCAT platforms, were conducted to optimize the acquisition protocol from a range of ten different clinically

  15. Dynamic whole-body PET parametric imaging: I. Concept, acquisition protocol optimization and clinical application

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Karakatsanis, Nicolas A; Lodge, Martin A; Tahari, Abdel K; Zhou, Y; Wahl, Richard L; Rahmim, Arman

    2013-01-01

    Static whole-body PET/CT, employing the standardized uptake value (SUV), is considered the standard clinical approach to diagnosis and treatment response monitoring for a wide range of oncologic malignancies. Alternative PET protocols involving dynamic acquisition of temporal images have been implemented in the research setting, allowing quantification of tracer dynamics, an important capability for tumor characterization and treatment response monitoring. Nonetheless, dynamic protocols have been confined to single-bed-coverage limiting the axial field-of-view to ∼15–20 cm, and have not been translated to the routine clinical context of whole-body PET imaging for the inspection of disseminated disease. Here, we pursue a transition to dynamic whole-body PET parametric imaging, by presenting, within a unified framework, clinically feasible multi-bed dynamic PET acquisition protocols and parametric imaging methods. We investigate solutions to address the challenges of: (i) long acquisitions, (ii) small number of dynamic frames per bed, and (iii) non-invasive quantification of kinetics in the plasma. In the present study, a novel dynamic (4D) whole-body PET acquisition protocol of ∼45 min total length is presented, composed of (i) an initial 6 min dynamic PET scan (24 frames) over the heart, followed by (ii) a sequence of multi-pass multi-bed PET scans (six passes × seven bed positions, each scanned for 45 s). Standard Patlak linear graphical analysis modeling was employed, coupled with image-derived plasma input function measurements. Ordinary least squares Patlak estimation was used as the baseline regression method to quantify the physiological parameters of tracer uptake rate K i and total blood distribution volume V on an individual voxel basis. Extensive Monte Carlo simulation studies, using a wide set of published kinetic FDG parameters and GATE and XCAT platforms, were conducted to optimize the acquisition protocol from a range of ten different

  16. Dynamic whole-body PET parametric imaging: I. Concept, acquisition protocol optimization and clinical application

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karakatsanis, Nicolas A.; Lodge, Martin A.; Tahari, Abdel K.; Zhou, Y.; Wahl, Richard L.; Rahmim, Arman

    2013-10-01

    Static whole-body PET/CT, employing the standardized uptake value (SUV), is considered the standard clinical approach to diagnosis and treatment response monitoring for a wide range of oncologic malignancies. Alternative PET protocols involving dynamic acquisition of temporal images have been implemented in the research setting, allowing quantification of tracer dynamics, an important capability for tumor characterization and treatment response monitoring. Nonetheless, dynamic protocols have been confined to single-bed-coverage limiting the axial field-of-view to ˜15-20 cm, and have not been translated to the routine clinical context of whole-body PET imaging for the inspection of disseminated disease. Here, we pursue a transition to dynamic whole-body PET parametric imaging, by presenting, within a unified framework, clinically feasible multi-bed dynamic PET acquisition protocols and parametric imaging methods. We investigate solutions to address the challenges of: (i) long acquisitions, (ii) small number of dynamic frames per bed, and (iii) non-invasive quantification of kinetics in the plasma. In the present study, a novel dynamic (4D) whole-body PET acquisition protocol of ˜45 min total length is presented, composed of (i) an initial 6 min dynamic PET scan (24 frames) over the heart, followed by (ii) a sequence of multi-pass multi-bed PET scans (six passes × seven bed positions, each scanned for 45 s). Standard Patlak linear graphical analysis modeling was employed, coupled with image-derived plasma input function measurements. Ordinary least squares Patlak estimation was used as the baseline regression method to quantify the physiological parameters of tracer uptake rate Ki and total blood distribution volume V on an individual voxel basis. Extensive Monte Carlo simulation studies, using a wide set of published kinetic FDG parameters and GATE and XCAT platforms, were conducted to optimize the acquisition protocol from a range of ten different clinically

  17. Practical use and implementation of PET in children in a hospital PET centre

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Borgwardt, Lise; Larsen, Helle Jung; Pedersen, Kate

    2003-01-01

    Children are not just small adults-they differ in their psychology, normal physiology and pathophysiology, and various aspects should be considered when planning a positron emission tomography (PET) scan in a child. PET in children is a growing area, and this article describes the practical use...... and implementation of PET in children in a hospital PET centre. It is intended to be of use to nuclear medicine departments implementing or starting to implement PET scans in children. Topics covered are: dealing with children, dosimetry, organisation within the department and relations with other departments......, preparation of the child (provision of information to the child and parents and the fasting procedure), the imaging procedure (resting, tracer injection, positioning, sedation and bladder emptying) and pitfalls in the interpretation of PET scans in children, including experiences with telemedicine....

  18. Practical use and implementation of PET in children in a hospital PET centre

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Borgwardt, Lise; Larsen, Helle Jung; Pedersen, Kate; Hoejgaard, Liselotte

    2003-01-01

    Children are not just small adults - they differ in their psychology, normal physiology and pathophysiology, and various aspects should be considered when planning a positron emission tomography (PET) scan in a child. PET in children is a growing area, and this article describes the practical use and implementation of PET in children in a hospital PET centre. It is intended to be of use to nuclear medicine departments implementing or starting to implement PET scans in children. Topics covered are: dealing with children, dosimetry, organisation within the department and relations with other departments, preparation of the child (provision of information to the child and parents and the fasting procedure), the imaging procedure (resting, tracer injection, positioning, sedation and bladder emptying) and pitfalls in the interpretation of PET scans in children, including experiences with telemedicine. (orig.)

  19. Practical use and implementation of PET in children in a hospital PET centre

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Borgwardt, Lise; Larsen, Helle Jung; Pedersen, Kate; Hoejgaard, Liselotte [Department of Clinical Physiology, Nuclear Medicine and PET, University Hospital of Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9, 2100, Copenhagen (Denmark)

    2003-10-01

    Children are not just small adults - they differ in their psychology, normal physiology and pathophysiology, and various aspects should be considered when planning a positron emission tomography (PET) scan in a child. PET in children is a growing area, and this article describes the practical use and implementation of PET in children in a hospital PET centre. It is intended to be of use to nuclear medicine departments implementing or starting to implement PET scans in children. Topics covered are: dealing with children, dosimetry, organisation within the department and relations with other departments, preparation of the child (provision of information to the child and parents and the fasting procedure), the imaging procedure (resting, tracer injection, positioning, sedation and bladder emptying) and pitfalls in the interpretation of PET scans in children, including experiences with telemedicine. (orig.)

  20. Bringing physiology into PET of the liver.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keiding, Susanne

    2012-03-01

    Several physiologic features make interpretation of PET studies of liver physiology an exciting challenge. As with other organs, hepatic tracer kinetics using PET is quantified by dynamic recording of the liver after the administration of a radioactive tracer, with measurements of time-activity curves in the blood supply. However, the liver receives blood from both the portal vein and the hepatic artery, with the peak of the portal vein time-activity curve being delayed and dispersed compared with that of the hepatic artery. The use of a flow-weighted dual-input time-activity curve is of importance for the estimation of hepatic blood perfusion through initial dynamic PET recording. The portal vein is inaccessible in humans, and methods of estimating the dual-input time-activity curve without portal vein measurements are being developed. Such methods are used to estimate regional hepatic blood perfusion, for example, by means of the initial part of a dynamic (18)F-FDG PET/CT recording. Later, steady-state hepatic metabolism can be assessed using only the arterial input, provided that neither the tracer nor its metabolites are irreversibly trapped in the prehepatic splanchnic area within the acquisition period. This is used in studies of regulation of hepatic metabolism of, for example, (18)F-FDG and (11)C-palmitate.

  1. Imaging with {sup 124}I in differentiated thyroid carcinoma: is PET/MRI superior to PET/CT?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Binse, I.; Poeppel, T.D.; Ruhlmann, M.; Gomez, B.; Bockisch, A.; Rosenbaum-Krumme, S.J. [University of Duisburg-Essen, Medical Faculty, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Essen (Germany); Umutlu, L. [University of Duisburg-Essen, Medical Faculty, Department of Radiology, Essen (Germany)

    2016-06-15

    The aim of this study was to compare integrated PET/CT and PET/MRI for their usefulness in detecting and categorizing cervical iodine-positive lesions in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer using {sup 124}I as tracer. The study group comprised 65 patients at high risk of iodine-positive metastasis who underwent PET/CT (low-dose CT scan, PET acquisition time 2 min; PET/CT{sub 2}) followed by PET/MRI of the neck 24 h after {sup 124}I administration. PET images from both modalities were analysed for the numbers of tracer-positive lesions. Two different acquisition times were used for the comparisons, one matching the PET/CT{sub 2} acquisition time (2 min, PET/MRI{sub 2}) and the other covering the whole MRI scan time (30 min, PET/MRI{sub 30}). Iodine-positive lesions were categorized as metastasis, thyroid remnant or inconclusive according to their location on the PET/CT images. Morphological information provided by MRI was considered for evaluation of lesions on PET/MRI and for volume information. PET/MRI{sub 2} detected significantly more iodine-positive metastases and thyroid remnants than PET/CT{sub 2} (72 vs. 60, p = 0.002, and 100 vs. 80, p = 0.001, respectively), but the numbers of patients with at least one tumour lesion identified were not significantly different (21/65 vs. 17/65 patients). PET/MRI{sub 30} tended to detect more PET-positive metastases than PET/MRI{sub 2} (88 vs. 72), but the difference was not significant (p = 0.07). Of 21 lesions classified as inconclusive on PET/CT, 5 were assigned to metastasis or thyroid remnant when evaluated by PET/MRI. Volume information was available in 34 % of iodine-positive metastases and 2 % of thyroid remnants on PET/MRI. PET/MRI of the neck was found to be superior to PET/CT in detecting iodine-positive lesions. This was attributed to the higher sensitivity of the PET component, Although helpful in some cases, we found no substantial advantage of PET/MRI over PET/CT in categorizing iodine

  2. Ethnic comparison of pharmacokinetics of {sup 18}F-florbetaben, a PET tracer for beta-amyloid imaging, in healthy Caucasian and Japanese subjects

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Senda, Michio; Sasaki, Masahiro; Yamane, Tomohiko; Shimizu, Keiji [Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation, Division of Molecular Imaging, 2-2 Minatojima-Minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe (Japan); Patt, Marianne; Barthel, Henryk; Sattler, Bernhard; Sabri, Osama [University of Leipzig, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Leipzig (Germany); Nagasawa, Toshiki; Aitoku, Yasuko [Bayer Yakuhin Ltd, Osaka (Japan); Schultze-Mosgau, Marcus [Bayer HealthCare AG, Berlin (Germany); Dinkelborg, Ludger [Piramal Imaging GmbH, Berlin (Germany)

    2015-01-15

    {sup 18}F-Florbetaben is a positron emission tomography (PET) tracer indicated for imaging cerebral beta-amyloid deposition in adult patients with cognitive impairment who are being evaluated for Alzheimer's disease and other causes of cognitive decline. The present study examined ethnic comparability of the plasma pharmacokinetics, which is the input to the brain, between Caucasian and Japanese subjects. Two identical phase I trials were performed in 18 German and 18 Japanese healthy volunteers to evaluate the plasma pharmacokinetics of a single dose of 300 MBq {sup 18}F-florbetaben, either of low (≤5 μg, LD) or high (50-55 μg, HD) mass dose. Pharmacokinetic parameters were evaluated based on the total {sup 18}F radioactivity measurements in plasma followed by metabolite analysis using radio-HPLC. The pharmacokinetics of {sup 18}F-florbetaben was characterized by a rapid elimination from plasma. The dose-normalized areas under the curve of {sup 18}F-florbetaben in plasma as an indicator of the input to the brain were comparable between Germans (LD: 0.38 min/l, HD: 0.55 min/l) and Japanese (LD: 0.35 min/l, HD: 0.45 min/l) suggesting ethnic similarity, and the mass dose effect was minimal. A polar metabolite fraction was the main radiolabelled degradation product in plasma and was also similar between the doses and the ethnic groups. Absence of a difference in the pharmacokinetics of {sup 18}F-florbetaben in Germans and Japanese has warranted further global development of the PET imaging agent. (orig.)

  3. Rapid intracerebroventricular delivery of Cu-DOTA-etanercept after peripheral administration demonstrated by PET imaging

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chen Xiaoyuan

    2009-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The cytokines interleukin-1 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF, and the cytokine blocker interleukin-1 receptor antagonist, all have been demonstrated to enter the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF following peripheral administration. Recent reports of rapid clinical improvement in patients with Alzheimer's disease and related forms of dementia following perispinal administration of etanercept, a TNF antagonist, suggest that etanercept also has the ability to reach the brain CSF. To investigate, etanercept was labeled with a positron emitter to enable visualization of its intracranial distribution following peripheral administration by PET in an animal model. Findings Radiolabeling of etanercept with the PET emitter 64Cu was performed by DOTA (1,4,7,10-tetraazadodecane-N,N',N",N"'-tetraacetic acid conjugation of etanercept, followed by column purification and 64Cu labeling. MicroPET imaging revealed accumulation of 64Cu-DOTA-etanercept within the lateral and third cerebral ventricles within minutes of peripheral perispinal administration in a normal rat anesthesized with isoflurane anesthesia, with concentration within the choroid plexus and into the CSF. Conclusion Synthesis of 64Cu-DOTA-etanercept enabled visualization of its intracranial distribution by microPET imaging. MicroPET imaging documented rapid accumulation of 64Cu-DOTA-etanercept within the choroid plexus and the cerebrospinal fluid within the cerebral ventricles of a living rat after peripheral administration. Further study of the effects of etanercept and TNF at the level of the choroid plexus may yield valuable insights into the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease.

  4. Lethal pulmonary hemorrhage syndrome due to Leptospira infection transmitted by pet rat

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bernd Ludwig

    2017-01-01

    The diagnosis of leptospirosis was made after the patient died. The transmitting animal was a pet rat. Leptospirosis has to be considered in case of rapid multi-organ failure presenting with pulmonary hemorrhage.

  5. Kinetic modeling in PET imaging of hypoxia

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Li, Fan; Jørgensen, Jesper Tranekjær; Hansen, Anders E

    2014-01-01

    be used for non-invasive mapping of tissue oxygenation in vivo and several hypoxia specific PET tracers have been developed. Evaluation of PET data in the clinic is commonly based on visual assessment together with semiquantitative measurements e.g. standard uptake value (SUV). However, dynamic PET......Tumor hypoxia is associated with increased therapeutic resistance leading to poor treatment outcome. Therefore the ability to detect and quantify intratumoral oxygenation could play an important role in future individual personalized treatment strategies. Positron Emission Tomography (PET) can...... analysis for PET imaging of hypoxia....

  6. Optimal time-point for 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT imaging in assessment of prostate cancer: feasibility of sterile cold-kit tracer preparation?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beheshti, Mohsen; Paymani, Zeinab; Brilhante, Joana; Geinitz, Hans; Gehring, Daniela; Leopoldseder, Thomas; Wouters, Ludovic; Pirich, Christian; Loidl, Wolfgang; Langsteger, Werner

    2018-07-01

    In this prospective study, we evaluated the optimal time-point for 68 Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT acquisition in the assessment of prostate cancer. We also examined, for the first time the feasibility of tracer production using a PSMA-11 sterile cold-kit in the clinical workflow of PET/CT centres. Fifty prostate cancer patients (25 staging, 25 biochemical recurrence) were enrolled in this study. All patients received an intravenous dose of 2.0 MBq/kg body weight 68 Ga-PSMA-11 prepared using a sterile cold kit (ANMI SA, Liege, Belgium), followed by an early (20 min after injection) semi-whole-body PET/CT scan and a standard-delay (100 min after injection) abdominopelvic PET/CT scan. The detection rates with 68 Ga-PSMA-11 were compared between the two acquisitions. The pattern of physiological background activity and tumour to background ratio were also analysed. The total preparation time was reduced to 5 min using the PSMA-11 sterile cold kit, which improved the final radionuclide activity by about 30% per single 68 Ge/ 68 Ga generator elution. Overall, 158 pathological lesions were analysed in 45 patients (90%) suggestive of malignancy on both (early and standard-delay) 68 Ga-PSMA PET/CT images. There was a significant (p PET/CT imaging seems to provide a detection rate comparable with that of standard-delay imaging. Furthermore, the shorter preparation time using the 68 Ga-PSMA-11 sterile cold kit and promising value of early PET/CT scanning could allow tailoring of imaging protocols which may reduce the costs and improve the time efficiency in PET/CT centres.

  7. Comparison of semiquantitative fluorescence imaging and PET tracer uptake in mesothelioma models as a monitoring system for growth and therapeutic effects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saito, Yuriko; Furukawa, Takako; Arano, Yasushi; Fujibayashi, Yasuhisa; Saga, Tsuneo

    2008-01-01

    Introduction: Various techniques are available for in vivo imaging, and precise understanding of their characteristics is essential for effective use of the imaging results. We established human mesothelioma cell lines expressing red fluorescent protein (RFP) and examined their fluorescence intensity and uptake of positron emission tomography (PET) tracer analogs to compare their characteristics and assess their usefulness in the evaluation of therapeutics. Method: A human mesothelioma cell line was stably transfected to express RFP. Fluorescence, cell number and protein amount were measured during cell growth and treatment with cytotoxic reagents. In in vivo experiments, RFP-expressing cells were injected subcutaneously or into the pleural cavity of nude mice, and fluorescence images were taken with or without pemetrexed treatment. The uptake of [ 3 H]3'-deoxy-3'-fluorothymidine ([ 3 H]FLT) and [ 14 C]2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose ([ 14 C]FDG) under treatment with the above reagents in vitro and in vivo were examined. Results: Strong correlation was observed between fluorescence intensity and total cell number with or without cytotoxic treatment. The uptake of [ 3 H]FLT and [ 14 C]FDG decreased rapidly after the initiation of treatment with actinomycin D or cycloheximide. When treated with pemetrexed, the uptake of [ 3 H]FLT temporarily increased. The cells formed subcutaneous and orthotopic tumors, with fluorescence intensity correlating with tumor volume. The correlation was sustained under pemetrexed treatment. The uptake of [ 3 H]FLT in vivo increased significantly early after pemetrexed treatment. Conclusion: Fluorescence imaging could be used to semiquantitatively monitor tumor size, whereas PET could be used to monitor tumor response to therapeutic treatments, and especially, FLT might be a good marker of the response to anti-folate chemotherapeutics

  8. Imaging corn plants with PhytoPET, a modular PET system for plant biology

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, S.; Kross, B.; McKisson, J.; McKisson, J. E.; Weisenberger, A. G.; Xi, W.; Zorn, C.; Bonito, G.; Howell, C. R.; Reid, C. D.; Crowell, A.; Cumberbatch, L. C.; Topp, C.; Smith, M. F.

    2013-11-01

    PhytoPET is a modular positron emission tomography (PET) system designed specifically for plant imaging. The PhytoPET design allows flexible arrangements of PET detectors based on individual standalone detector modules built from single Hamamatsu H8500 position sensitive photomultiplier tubes and pixelated LYSO arrays. We have used the PhytoPET system to perform preliminary corn plant imaging studies at the Duke University Biology Department Phytotron. Initial evaluation of the PhytoPET system to image the biodistribution of the positron emitting tracer {sup 11}C in corn plants is presented. {sup 11}CO{sub 2} is loaded into corn seedlings by a leaf-labeling cuvette and translocation of {sup 11}C-sugars is imaged by a flexible arrangement of PhytoPET modules on each side. The PhytoPET system successfully images {sup 11}C within corn plants and allows for the dynamic measurement of {sup 11}C-sugar translocation from the leaf to the roots.

  9. Bone formation rather than inflammation reflects ankylosing spondylitis activity on PET-CT: a pilot study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bruijnen, Stefan T G; van der Weijden, Mignon A C; Klein, Joannes P; Hoekstra, Otto S; Boellaard, Ronald; van Denderen, J Christiaan; Dijkmans, Ben A C; Voskuyl, Alexandre E; van der Horst-Bruinsma, Irene E; van der Laken, Conny J

    2012-04-02

    Positron Emission Tomography - Computer Tomography (PET-CT) is an interesting imaging technique to visualize Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) activity using specific PET tracers. Previous studies have shown that the PET tracers [18F]FDG and [11C](R)PK11195 can target inflammation (synovitis) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and may therefore be useful in AS. Another interesting tracer for AS is [18F]Fluoride, which targets bone formation. In a pilot setting, the potential of PET-CT in imaging AS activity was tested using different tracers, with Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and conventional radiographs as reference. In a stepwise approach different PET tracers were investigated. First, whole body [18F]FDG and [11C](R)PK11195 PET-CT scans were obtained of ten AS patients fulfilling the modified New York criteria. According to the BASDAI five of these patients had low and five had high disease activity. Secondly, an extra PET-CT scan using [18F]Fluoride was made of two additional AS patients with high disease activity. MRI scans of the total spine and sacroiliac joints were performed, and conventional radiographs of the total spine and sacroiliac joints were available for all patients. Scans and radiographs were visually scored by two observers blinded for clinical data. No increased [18F]FDG and [11C](R)PK11195 uptake was noticed on PET-CT scans of the first 10 patients. In contrast, MRI demonstrated a total of five bone edema lesions in three out of 10 patients. In the two additional AS patients scanned with [18F]Fluoride PET-CT, [18F]Fluoride depicted 17 regions with increased uptake in both vertebral column and sacroiliac joints. In contrast, [18F]FDG depicted only three lesions, with an uptake of five times lower compared to [18F]Fluoride, and again no [11C](R)PK11195 positive lesions were found. In these two patients, MRI detected nine lesions and six out of nine matched with the anatomical position of [18F]Fluoride uptake. Conventional radiographs showed structural

  10. THERANOSTICS: From Molecular Imaging Using Ga-68 Labeled Tracers and PET/CT to Personalized Radionuclide Therapy - The Bad Berka Experience

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Richard P. Baum, Harshad R. Kulkarni

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The acronym THERANOSTICS epitomizes the inseparability of diagnosis and therapy, the pillars of medicine and takes into account personalized management of disease for a specific patient. Molecular phenotypes of neoplasms can be determined by molecular imaging with specific probes using positron emission tomography (PET, single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI, or optical methods, so that the treatment is specifically targeted against the tumor and its environment. To meet these demands, we need to define the targets, ligands, coupling and labeling chemistry, the most appropriate radionuclides, biodistribution modifiers, and finally select the right patients for the personalized treatment. THERANOSTICS of neuroendocrine tumors (NETs using Ga-68 labeled tracers for diagnostics with positron emission tomography/ computed tomography (PET/CT, and using Lu-177 or other metallic radionuclides for radionuclide therapy by applying the same peptide proves that personalized radionuclide therapy today is already a fact and not a fiction.

  11. 'Serial review on clinical PET tracers'. Application of health insurance of [15O]oxygen PET and [18F]FDG-PET

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Torizuka, Kanji

    2009-01-01

    As regards the application required for health insurance of PET, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare indicates the following procedures: first, request a permission to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare for the clinical use of the automatic synthetic instrument for PET drug, approved according to the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law. Second, put into practice the use of PET test, under the highly advanced medicine premises. Then, in case of gathered positive results, the health insurance is approved for this PET test. Thus, following the above mentioned procedures, first, the use of [ 15 O] oxygen PET was approved in April 1996. Second, the use of [ 18 F]FDG-PET was approved in 12 different diseases: epilepsy, ischemic heart disease and 10 different types of cancer, in April 2002. Third, in April 2006, a additional 3 types of cancer were approved. Now, we are in the process to get the health insurance of all kinds of malignant tumors (cancer and sarcoma) except for the early gastric cancer. (author)

  12. Preclinical in vitro and in vivo evaluation of [11C]SNAP-7941 – the first PET tracer for the melanin concentrating hormone receptor 1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Philippe, Cécile; Nics, Lukas; Zeilinger, Markus; Kuntner, Claudia; Wanek, Thomas; Mairinger, Severin; Shanab, Karem; Spreitzer, Helmut; Viernstein, Helmut; Wadsak, Wolfgang; Mitterhauser, Markus

    2013-01-01

    Introduction: Due to its involvement in a variety of pathologies (obesity, diabetes, gut inflammation and depression), the melanin concentrating hormone receptor 1 (MCHR1) is a new target for the treatment of these lifestyle diseases. We previously presented the radiosynthesis of [ 11 C]SNAP-7941, the first potential PET tracer for the MCHR1. Methods: We herein present its in vitro and in vivo evaluation, including binding affinity, plasma stability, stability against liver mircrosomes and carboxylesterase, lipohilicity, biodistribution, in vivo metabolism and small-animal PET. Results: [ 11 C]SNAP-7941 evinced high stability against liver microsomes, carboxylesterase and in human plasma. The first small-animal PET experiments revealed a 5 fold increased brain uptake after Pgp/BCRP inhibition. Therefore, it can be assumed that [ 11 C]SNAP-7941 is a Pgp/BCRP substrate. No metabolites were found in brain. Conclusion: On the basis of these experiments with healthy rats, the suitability of [ 11 C]SNAP-7941 for the visualisation of central and peripheral MCHR1 remains speculative

  13. T156. IN VIVO CHARACTERIZATION OF THE FIRST AGONIST DOPAMINE D1 RECEPTORS PET IMAGING TRACER [18F]MNI-968 IN HUMAN

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tamagnan, Gilles; Barret, Olivier; Alagille, David; Carroll, Vincent; Madonia, Jennifer; Constantinescu, Cristian; SanDiego, Christine; Papin, Caroline; Morley, Thomas; Russell, David; McCarthy, Timothy; Zhang, Lei; Gray, David; Villalobos, Anna; Lee, Chewah; Chen, Jianqing; Seibyl, John; Marek, Kenneth

    2018-01-01

    Abstract Background D1 receptors, which couple to inhibitory G-proteins, have been shown to regulate neuronal growth and development, mediate some behavioral responses. Its function has been shown to be altered in both neurologic and psychiatric disorders. To date, there is a lack of agonist PET tracers for the D1 receptors labeled with 18F with relevance in clinical studies. We report the evaluation in non-human primates of [18F]MNI-968 (PF-06730110), a novel PET radiotracer of the D1 receptors Methods Four brain PET studies, 2 baselines and 2 blockade studies using PF-2562, a D1 partial agonist compound, were conducted for 90 min in two rhesus monkeys with [18F]MNI-968 (169 ± 31 MBq). [18F]PF-06730110 was administered at the same dose level for both monkeys as a bolus followed by a 2-hour infusion, with [18F]MNI-968 administered 30 min into the infusion. Additionally, six brain PET studies were conducted over 180 min (317 ± 49 MBq) in 6 healthy human volunteers (3 test/retest and 3 test). PET data were modeled with 2-tissue compartmental model (2T), Logan graphical analysis (LGA), and non-invasive Logan graphical analysis (NI-LGA) with cerebellar cortex as reference region to estimate total distribution volume VT, and binding potential BPND. For the blockade studies in rhesus monkeys, occupancy was estimated from BPND at baseline and post blockade. Results In rhesus monkeys, [18F]MNI-968 (PF-06730110), penetrated the brain with a peak whole-brain uptake up to ~3% of the injected dose at ~ 6 min post injection and showed a fast washout. The highest signal was found in the caudate, putamen, with moderate extrastriatal uptake. The lowest signal was in the cerebellum. BPND values were up to ~1.4 in the putamen. All three quantification methods (2T, LGA and NI-LGA) were in excellent agreement, with a similar estimated D1 receptors occupancy of PF-06730110 of ~40% for both monkeys in the caudate and putamen. In human, [18F]MNI-968 kinetics appeared to be faster

  14. PetIGA-MF: a multi-field high-performance toolbox for structure-preserving B-splines spaces

    KAUST Repository

    Sarmiento, Adel

    2016-10-01

    We describe a high-performance solution framework for isogeometric discrete differential forms based on B-splines: PetIGA-MF. Built on top of PetIGA, an open-source library we have built and developed over the last decade, PetIGA-MF is a general multi-field discretization tool. To test the capabilities of our implementation, we solve different viscous flow problems such as Darcy, Stokes, Brinkman, and Navier-Stokes equations. Several convergence benchmarks based on manufactured solutions are presented assuring optimal convergence rates of the approximations, showing the accuracy and robustness of our solver.

  15. Correlation of Dynamic PET and Gene Array Data in Patients with Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ludwig G. Strauss

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction. The results obtained with dynamic PET (dPET were compared to gene expression data obtained in patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST. The primary aim was to assess the association of the dPET results and gene expression data. Material and Methods. dPET was performed following the injection of F-18-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG in 22 patients with GIST. All patients were examined prior to surgery for staging purpose. Compartment and noncompartment models were used for the quantitative evaluation of the dPET examinations. Gene array data were based on tumor specimen obtained by surgery after the PET examinations. Results. The data analysis revealed significant correlations for the dPET parameters and the expression of zinc finger genes (znf43, znf85, znf91, znf189. Furthermore, the transport of FDG (k1 was associated with VEGF-A. The cell cycle gene cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1C was correlated with the maximum tracer uptake (SUVmax in the tumors. Conclusions. The data demonstrate a dependency of the tracer kinetics on genes associated with prognosis in GIST. Furthermore, angiogenesis and cell proliferation have an impact on the tracer uptake.

  16. [{sup 11}C]FMAU and [{sup 18}F]FHPG as PET tracers for herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase enzyme activity and human cytomegalovirus infections

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vries, Erik F.J. de E-mail: e.f.j.de.vries@pet.azg.nl; Waarde, Aren van; Harmsen, Marco C.; Mulder, Nanno H.; Vaalburg, Willem; Hospers, Geke A.P

    2000-02-01

    [{sup 11}C]-2'-Fluoro-5-methyl-1-{beta}-D-arabinofuranosyluracil ([{sup 11}C]FMAU) and [{sup 18}F]-9-[(3-fluoro-1-hydroxy-2-propoxy)methyl]guanine ([{sup 18}F]FHPG), radiolabeled representatives of two classes of antiviral agents, were evaluated as tracers for measuring herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV-tk) enzyme activity after gene transfer and as tracers for localization of active human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infections. In vitro accumulation experiments revealed that both [{sup 11}C]FMAU and [{sup 18}F]FHPG accumulated significantly more in HSV-tk expressing cells than they did in control cells. [{sup 18}F]FHPG uptake in HSV-tk expressing cells, however, was found to depend strongly on the cell line used, which might be due to cell type dependent membrane transport or cell type dependent substrate specific susceptibility of the enzyme. In vitro, both tracers exhibited a good selectivity for accumulation in HCMV-infected human umbilical vein endothelial cells over uninfected cells. In contrast to [{sup 18}F]FHPG, [{sup 11}C]FMAU uptake in control cells was relatively high due to phosphorylation of the tracer by host kinases. Therefore, [{sup 18}F]FHPG appears to be the more selective tracer not only to predict HSV-tk gene therapy outcome, but also to localize active HCMV infections with PET.

  17. 18F-FET-PET in Primary Hyperparathyroidism

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Krakauer, Martin; Kjær, Andreas; Bennedbæk, Finn Noe

    2016-01-01

    -isotope parathyroid subtraction single photon emission computed tomography had determined the exact location of the parathyroid adenoma. A dynamic FET PET/CT scan was performed with subsequent visual evaluation and calculation of target-to-background (TBR; parathyroid vs. thyroid). The maximum TBR in the two patients......Preoperative localisation of the diseased parathyroid gland(s) in primary hyperparathyroidism (PHP) is a prerequisite for subsequent minimally invasive surgery. Recently, as alternatives to conventional sestamibi parathyroid scintigraphy, the (11)C-based positron emission tomography (PET) tracers...... methionine and choline have shown promise for this purpose. We evaluated the feasibility of using the (18)F-based PET tracer fluoroethyl-l-tyrosine (FET), as the longer half-life of (18)F makes it logistically more favourable. As a proof-of-concept study, we included two patients with PHP in which dual...

  18. Comparison of multiple tau-PET measures as biomarkers in aging and Alzheimer's disease

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Maass, Anne [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States); German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Magdeburg (Germany); Landau, Susan [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States); Baker, Suzanne L. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Horng, Andy [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States); Lockhart, Samuel N. [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States); La Joie, Renaud [Univ. of California, San Francisco, CA (United States); Rabinovici, Gil D. [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Univ. of California, San Francisco, CA (United States); Jagust, William J. [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Univ. of California, San Francisco, CA (United States)

    2017-06-03

    The recent development of tau-specific positron emission tomography (PET) tracers enables in vivo quantification of regional tau pathology, one of the key lesions in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Tau PET imaging may become a useful biomarker for clinical diagnosis and tracking of disease progression but there is no consensus yet on how tau PET signal is best quantified. The goal of the current paper was to evaluate multiple whole-brain and region-specific approaches to detect clinically relevant tau PET signal. Two independent cohorts of cognitively normal adults and amyloid-positive (Aβ+) patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or AD-dementia underwent [18F]AV-1451 PET. Methods for tau tracer quantification included: (i) in vivo Braak staging, (ii) regional uptake in Braak composite regions, (iii) several whole-brain measures of tracer uptake, (iv) regional uptake in AD-vulnerable voxels, and (v) uptake in a priori defined regions. Receiver operating curves characterized accuracy in distinguishing Aβ- controls from AD/MCI patients and yielded tau positivity cutoffs. Clinical relevance of tau PET measures was assessed by regressions against cognition and MR imaging measures. Key tracer uptake patterns were identified by a factor analysis and voxel-wise contrasts. Braak staging, global and region-specific tau measures yielded similar diagnostic accuracies, which differed between cohorts. While all tau measures were related to amyloid and global cognition, memory and hippocampal/entorhinal volume/thickness were associated with regional tracer retention in the medial temporal lobe. Key regions of tau accumulation included medial temporal and inferior/middle temporal regions, retrosplenial cortex, and banks of the superior temporal sulcus. Finally, our data indicate that whole-brain tau PET measures might be adequate biomarkers to detect AD-related tau pathology. However, regional measures covering AD-vulnerable regions may

  19. Comparison of [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT with [18F]NaF PET/CT in the evaluation of bone metastases in metastatic prostate cancer patients prior to radionuclide therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uprimny, Christian; Svirydenka, Anna; Fritz, Josef; Kroiss, Alexander Stephan; Nilica, Bernhard; Decristoforo, Clemens; Haubner, Roland; von Guggenberg, Elisabeth; Buxbaum, Sabine; Horninger, Wolfgang; Virgolini, Irene Johanna

    2018-05-16

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the diagnostic performance of 68 Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT in the evaluation of bone metastases in metastatic prostate cancer (PC) patients scheduled for radionuclide therapy in comparison to [ 18 F]sodium fluoride ( 18 F-NaF) PET/CT. Sixteen metastatic PC patients with known skeletal metastases, who underwent both 68 Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT and 18 F-NaF PET/CT for assessment of metastatic burden prior to radionuclide therapy, were analysed retrospectively. The performance of both tracers was calculated on a lesion-based comparison. Intensity of tracer accumulation of pathologic bone lesions on 18 F-NaF PET and 68 Ga-PSMA-11 PET was measured with maximum standardized uptake values (SUV max ) and compared to background activity of normal bone. In addition, SUV max values of PET-positive bone lesions were analysed with respect to morphologic characteristics on CT. Bone metastases were either confirmed by CT or follow-up PET scan. In contrast to 468 PET-positive lesions suggestive of bone metastases on 18 F-NaF PET, only 351 of the lesions were also judged positive on 68 Ga-PSMA-11 PET (75.0%). Intensity of tracer accumulation of pathologic skeletal lesions was significantly higher on 18 F-NaF PET compared to 68 Ga-PSMA-11 PET, showing a median SUV max of 27.0 and 6.0, respectively (p PET, with a median SUV max of 1.0 in comparison to 2.7 on 18 F-NaF PET; however, tumour to background ratio was significantly higher on 18 F-NaF PET (9.8 versus 5.9 on 68 Ga-PSMA-11 PET; p = 0.042). Based on morphologic lesion characterisation on CT, 18 F-NaF PET revealed median SUV max values of 23.6 for osteosclerotic, 35.0 for osteolytic, and 19.0 for lesions not visible on CT, whereas on 68 Ga-PSMA-11 PET median SUV max values of 5.0 in osteosclerotic, 29.5 in osteolytic, and 7.5 in lesions not seen on CT were measured. Intensity of tracer accumulation between 18 F-NaF PET and 68 Ga-PSMA-11 PET was significantly higher in osteosclerotic (p PET

  20. Progress of PET imaging in Schizophrenia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cai Li; Gao Shuo

    2011-01-01

    PET is an important functional neuroimaging technique that can be used to assessment of cerebral metabolic activity and blood flow and identifies the distribution of important neurotransmitters in the human brain. Compared with other conventional imaging techniques, PET enables regional cerebral glucose metabolism, blood flow, dopaminergic and serotonergic receptor function to be assessed qualitatively and quantitatively. In recent years, PET increasingly being used greatly to advance our understanding of the neurobiology and pathophysiology of schizophrenia. This review focuses on the use of PET tracers in identifying regional brain abnormalities and regions associated with cognitive functioning in schizophrenia. (authors)

  1. Improving PET Quantification of Small Animal [68Ga]DOTA-Labeled PET/CT Studies by Using a CT-Based Positron Range Correction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cal-Gonzalez, Jacobo; Vaquero, Juan José; Herraiz, Joaquín L; Pérez-Liva, Mailyn; Soto-Montenegro, María Luisa; Peña-Zalbidea, Santiago; Desco, Manuel; Udías, José Manuel

    2018-01-19

    Image quality of positron emission tomography (PET) tracers that emits high-energy positrons, such as Ga-68, Rb-82, or I-124, is significantly affected by positron range (PR) effects. PR effects are especially important in small animal PET studies, since they can limit spatial resolution and quantitative accuracy of the images. Since generators accessibility has made Ga-68 tracers wide available, the aim of this study is to show how the quantitative results of [ 68 Ga]DOTA-labeled PET/X-ray computed tomography (CT) imaging of neuroendocrine tumors in mice can be improved using positron range correction (PRC). Eighteen scans in 12 mice were evaluated, with three different models of tumors: PC12, AR42J, and meningiomas. In addition, three different [ 68 Ga]DOTA-labeled radiotracers were used to evaluate the PRC with different tracer distributions: [ 68 Ga]DOTANOC, [ 68 Ga]DOTATOC, and [ 68 Ga]DOTATATE. Two PRC methods were evaluated: a tissue-dependent (TD-PRC) and a tissue-dependent spatially-variant correction (TDSV-PRC). Taking a region in the liver as reference, the tissue-to-liver ratio values for tumor tissue (TLR tumor ), lung (TLR lung ), and necrotic areas within the tumors (TLR necrotic ) and their respective relative variations (ΔTLR) were evaluated. All TLR values in the PRC images were significantly different (p DOTA-labeled PET/CT imaging of mice with neuroendocrine tumors, hence demonstrating that these techniques could also ameliorate the deleterious effect of the positron range in clinical PET imaging.

  2. New SPECT tracers: Example of tracers of proteoglycans and melanin; Nouveaux traceurs TEMP: exemple des traceurs des proteoglycanes et de la melanine

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cachin, F.; Mestas, D.; Kelly, A.; Merlin, C.; Veyre, A.; Maublant, J. [CRLCC Jean-Perrin, Service de Medecine Nucleaire, 63 - Clermont-Ferrand (France); Cachin, F.; Chezal, J.M.; Miot-Noirault, E.; Moins, N.; Auzeloux, P.; Vidal, A.; Bonnet-Duquennoy, M.; Boisgard, S.; D' Incan, M.; Madelmont, J.C.; Maublant, J. [Universite d' Auvergne, EA 4231, 63 - Clermont-Ferrand (France); Boisgard, S. [CHRU Gabriel-Montpied, Service d' Orthopedie, 63 - Clermont-Ferrand (France); D' Incan, M. [CHRU Gabriel-Montpied, Service de Dermatologie, 63 - Clermont-Ferrand (France); Redini, F. [Inserm, U957-EA3822, Faculte de Medecine, 44 - Nantes (France); Filaire, M. [Universite d' Auvergne, Lab. d' Anatomie, 63 - Clermont-Ferrand (France)

    2009-02-15

    The majority of research program on new radiopharmaceuticals turn to tracers used for positron emission tomography (PET). Only a few teams work on new non fluorine labeled tracers. However, the coming of SPECT/CT gamma cameras, the arrival of semi-conductors gamma cameras should boost the development of non-PET tracers. We exhibit in this article the experience acquired by our laboratory in the conception and design of two new non fluorine labelled compounds. The {sup 99m}Tc-N.T.P. 15-5 (N.T.P. 15-5 for N-[tri-ethyl-ammonium]-3-propyl-[15]ane-N5) which binds to proteoglycans could be used for the diagnosis and staging of osteoarthritis and chondrosarcoma. The iodo benzamides, specific to the melanin, are nowadays compared to {sup 18}F-fluorodeoxyglucose in a phase III clinical trial for the diagnosis and detection of melanoma metastasis. Our last development focus on N-[2-(diethyl-amino)ethyl]-4 and 2-iodo benzamides respectively B.Z.A. and B.Z.A.2 hetero-aromatic analogues usable for melanoma treatment. (authors)

  3. In vivo PET imaging of the neuroinflammatory response in rat spinal cord injury using the TSPO tracer [18F]GE-180 and effect of docosahexaenoic acid

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tremoleda, J.L.; Thau-Zuchman, O.; Davies, M.; Vadivelu, K.C.; Yip, P.K.; Michael-Titus, A.T.; Foster, J.; Sosabowski, J.; Khan, I.; Trigg, W.

    2016-01-01

    Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating condition which affects millions of people worldwide causing major disability and substantial socioeconomic burden. There are currently no effective treatments. Modulating the neuroinflammatory (NI) response after SCI has evolved as a major therapeutic strategy. PET can be used to detect the upregulation of the 18-kDa translocator protein (TSPO), a hallmark of activated microglia in the CNS. We investigated whether PET imaging using the novel TSPO tracer [ 18 F]GE-180 can be used as a clinically relevant biomarker for NI in a contusion SCI rat model, and we present data on the modulation of NI by the lipid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). A total of 22 adult male Wistar rats were subjected to controlled spinal cord contusion at the T10 spinal cord level. Six non-injured and ten T10 laminectomy only (LAM) animals were used as controls. A subset of six SCI animals were treated with a single intravenous dose of 250 nmol/kg DHA (SCI-DHA group) 30 min after injury; a saline-injected group of six animals was used as an injection control. PET and CT imaging was carried out 7 days after injury using the [ 18 F]GE-180 radiotracer. After imaging, the animals were killed and the spinal cord dissected out for biodistribution and autoradiography studies. In vivo data were correlated with ex vivo immunohistochemistry for TSPO. In vivo dynamic PET imaging revealed an increase in tracer uptake in the spinal cord of the SCI animals compared with the non-injured and LAM animals from 35 min after injection (P < 0.0001; SCI vs. LAM vs. non-injured). Biodistribution and autoradiography studies confirmed the high affinity and specific [ 18 F]GE-180 binding in the injured spinal cord compared with the binding in the control groups. Furthermore, they also showed decreased tracer uptake in the T10 SCI area in relation to the non-injured remainder of the spinal cord in the SCI-DHA group compared with the SCI-saline group (P < 0.05), supporting

  4. Determination of tumour hypoxia with the PET tracer [18F]EF3: improvement of the tumour-to-background ratio in a mouse tumour model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Christian, Nicolas; Bol, Anne; Bast, Marc de; Labar, Daniel; Lee, John; Mahy, Pierre; Gregoire, Vincent

    2007-01-01

    The 2-(2-nitroimidazol-1-yl)-N-(3,3,3-trifluoropropyl)acetamide (EF3) is a 2-nitroimidazole derivative which undergoes bioreductive activation under hypoxic conditions. Using the PET tracer [ 18 F]EF3 in mice, tumour-to-muscle ratios ranging from 1.3 to 3.5 were observed. This study investigated the impact of various interventions aimed at increasing [ 18 F]EF3 elimination, thus potentially increasing the tumour-to-noise ratio in mice, by increasing the renal filtration rate (spironolactone, furosemide), decreasing tubular re-absorption (metronidazole, ornidazole, amino acid solution) or stimulating gastro-intestinal elimination (phenobarbital). C3H mice were injected i.v. with an average of 12.95 MBq of [ 18 F]EF3. Drugs were injected i.v. 15 min before the tracer or daily 4 days prior to the experiment (phenobarbital). Anaesthetised mice were imaged from 30 to 300 min with a dedicated animal PET (Mosaic, Philips). Regions of interest were delineated around the tumour, bladder, heart, liver and leg muscle. Radioactivity was expressed as a percentage of injected activity per gram of tissue. Ornidazole decreased the urinary excretion and increased the liver uptake of [ 18 F]EF3, but without causing any changes in the other organs. Phenobarbital significantly increased the liver concentration and decreased radioactivity in blood and muscle without affecting the tracer uptake in tumour. Consequently, a small but non-significant increase in tumour-to-noise ratio was observed. Although some effects were observed with other drugs, they did not modify the tumour-to-noise ratio. Only phenobarbital induced a trend toward an increased tumour-to-noise ratio that could possibly be tested in the clinical situation. (orig.)

  5. A tracer liquid image velocimetry for multi-layer radial flow in bioreactors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Yu-Bao; Liang, Jiu-Xing; Luo, Yu-Xi; Yan, Jia

    2015-02-13

    This paper presents a Tracer Liquid Image Velocimetry (TLIV) for multi-layer radial flow in bioreactors used for cells cultivation of tissue engineering. The goal of this approach is to use simple devices to get good measuring precision, specialized for the case in which the uniform level of fluid shear stress was required while fluid velocity varied smoothly. Compared to the widely used Particles Image Velocimetry (PIV), this method adopted a bit of liquid as tracer, without the need of laser source. Sub-pixel positioning algorithm was used to overcome the adverse effects of the tracer liquid deformation. In addition, a neighborhood smoothing algorithm was used to restrict the measurement perturbation caused by diffusion. Experiments were carried out in a parallel plates flow chamber. And mathematical models of the flow chamber and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation were separately employed to validate the measurement precision of TLIV. The mean relative error between the simulated and measured data can be less than 2%, while in similar validations using PIV, the error was around 8.8%. TLIV avoided the contradiction between the particles' visibility and following performance with tested fluid, which is difficult to overcome in PIV. And TLIV is easier to popularize for its simple experimental condition and low cost.

  6. 18F-Alfatide II PET/CT in healthy human volunteers and patients with brain metastases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yu, Chunjing; Mi, Baoming; Wan, Weixing; Pan, Donghui; Xu, Yuping; Yang, Min; Lang, Lixin; Niu, Gang; Chen, Xiaoyuan

    2015-01-01

    We report the biodistribution and radiation dosimetry of an integrin α v β 3 specific PET tracer 18 F-AlF-NOTA-E[PEG 4 -c(RGDfk)] 2 (denoted as 18 F-Alfatide II). We also assessed the value of 18 F-Alfatide II in patients with brain metastases. A series of torso (from the skull to the thigh) static images were acquired in five healthy volunteers (3 M, 2 F) at 5, 10, 15, 30, 45, and 60 min after injection of 18 F-Alfatide II (257 ± 48 MBq). Regions of interest (ROIs) were drawn manually, and the time-activity curves (TACs) were obtained for major organs. Nine patients with brain metastases were examined by static PET imaging with 18 F-FDG (5.55 MBq/kg) and 18 F-Alfatide II. Injection of 18 F-Alfatide II was well tolerated in all healthy volunteers, with no serious tracer-related adverse events found. 18 F-Alfatide II showed rapid clearance from the blood pool and kidneys. The total effective dose equivalent (EDE) and effective dose (ED) were 0.0277 ± 0.003 mSv/MBq and 0.0198 ± 0.002 mSv/MBq, respectively. The organs with the highest absorbed dose were the kidneys and the spleen. Nine patients with 20 brain metastatic lesions identified by MRI and/or CT were enrolled in this study. All 20 brain lesions were visualized by 18 F-Alfatide II PET, while only ten lesions were visualized by 18 F-FDG, and 13 by CT. F-Alfatide II is a safe PET tracer with a favorable dosimetry profile. The observed ED suggests that 18 F-Alfatide II is feasible for human studies. 18 F-Alfatide II has potential value in finding brain metastases of different cancers as a biomarker of angiogenesis. (orig.)

  7. Innovative Approaches to Enhance Safety and Radiation Protection on a PET RI/RF Producing Facility for Occupationally Exposed Personnel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Avila-Sobarzo, M.J.; Tenreiro, C.; Sadeghi, M.

    2011-01-01

    The explosive demand for positron emission tomography (PET) and, recently introduced, fusion technology (PET/CT and soon commercially available PET/MRI) as non-invasive diagnostic tools of choice for clinical imaging, results on a world wide PET centers and PET RI/RF production facilities remarkably increment . A charged particle accelerator when operated for PET radionuclides production produces ionizing radiation. The multi curies radionuclides from the accelerator and the radiopharmaceuticals synthesized are ionizing radiations emitters open sources. Therefore, the probability of unexpected radiation exposure is always present along full production line, from target loading for irradiation to final dose dispensing.Improving safety working conditions requires permanent radiological risks assessment associated with the production process for accelerator operators, radio chemist and hot cell assistants as well as other occupationally exposed personnel.In this work we present some of the experimental improvements added to our Cyclone 18/9 operation and routinely 18 FDG production process to improve personnel radioprotection. These approaches apply for professionals working on other accelerator field such as non-destructive analytical and tracer technicians at research and industrial levels with charged particle accelerators

  8. PET imaging of hepatocellular carcinoma with {sup 18}F-fluoroethylcholine and {sup 11}C-choline

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kolthammer, Jeffrey A.; Tenley, Nathan [Case Western Reserve University, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Cleveland, OH (United States); Corn, David J.; Wu, Chunying; Tian, Haibin; Wang, Yanming [University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Nuclear Medicine Division, Department of Radiology, Cleveland, OH (United States); Lee, Zhenghong [Case Western Reserve University, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Cleveland, OH (United States); University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Nuclear Medicine Division, Department of Radiology, Cleveland, OH (United States)

    2011-07-15

    Choline-based radiotracers have been studied for PET imaging of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Using an {sup 18}F-labeled choline analog, instead of the {sup 11}C-labeled native choline, would facilitate its widespread use in the clinic. In this study, PET with {sup 18}F-fluoroethylcholine (FEC) and {sup 11}C-choline (CHOL) were compared using an animal model of HCC. The effects of fasting on the performance of choline-based tracers were also investigated. A woodchuck model of HCC was used to compare the two tracers, which were administered and imaged in sequence during the same imaging session. Dynamic PET images were generated spanning 50 min starting from tracer injection. Time-activity curves and tracer contrast were calculated in liver regions with tracer accumulation, and the contrast at a late time-point with the two tracers, and between fasted and nonfasted states, were compared. Foci of HCC with increased uptake ranged in size from 1.0 to 1.6 cm, with mean tumor-to-background contrast of 1.3 with FEC and 1.5 with CHOL at 50 min after injection. The tracers show similar patterns of uptake immediately following administration, and both activities plateaued at 10 min after injection. No significant differences in uptake dynamics or final contrast were observed between the fasted and nonfasted states. PET imaging of HCC is possible with both CHOL and FEC. Fasting was not found to affect accumulation of either tracer. These results encourage further investigation into the clinical utility of FEC for HCC imaging. (orig.)

  9. Contourlet-based active contour model for PET image segmentation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Abdoli, M.; Dierckx, R. A. J. O.; Zaidi, H.

    Purpose: PET-guided radiation therapy treatment planning, clinical diagnosis, assessment of tumor growth, and therapy response rely on the accurate delineation of the tumor volume and quantification of tracer uptake. Most PET image segmentation techniques proposed thus far are suboptimal in the

  10. Preliminary validation of varicella zoster virus thymidine kinase as a novel reporter gene for PET

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Deroose, Christophe M.; Chitneni, Satish K.; Gijsbers, Rik; Vermaelen, Peter; Ibrahimi, Abdelilah; Balzarini, Jan; Baekelandt, Veerle; Verbruggen, Alfons; Nuyts, Johan; Debyser, Zeger; Bormans, Guy M.

    2012-01-01

    Introduction: Imaging of gene expression with positron emission tomography (PET) has emerged as a powerful tool for biomedical research during the last decade. The prototypical herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase (HSV1-TK) PET reporter gene (PRG) is widely used and many other PRGs have also been validated. We investigated varicella zoster virus thymidine kinase (VZV-tk) as new PRG with radiolabeled bicyclic nucleoside analogues (BCNAs) as PET tracers. Methods: The uptake and washout of four different radiolabeled BCNAs was evaluated in cells expressing VZV-tk after lentiviral vector (LV) transduction and in control cells. Metabolism of the tracers was assayed by high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). Mice bearing VZV-TK expressing xenografts were imaged with PET. Results: High uptake in VZV-tk expressing cells was seen for 3 of the 4 tracers tested. The uptake of the tracers could be blocked by the presence of excess thymidine in the incubation solution. Cellular retention was variable, with one tracer showing an acceptable half-life of ∼ 1 hour. The amount of intracellular tracer correlated with the titer of LV used to transduce the cells. VZV-TK dependent conversion into metabolites was shown by HPLC. No specific accumulation was observed in cells expressing a fusion protein containing an HSV1-TK moiety. VZV-tk expression in xenografts resulted in a 60% increase in uptake in vivo as measured with PET. Conclusions: We have validated the combination of VZV-tk and radiolabeled BCNAs as new PRG/PRP system. Further optimization of the PRPs and the PRG are warranted to increase the signal.

  11. Carbon-11 choline or FDG-PET for staging of oesophageal cancer?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jager, P.L.; Que, T.H.; Vaalburg, W.; Pruim, J.; Elsinga, P.; Plukker, J.T.

    2001-01-01

    We investigated the feasibility of using carbon-11 choline (CHOL) positron emission tomography (PET) for the staging of oesophageal cancer, in comparison with fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET, using histopathological findings as the gold standard. Eighteen patients were studied: 16 patients with cancer of the oesophagus or gastro-oesophageal junction and two with in situ carcinoma/high-grade dysplasia. PET imaging was performed 5 min (CHOL) or 90 min (FDG) after injection of 370 MBq of the tracer. PET images were analysed by two independent and blinded physicians using visual and standardised uptake value (SUV) analysis. PET results were compared with surgical and histopathological findings. FDG-PET was able to detect all (100%) of the 16 malignant primary lesions, while CHOL-PET detected 73%. In situ carcinoma (n=1) and high-grade dysplasia (n=1) were not visualised with either tracer. Diffuse uptake of the tracers was noted in areas of Barrett's oesophagitis. Twelve patients had locoregional metastases (N1) that were not detected with either FDG or CHOL. Six patients had additional distant nodal (M1a) metastases; four of six (66%) were visualised by FDG, and three of five (60%) by CHOL-PET. On a lesion basis, FDG-PET detected 10/12 non-regional metastases (sensitivity 83%), while CHOL-PET detected 5/12 (sensitivity 42%). Haematogenous distant metastases (M1b) were positive on FDG-PET in three of four patients, and on CHOL-PET in two of four. SUV values were significantly higher for FDG (FDG 6.6±3.5, CHOL 5.5±2.5, P=0.04). CHOL-PET is able to visualise oesophageal carcinoma and its metastases, but appears to be inferior to FDG-PET. Presumably this is the result of lower tumoural uptake and considerable non-specific uptake of CHOL in liver, stomach wall, pancreas and small intestine. Further studies are needed to confirm these data. (orig.)

  12. Carbon-11 choline or FDG-PET for staging of oesophageal cancer?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jager, P.L.; Que, T.H.; Vaalburg, W.; Pruim, J.; Elsinga, P. [PET Centre, Groningen Univ. Hospital (Netherlands); Plukker, J.T. [Dept. of Surgical Oncology, Groningen University Hospital (Netherlands)

    2001-12-01

    We investigated the feasibility of using carbon-11 choline (CHOL) positron emission tomography (PET) for the staging of oesophageal cancer, in comparison with fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET, using histopathological findings as the gold standard. Eighteen patients were studied: 16 patients with cancer of the oesophagus or gastro-oesophageal junction and two with in situ carcinoma/high-grade dysplasia. PET imaging was performed 5 min (CHOL) or 90 min (FDG) after injection of 370 MBq of the tracer. PET images were analysed by two independent and blinded physicians using visual and standardised uptake value (SUV) analysis. PET results were compared with surgical and histopathological findings. FDG-PET was able to detect all (100%) of the 16 malignant primary lesions, while CHOL-PET detected 73%. In situ carcinoma (n=1) and high-grade dysplasia (n=1) were not visualised with either tracer. Diffuse uptake of the tracers was noted in areas of Barrett's oesophagitis. Twelve patients had locoregional metastases (N1) that were not detected with either FDG or CHOL. Six patients had additional distant nodal (M1a) metastases; four of six (66%) were visualised by FDG, and three of five (60%) by CHOL-PET. On a lesion basis, FDG-PET detected 10/12 non-regional metastases (sensitivity 83%), while CHOL-PET detected 5/12 (sensitivity 42%). Haematogenous distant metastases (M1b) were positive on FDG-PET in three of four patients, and on CHOL-PET in two of four. SUV values were significantly higher for FDG (FDG 6.6{+-}3.5, CHOL 5.5{+-}2.5, P=0.04). CHOL-PET is able to visualise oesophageal carcinoma and its metastases, but appears to be inferior to FDG-PET. Presumably this is the result of lower tumoural uptake and considerable non-specific uptake of CHOL in liver, stomach wall, pancreas and small intestine. Further studies are needed to confirm these data. (orig.)

  13. A Multi-tracer Dopaminergic PET Study of Young-Onset Parkinsonian Patients With and Without Parkin Gene Mutations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ribeiro, M.J.; Thobois, St.; Broussolle, E.; Lohmann, E.; Lesage, S.; Dubois, B.; Agid, Y.; Brice, A.; Lohmann, E.; Agid, Y.; Brice, A.; Lohmann, E.; Lesage, S.; Dubois, B.; Agid, Y.; Brice, A.; Tezenas du Montcel, S.; Tezenas du Montcel, S.; Pelissolo, A.; Dubois, B.; Mallet, L.; Pollak, P.; Agid, Y.; Brice, A.; Remy, Ph.; Remy, Ph.

    2009-01-01

    The impact of parkin gene mutations on nigrostriatal dopaminergic degeneration is not well established. The purpose of this study was to characterize by PET using 18 F-fluoro-L-3, 4- dihydroxyphenylalanine ( 18 F-fluoro-L-DOPA), 11 C-PE2I, and 11 C-raclopride the pattern of dopaminergic lesions in young-onset Parkinson disease (YOPD) patients with or without mutations of the parkin gene and to correlate the clinical and neuro-psychologic characteristics of these patients with PET results. Methods: A total of 35 YOPD patients were enrolled (16 with parkin mutation, 19 without). The uptake constant (K i ) of 18 F-fluoro- L-DOPA and the binding potential (BP) of 11 C-PE2I (BPDAT) and of 11 C-raclopride (BPD2) were calculated in the striatum. Comparisons were made between the 2 groups of YOPD and between controls and patients. For each radiotracer, parametric images were obtained, and statistical parametric mapping (SPM) analysis using a voxel-by-voxel statistical t test was performed. Correlations between the cognitive and motor status and PET results were analyzed. Results: In YOPD patients, 18 F-fluoro-L-DOPA K i values were reduced to 68% (caudate) and 40% (putamen) of normal values (P ≤ 0.0001). This decrease was symmetric and comparable for non-parkin and parkin patients. No correlation was found between the K i values and cognitive or motor status. 11 C-PE2I BPDAT values in YOPD patients were decreased to 56% (caudate) and 41% (putamen) of normal values (P ≤ 0.0001) and did not differ between the 2 YOPD populations. The mean 11 C-raclopride BPD2 values were reduced to 72% (caudate) and 84% (putamen) of the normal values (P ≤ 0.02) and did not differ between non-parkin and parkin patients. SPM analyses showed in patients an additional decrease of 11 C-raclopride in the frontal cortex and a decrease of 18 F-fluoro-L-DOPA and 11 C-PE2I uptake in the substantia nigra bilaterally (P ≤ 0.05, false-discovery rate-corrected). Conclusion: Carriers of parkin

  14. Copper bis(diphosphine) complexes: radiopharmaceuticals for the detection of multi-drug resistance in tumours by PET

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lewis, J.S.; Dearling, J.L.S.; Blower, P.J.; Sosabowski, J.K.; Zweit, J.; Carnochan, P.; Kelland, L.R.; Coley, H.M.

    2000-01-01

    Experience with imaging of the multi-drug resistance (MDR) phenotype in tumours using technetium-99m sestamibi, a substrate of the P-glycoprotein (Pgp) transporter, suggests that better quantification of images and separation of MDR from other variables affecting tracer uptake in tumours are required. One approach to these problems is the development of short half-life positron-emitting tracers which are substrates of Pgp. Several lipophilic cationic copper(I) bis(diphosphine) complexes labelled with copper-64 have been synthesised and evaluated in vitro as substrates for Pgp. The synthesis is rapid and efficient with no need for purification steps. The chemistry is suitable for use with very short half-life radionuclides such as copper-62 (9.7 min) and copper-60 (23.7 min). Incubation of the complexes with human serum in vitro showed that they are sufficiently stable in serum to support clinical imaging, and the more lipophilic members of the series are taken up rapidly by cells (Chinese hamster ovary and human ovarian carcinoma) in vitro with great avidity. Uptake in human ovarian carcinoma cells is significantly reduced after several months of conditioning in the presence of doxorubicin, which induces increased Pgp expression. Uptake in hooded rat sarcoma (HSN) cells, which express Pgp, is significantly increased in the presence of the MDR modulator cyclosporin A. Biodistribution studies in hooded rats show rapid blood clearance, excretion through both kidneys and liver, and low uptake in other tissues. The one complex investigated in HSN tumour-bearing rats showed uptake in tumour increasing up to 30 min p.i. while it was decreasing in other tissues. We conclude that diphosphine ligands offer a good basis for development of radiopharmaceuticals containing copper radionuclides, and that this series of complexes should undergo further evaluation in vivo as positron emission tomography imaging agents for MDR. (orig.)

  15. Comparison of semiquantitative fluorescence imaging and PET tracer uptake in mesothelioma models as a monitoring system for growth and therapeutic effects

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Saito, Yuriko [Molecular Imaging Center, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Chiba, 263-8555 (Japan); Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, Chiba, 260-8675 (Japan); Furukawa, Takako [Molecular Imaging Center, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Chiba, 263-8555 (Japan); Biomedical Imaging Research Center, University of Fukui, Yoshida, Fukui, 910-1193 (Japan); Arano, Yasushi [Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, Chiba, 260-8675 (Japan); Fujibayashi, Yasuhisa [Molecular Imaging Center, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Chiba, 263-8555 (Japan); Biomedical Imaging Research Center, University of Fukui, Yoshida, Fukui, 910-1193 (Japan); Saga, Tsuneo [Molecular Imaging Center, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Chiba, 263-8555 (Japan)

    2008-11-15

    Introduction: Various techniques are available for in vivo imaging, and precise understanding of their characteristics is essential for effective use of the imaging results. We established human mesothelioma cell lines expressing red fluorescent protein (RFP) and examined their fluorescence intensity and uptake of positron emission tomography (PET) tracer analogs to compare their characteristics and assess their usefulness in the evaluation of therapeutics. Method: A human mesothelioma cell line was stably transfected to express RFP. Fluorescence, cell number and protein amount were measured during cell growth and treatment with cytotoxic reagents. In in vivo experiments, RFP-expressing cells were injected subcutaneously or into the pleural cavity of nude mice, and fluorescence images were taken with or without pemetrexed treatment. The uptake of [{sup 3}H]3'-deoxy-3'-fluorothymidine ([{sup 3}H]FLT) and [{sup 14}C]2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose ([{sup 14}C]FDG) under treatment with the above reagents in vitro and in vivo were examined. Results: Strong correlation was observed between fluorescence intensity and total cell number with or without cytotoxic treatment. The uptake of [{sup 3}H]FLT and [{sup 14}C]FDG decreased rapidly after the initiation of treatment with actinomycin D or cycloheximide. When treated with pemetrexed, the uptake of [{sup 3}H]FLT temporarily increased. The cells formed subcutaneous and orthotopic tumors, with fluorescence intensity correlating with tumor volume. The correlation was sustained under pemetrexed treatment. The uptake of [{sup 3}H]FLT in vivo increased significantly early after pemetrexed treatment. Conclusion: Fluorescence imaging could be used to semiquantitatively monitor tumor size, whereas PET could be used to monitor tumor response to therapeutic treatments, and especially, FLT might be a good marker of the response to anti-folate chemotherapeutics.

  16. Multi institutional quantitative phantom study of yttrium-90 PET in PET/MRI: the MR-QUEST study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maughan, Nichole M; Eldib, Mootaz; Faul, David; Conti, Maurizio; Elschot, Mattijs; Knešaurek, Karin; Leek, Francesca; Townsend, David; DiFilippo, Frank P; Jackson, Kimberly; Nekolla, Stephan G; Lukas, Mathias; Tapner, Michael; Parikh, Parag J; Laforest, Richard

    2018-04-04

    Yttrium-90 ( 90 Y) radioembolization involves the intra-arterial delivery of radioactive microspheres to treat hepatic malignancies. Though this therapy involves careful pre-treatment planning and imaging, little is known about the precise location of the microspheres once they are administered. Recently, there has been growing interest post-radioembolization imaging using positron-emission tomography (PET) for quantitative dosimetry and identifying lesions that may benefit from additional salvage therapy. In this study, we aim to measure the inter-center variability of 90 Y PET measurements as measured on PET/MRI in preparation for a multi-institutional prospective phase I/II clinical trial. Eight institutions participated in this study and followed a standardized phantom filling and imaging protocol. The NEMA NU2-2012 body phantom was filled with 3 GBq of 90 Y chloride solution. The phantom was imaged for 30 min in listmode on a Siemens Biograph mMR non-TOF PET/MRI scanner at five time points across 10 days (0.3-3.0 GBq). Raw PET data were sent to a central site for image reconstruction and data analysis. Images were reconstructed with optimal parameters determined from a previous study. Volumes of interest (VOIs) matching the known sphere diameters were drawn on the vendor-provided attenuation map and propagated to the PET images. Recovery coefficients (RCs) and coefficient of variation of the RCs (COV) were calculated from these VOIs for each sphere size and activity level. Mean RCs ranged from 14.5 to 75.4%, with the lowest mean RC coming from the smallest sphere (10 mm) on the last day of imaging (0.16 MBq/ml) and the highest mean RC coming from the largest sphere (37 mm) on the first day of imaging (2.16 MBq/ml). The smaller spheres tended to exhibit higher COVs. In contrast, the larger spheres tended to exhibit lower COVs. COVs from the 37 mm sphere were  25%. Post-radioembolization dosimetry of lesions or other VOIs ≥ 22 mm in diameter can

  17. Kinetic analysis of dynamic PET data

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Knittel, B.

    1983-12-01

    Our goal is to quantify regional physiological processes such as blood flow and metabolism by means of tracer kinetic modeling and positron emission tomography (PET). Compartmental models are one way of characterizing the behavior of tracers in physiological systems. This paper describes a general method of estimating compartmental model rate constants from measurements of the concentration of tracers in blood and tissue, taken at multiple time intervals. A computer program which applies the method is described, and examples are shown for simulated and actual data acquired from the Donner 280-Crystal Positron Tomograph.

  18. Kinetic analysis of dynamic PET data

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Knittel, B.

    1983-12-01

    Our goal is to quantify regional physiological processes such as blood flow and metabolism by means of tracer kinetic modeling and positron emission tomography (PET). Compartmental models are one way of characterizing the behavior of tracers in physiological systems. This paper describes a general method of estimating compartmental model rate constants from measurements of the concentration of tracers in blood and tissue, taken at multiple time intervals. A computer program which applies the method is described, and examples are shown for simulated and actual data acquired from the Donner 280-Crystal Positron Tomograph

  19. Kinetic Modelling of Infection Tracers [18F]FDG, [68Ga]Ga-Citrate, [11C]Methionine, and [11C]Donepezil in a Porcine Osteomyelitis Model

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jødal, Lars; Jensen, Svend Borup; Nielsen, Ole Lerberg

    2017-01-01

    Introduction. Positron emission tomography (PET) is increasingly applied for infection imaging using [18F]FDG as tracer, but uptake is unspecific. The present study compares the kinetics of [18F]FDG and three other PET tracers with relevance for infection imaging. Methods. A juvenile porcine...... osteomyelitis model was used. Eleven pigs underwent PET/CT with 60-minute dynamic PET imaging of [18F]FDG, [68Ga]Ga-citrate, [11C]methionine, and/or [11C]donepezil, along with blood sampling. For infectious lesions, kinetic modelling with one- and two-tissue-compartment models was conducted for each tracer...... for the analysis. Conclusions. The kinetics of the four studied tracers in infection was characterized. For clinical applications, [18F]FDG remains the first-choice PET tracer. [11C]methionine may have a potential for detecting soft tissue infections. [68Ga]Ga-citrate and [11C]donepezil were not found useful...

  20. In vivo PET imaging of neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lagarde, Julien; Sarazin, Marie; Bottlaender, Michel

    2018-05-01

    Increasing evidence suggests that neuroinflammation contributes to the pathophysiology of many neurodegenerative diseases, especially Alzheimer's disease (AD). Molecular imaging by PET may be a useful tool to assess neuroinflammation in vivo, thus helping to decipher the complex role of inflammatory processes in the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases and providing a potential means of monitoring the effect of new therapeutic approaches. For this objective, the main target of PET studies is the 18 kDa translocator protein (TSPO), as it is overexpressed by activated microglia. In the present review, we describe the most widely used PET tracers targeting the TSPO, the methodological issues in tracer quantification and summarize the results obtained by TSPO PET imaging in AD, as well as in neurodegenerative disorders associated with AD, in psychiatric disorders and ageing. We also briefly describe alternative PET targets and imaging modalities to study neuroinflammation. Lastly, we question the meaning of PET imaging data in the context of a highly complex and multifaceted role of neuroinflammation in neurodegenerative diseases. This overview leads to the conclusion that PET imaging of neuroinflammation is a promising way of deciphering the enigma of the pathophysiology of AD and of monitoring the effect of new therapies.

  1. RapidIO as a multi-purpose interconnect

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baymani, Simaolhoda; Alexopoulos, Konstantinos; Valat, Sébastien

    2017-10-01

    RapidIO (http://rapidio.org/) technology is a packet-switched high-performance fabric, which has been under active development since 1997. Originally meant to be a front side bus, it developed into a system level interconnect which is today used in all 4G/LTE base stations world wide. RapidIO is often used in embedded systems that require high reliability, low latency and scalability in a heterogeneous environment - features that are highly interesting for several use cases, such as data analytics and data acquisition (DAQ) networks. We will present the results of evaluating RapidIO in a data analytics environment, from setup to benchmark. Specifically, we will share the experience of running ROOT and Hadoop on top of RapidIO. To demonstrate the multi-purpose characteristics of RapidIO, we will also present the results of investigating RapidIO as a technology for high-speed DAQ networks using a generic multi-protocol event-building emulation tool. In addition we will present lessons learned from implementing native ports of CERN applications to RapidIO.

  2. Neurotransmission imaging by PET

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takano, Akihiro; Suhara, Tetsuya

    2001-01-01

    examined. GABA has been predominantly studied by PET in epilepsy by using the GABA receptor tracer [ 11 C]flumazenil and there have been reports on [ 123 I]iomazenil SPECT in panic disorder. Abnormal GABA/benzodiazepine receptors have been hypothesized to be related to schizophrenia, although insufficient evidence has been accumulated to verify it. The acetylcholinesterase tracer [ 11 C]N-methyl-4-piperidyl acetate, has been used to investigate changes in acetylcholinesterase in Alzheimer's disease, and another study used [ 11 C]N-methyl-4-piperidylbenzilate to determine the relationship between muscarinic receptor occupancy by biperiden and its blood concentration. Because of the many disadvantages associated with [ 11 C]nicotine, a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor tracer, a more useful tracer needs to be developed. Glutamic acid is thought to be related to mental disorders. Two types of PET legands selective for NMDA receptor sub-units have been developed very recently. (K.H.)

  3. A Multi-tracer Dopaminergic PET Study of Young-Onset Parkinsonian Patients With and Without Parkin Gene Mutations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ribeiro, M.J. [CEA, I2BM, Service Hospitalier Frederic Joliot, Orsay (France); Thobois, St.; Broussolle, E. [University of Lyon, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Neurological Hospital, Lyon (France); Lohmann, E.; Lesage, S.; Dubois, B.; Agid, Y.; Brice, A. [INSERM, Paris (France); Lohmann, E.; Agid, Y.; Brice, A. [Department of the Nervous System Disorders, AP-HP, Pitie-Salpetriere Hospital, Paris (France); Lohmann, E.; Lesage, S.; Dubois, B.; Agid, Y.; Brice, A. [UPMC University of Paris, Paris (France); Tezenas du Montcel, S. [Unit of de Biostatistics and Medical Information and Unit of Medical Research, AP-HP, Pitie-Salpetriere Hospital, Paris (France); Tezenas du Montcel, S. [Modelisation in Clinical Research, UPMC University of Paris, Paris (France); Pelissolo, A. [Department of Psychiatry, AP-HP, Pitie-Salpetriere Hospital, Paris (France); Dubois, B. [Centre de Reference sur la Maladie de Pick, AP-HP, Pitie-Salpetriere Hospital, Paris (France); Mallet, L. [Behaviour, Emotion and Basal Ganglia, Center of Clinical Investigation, INSERM Avenir Group, Paris (France); Pollak, P. [Department of Clinical and Biological Neurosciences, University Hospital of Grenoble, Grenoble (France); Agid, Y. [Clinical Investigation Center, AP-HP, Pitie-Salpetriere Hospital, Paris (France); Brice, A. [Department of Genetics and Cytogenetics, AP-HP, Pitie-Salpetriere Hospital, Paris (France); Remy, Ph. [CEA, I2BM, MIRCEN, URA CEA-CNRS 2210, Orsay (France); Remy, Ph. [CHU Henri Mondor, AP-HP and Faculte de Medecine Paris 12, Creteil (France)

    2009-07-01

    The impact of parkin gene mutations on nigrostriatal dopaminergic degeneration is not well established. The purpose of this study was to characterize by PET using {sup 18}F-fluoro-L-3, 4- dihydroxyphenylalanine ({sup 18}F-fluoro-L-DOPA), {sup 11}C-PE2I, and {sup 11}C-raclopride the pattern of dopaminergic lesions in young-onset Parkinson disease (YOPD) patients with or without mutations of the parkin gene and to correlate the clinical and neuro-psychologic characteristics of these patients with PET results. Methods: A total of 35 YOPD patients were enrolled (16 with parkin mutation, 19 without). The uptake constant (K{sub i}) of {sup 18}F-fluoro- L-DOPA and the binding potential (BP) of {sup 11}C-PE2I (BPDAT) and of {sup 11}C-raclopride (BPD2) were calculated in the striatum. Comparisons were made between the 2 groups of YOPD and between controls and patients. For each radiotracer, parametric images were obtained, and statistical parametric mapping (SPM) analysis using a voxel-by-voxel statistical t test was performed. Correlations between the cognitive and motor status and PET results were analyzed. Results: In YOPD patients, {sup 18}F-fluoro-L-DOPA K{sub i} values were reduced to 68% (caudate) and 40% (putamen) of normal values (P {<=} 0.0001). This decrease was symmetric and comparable for non-parkin and parkin patients. No correlation was found between the K{sub i} values and cognitive or motor status. {sup 11}C-PE2I BPDAT values in YOPD patients were decreased to 56% (caudate) and 41% (putamen) of normal values (P {<=} 0.0001) and did not differ between the 2 YOPD populations. The mean {sup 11}C-raclopride BPD2 values were reduced to 72% (caudate) and 84% (putamen) of the normal values (P {<=} 0.02) and did not differ between non-parkin and parkin patients. SPM analyses showed in patients an additional decrease of {sup 11}C-raclopride in the frontal cortex and a decrease of {sup 18}F-fluoro-L-DOPA and {sup 11}C-PE2I uptake in the substantia nigra bilaterally

  4. Silicon Photomultipliers and Monolithic Scintillators for Time-of-Flight PET

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Seifert, S.

    2012-01-01

    Positron emission tomography (PET) is a nuclear medical imaging modality. Its aim is to visualize the 3-dimensional distribution of a radiopharmaceutical (also called the tracer) within a patient (clinical PET) or test-animal (in case of preclinical investigations). The information that can be

  5. Comparison of PET/CT and PET/MRI hybrid systems using a 68Ga-labelled PSMA ligand for the diagnosis of recurrent prostate cancer: initial experience

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Afshar-Oromieh, A.; Haberkorn, U.; Schlemmer, H.P.; Fenchel, M.; Roethke, M.; Eder, M.; Eisenhut, M.; Hadaschik, B.A.; Kopp-Schneider, A.

    2014-01-01

    68 Ga-labelled HBED-CC-PSMA is a highly promising tracer for imaging recurrent prostate cancer (PCa). The intention of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of PET/MRI with this tracer. Twenty patients underwent PET/CT 1 h after injection of the 68 Ga-PSMA ligand followed by PET/MRI 3 h after injection. Data from the two investigations were first analysed separately and then compared with respect to tumour detection rate and radiotracer uptake in various tissues. To evaluate the quantification accuracy of the PET/MRI system, differences in SUVs between PET/CT and corresponding PET/MRI were compared with differences in SUVs between PET/CT 1 h and 3 h after injection in another patient cohort. This cohort was investigated using the same PET/CT system. With PET/MRI, different diagnostic sequences, higher contrast of lesions and higher resolution of MRI enabled a subjectively easier evaluation of the images. In addition, four unclear findings on PET/CT could be clarified as characteristic of PCa metastases by PET/MRI. However, in PET images of the PET/MRI, a reduced signal was observed at the level of the kidneys (in 11 patients) and around the urinary bladder (in 15 patients). This led to reduced SUVs in six lesions. SUV mean values provided by the PET/MRI system were different in muscles, blood pool, liver and spleen. PCa was detected more easily and more accurately with Ga-PSMA PET/MRI than with PET/CT and with lower radiation exposure. Consequently, this new technique could clarify unclear findings on PET/CT. However, scatter correction was challenging when the specific 68 Ga-PSMA ligand was used. Moreover, direct comparison of SUVs from PET/CT and PET/MR needs to be conducted carefully. (orig.)

  6. Monte Carlo simulations of GeoPET experiments: 3D images of tracer distributions (18F, 124I and 58Co) in Opalinus clay, anhydrite and quartz

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zakhnini, Abdelhamid; Kulenkampff, Johannes; Sauerzapf, Sophie; Pietrzyk, Uwe; Lippmann-Pipke, Johanna

    2013-08-01

    Understanding conservative fluid flow and reactive tracer transport in soils and rock formations requires quantitative transport visualization methods in 3D+t. After a decade of research and development we established the GeoPET as a non-destructive method with unrivalled sensitivity and selectivity, with due spatial and temporal resolution by applying Positron Emission Tomography (PET), a nuclear medicine imaging method, to dense rock material. Requirements for reaching the physical limit of image resolution of nearly 1 mm are (a) a high-resolution PET-camera, like our ClearPET scanner (Raytest), and (b) appropriate correction methods for scatter and attenuation of 511 keV—photons in the dense geological material. The latter are by far more significant in dense geological material than in human and small animal body tissue (water). Here we present data from Monte Carlo simulations (MCS) reflecting selected GeoPET experiments. The MCS consider all involved nuclear physical processes of the measurement with the ClearPET-system and allow us to quantify the sensitivity of the method and the scatter fractions in geological media as function of material (quartz, Opalinus clay and anhydrite compared to water), PET isotope (18F, 58Co and 124I), and geometric system parameters. The synthetic data sets obtained by MCS are the basis for detailed performance assessment studies allowing for image quality improvements. A scatter correction method is applied exemplarily by subtracting projections of simulated scattered coincidences from experimental data sets prior to image reconstruction with an iterative reconstruction process.

  7. Carbon-11 labelled ketamine-synthesis, distribution in mice and PET studies in baboons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shiue, C.-Y.; Vallabhahosula, Shankar; Wolf, Alfred P.; Dewey, Stephen L.; Fowler, Joanna S.; Schlyer, David J.; Arnett, Carroll D.; Zhou Yiguo

    1997-01-01

    No-carrier-added (NCA)[ 11 C](±)-ketamine (2a) and its enantiomers (+)-2b and (-)-2c were synthesized by methylation of the corresponding norketamine (1a-c) with [ 11 C]H 3 I in an overall radiochemical yield of 20% (EOB) with specific activities of 0.35-0.45 Ci/μmole at EOB in a synthesis time of 40 min from EOB. Compound 2a was metabolized rapidly in mouse brain and labeled metabolites appeared in baboon plasma. PET studies of compounds 2a-c in a baboon showed that influx of compounds 2a-c into the brain was high for the first few min but radioactivity then declined rapidly. Although the retention of radioactivity in the baboon striatum was not significantly different for 2a-c 20 min post-injection, graphical analysis of time-activity data for each enantiomer and for the racemate in baboon striatum suggested that (+)-ketamine may interact with receptors slightly more effectively than its (-)-enantiomer or racemate. However, due to its rapid metabolism in the brain and a similar uptake in the striatum and cerebellum, [ 11 C]ketamine may not be an ideal tracer for studying NMDA receptor with PET

  8. Imaging with PET system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Das, B.K.; Noreen Norfaraheen Lee Abdullah

    2012-01-01

    PET deals with biochemistry and metabolic changes that occur at molecular level. Hence, PET differs fundamentally from other imaging modalities. CT imaging is based on tissue density, whereas MRI conveys anatomic information based on proton density and proton relaxation dynamics. CT and MRI are useful in clinical diagnosis only when disease process has caused significant anatomic alterations. However, in most disease conditions chemical changes precede anatomic changes, that can be detected by PET technology. Thus, PET can provide earliest and unique information about ongoing disease process long before anatomic or structural changes take place. There is no other modality available at present that can replace PET technology. Although PET produces cross-sectional images like that obtained in MRI or CT, they represent circulation, function and metabolism, and not anatomic structure. PET is extremely sensitive measuring quantitatively concentration of tracers in nano to pico-molar range. Thus, PET enables merger of biochemistry and biology in medicine giving birth to molecular medicine that focuses on identifying the molecular errors of disease leading to developing molecular corrections including gene therapy. Molecular imaging with PET has been playing a role in examining the biological nature of a disease condition and its characterization to guide selection and evaluation of treatment. (author)

  9. False Positive Uptake in Bilateral Gynecomastia on 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT Scan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sasikumar, Arun; Joy, Ajith; Nair, Bindu P; Pillai, M R A; Madhavan, Jayaprakash

    2017-09-01

    A 66-year-old man on hormonal therapy with prostate cancer was referred for Ga-PSMA PET/CT scan for biochemical recurrence. Ga-PSMA PET/CT scan detected moderate heterogeneous tracer concentration in bilateral breast parenchyma, in addition to the abnormal tracer concentration in enlarged prostate gland, right external iliac lymph node, and sclerotic lesion in L4 vertebra. On clinical examination, he was found to have bilateral gynecomastia. Abnormal concentration of Ga-PSMA in breast cancer is now well known, and in this context, it is important to know that tracer localization can occur in gynecomastia as well, as evidenced in this case.

  10. Single step 18F-labeling of dimeric cycloRGD for functional PET imaging of tumors in mice

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Ying; Liu, Zhibo; Lozada, Jerome; Wong, May Q.; Lin, Kuo-Shyan; Yapp, Donald; Perrin, David M.

    2013-01-01

    Introduction: Arylboronates afford rapid aqueous 18 F-labeling via the creation of a highly polar 18 F-aryltrifluoroborate anion ( 18 F-ArBF 3 − ). Hypothesis: Radiosynthesis of an 18 F-ArBF 3 − can be successfully applied to a clinically relevant peptide. To test this hypothesis, we labeled dimeric-cylcoRGD, [c(RGDfK)] 2 E because a) it is molecularly complex and provides a challenging substrate to test the application of this technique, and b) [c(RGDfK)] 2 E has already been labeled via several 18 F-labeling methods which provide for a preliminary comparison. Goal: To validate this labeling method in the context of a complex and clinically relevant tracer to show tumor-specific uptake ex vivo with representative PET images in vivo. Methods: An arylborimidine was conjugated to [c(RGDfK)] 2 E to give the precursor [c(RGDfK)] 2 E-ArB(dan), which was aliquoted and stored at − 20 °C. Aliquots of 10 or 25 nmol, containing only micrograms of precursor, were labeled using relatively low levels of 18 F-activity. Following purification eight mice (pre-blocked/unblocked) with U87M xenograft tumors were injected with [c(RGDfK)] 2 E- 18 F-ArBF 3 − (n = 4) for ex vivo tissue dissection. Two sets of mice (pre-blocked/unblocked) were also imaged with PET–CT (n = 2). Results: The [c(RGDfK)] 2 E-ArB(dan) is converted within 15 min to [c(RGDfK)] 2 E- 18 F-ArBF 3 − in isolated radiochemical yields of ∼ 10% (n = 3) at a minimum effective specific activity of 0.3 Ci/μmol. Biodistribution shows rapid clearance to the bladder via the kidney resulting in high tumor-to-blood and tumor-to-muscle ratios of > 9 and > 6 respectively while pre-blocking with [c(RGDfK)] 2 E showed high tumor specificity. PET imaging showed good contrast between tumor and non-target tissues confirming the biodistribution data. Conclusion: An arylborimidine-RGD peptide is rapidly 18 F-labeled in one step, in good yield, at useful specific activity. Biodistribution studies with blocking controls

  11. The impact of PET-CT in suspected recurrent ovarian cancer: A prospective multi-centre study as part of the Australian PET Data Collection Project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fulham, M J; Carter, J; Baldey, A; Hicks, R J; Ramshaw, J E; Gibson, M

    2009-03-01

    To assess the impact of FDG PET-CT on the management of patients with suspected recurrent ovarian cancer and to determine the incremental information provided by PET-CT. This was a prospective, multi-centre, cohort study. Ninety women (mean age 59.9 years; age range 35-85 years) with a previous history of treated epithelial ovarian carcinoma and suspected recurrence based on elevated CA-125, anatomical imaging or clinical symptoms were studied with FDG PET-CT across two States. Referring doctors were asked to specify a management plan pre-PET, if management was altered after PET-CT and, the impact (rated - none, low, medium, high) of PET-CT on patient management. The pre-PET management plan could include radiotherapy, chemotherapy, surgery, and 'other' including observation. Patients were followed at 6 and 12 months and clinical status, evidence of recurrence and progression were recorded. Patients were referred by 34 individual specialists. At least 168 additional sites of disease in 61 patients (68%), not identified by conventional imaging were identified by PET-CT. In 77% the additional lesions were located below the diaphragm and most were nodal or peritoneal. PET-CT affected management in 60% (49% high, 11% medium impact). Patients where more disease was detected with PET-CT were more likely to progress in the following 12 months. For women with previously treated ovarian carcinoma with recurrent disease, PET-CT can: a) alter management in close to 60% of patients, b) detect more sites of disease than abdominal and pelvic CT, c) is superior in the detection of nodal, peritoneal and subcapsular liver disease and d) offers the opportunity for technology replacement in this setting.

  12. Comparison of PET/CT and PET/MRI hybrid systems using a {sup 68}Ga-labelled PSMA ligand for the diagnosis of recurrent prostate cancer: initial experience

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Afshar-Oromieh, A. [University Hospital Heidelberg, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Heidelberg (Germany); German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Department of Radiology, Heidelberg (Germany); Haberkorn, U. [University Hospital Heidelberg, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Heidelberg (Germany); German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Clinical Cooperation Unit of Nuclear Medicine, Heidelberg (Germany); Schlemmer, H.P.; Fenchel, M.; Roethke, M. [German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Department of Radiology, Heidelberg (Germany); Eder, M.; Eisenhut, M. [German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Department of Radiopharmaceutical Chemistry, Heidelberg (Germany); Hadaschik, B.A. [University Hospital Heidelberg, Department of Urology, Heidelberg (Germany); Kopp-Schneider, A. [German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Department of Biostatistics, Heidelberg (Germany)

    2014-05-15

    {sup 68}Ga-labelled HBED-CC-PSMA is a highly promising tracer for imaging recurrent prostate cancer (PCa). The intention of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of PET/MRI with this tracer. Twenty patients underwent PET/CT 1 h after injection of the {sup 68}Ga-PSMA ligand followed by PET/MRI 3 h after injection. Data from the two investigations were first analysed separately and then compared with respect to tumour detection rate and radiotracer uptake in various tissues. To evaluate the quantification accuracy of the PET/MRI system, differences in SUVs between PET/CT and corresponding PET/MRI were compared with differences in SUVs between PET/CT 1 h and 3 h after injection in another patient cohort. This cohort was investigated using the same PET/CT system. With PET/MRI, different diagnostic sequences, higher contrast of lesions and higher resolution of MRI enabled a subjectively easier evaluation of the images. In addition, four unclear findings on PET/CT could be clarified as characteristic of PCa metastases by PET/MRI. However, in PET images of the PET/MRI, a reduced signal was observed at the level of the kidneys (in 11 patients) and around the urinary bladder (in 15 patients). This led to reduced SUVs in six lesions. SUV{sub mean} values provided by the PET/MRI system were different in muscles, blood pool, liver and spleen. PCa was detected more easily and more accurately with Ga-PSMA PET/MRI than with PET/CT and with lower radiation exposure. Consequently, this new technique could clarify unclear findings on PET/CT. However, scatter correction was challenging when the specific {sup 68}Ga-PSMA ligand was used. Moreover, direct comparison of SUVs from PET/CT and PET/MR needs to be conducted carefully. (orig.)

  13. TH-E-202-00: PET for Radiation Therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2016-01-01

    PET/CT is a very important imaging tool in the management of oncology patients. PET/CT has been applied for treatment planning and response evaluation in radiation therapy. This educational session will discuss: Pitfalls and remedies in PET/CT imaging for RT planning The use of hypoxia PET imaging for radiotherapy PET for tumor response evaluation The first presentation will address the issue of mis-registration between the CT and PET images in the thorax and the abdomen. We will discuss the challenges of respiratory gating and introduce an average CT technique to improve the registration for dose calculation and image-guidance in radiation therapy. The second presentation will discuss the use of hypoxia PET Imaging for radiation therapy. We will discuss various hypoxia radiotracers, the choice of clinical acquisition protocol (in particular a single late static acquisition versus a dynamic acquisition), and the compartmental modeling with different transfer rate constants explained. We will demonstrate applications of hypoxia imaging for dose escalation/de-escalation in clinical trials. The last presentation will discuss the use of PET/CT for tumor response evaluation. We will discuss anatomic response assessment vs. metabolic response assessment, visual evaluation and semi-quantitative evaluation, and limitations of current PET/CT assessment. We will summarize clinical trials using PET response in guiding adaptive radiotherapy. Finally, we will summarize recent advancements in PET/CT radiomics and non-FDG PET tracers for response assessment. Learning Objectives: Identify the causes of mis-registration of CT and PET images in PET/CT, and review the strategies to remedy the issue. Understand the basics of PET imaging of tumor hypoxia (radiotracers, how PET measures the hypoxia selective uptake, imaging protocols, applications in chemo-radiation therapy). Understand the basics of dynamic PET imaging, compartmental modeling and parametric images. Understand the

  14. TH-E-202-00: PET for Radiation Therapy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2016-06-15

    PET/CT is a very important imaging tool in the management of oncology patients. PET/CT has been applied for treatment planning and response evaluation in radiation therapy. This educational session will discuss: Pitfalls and remedies in PET/CT imaging for RT planning The use of hypoxia PET imaging for radiotherapy PET for tumor response evaluation The first presentation will address the issue of mis-registration between the CT and PET images in the thorax and the abdomen. We will discuss the challenges of respiratory gating and introduce an average CT technique to improve the registration for dose calculation and image-guidance in radiation therapy. The second presentation will discuss the use of hypoxia PET Imaging for radiation therapy. We will discuss various hypoxia radiotracers, the choice of clinical acquisition protocol (in particular a single late static acquisition versus a dynamic acquisition), and the compartmental modeling with different transfer rate constants explained. We will demonstrate applications of hypoxia imaging for dose escalation/de-escalation in clinical trials. The last presentation will discuss the use of PET/CT for tumor response evaluation. We will discuss anatomic response assessment vs. metabolic response assessment, visual evaluation and semi-quantitative evaluation, and limitations of current PET/CT assessment. We will summarize clinical trials using PET response in guiding adaptive radiotherapy. Finally, we will summarize recent advancements in PET/CT radiomics and non-FDG PET tracers for response assessment. Learning Objectives: Identify the causes of mis-registration of CT and PET images in PET/CT, and review the strategies to remedy the issue. Understand the basics of PET imaging of tumor hypoxia (radiotracers, how PET measures the hypoxia selective uptake, imaging protocols, applications in chemo-radiation therapy). Understand the basics of dynamic PET imaging, compartmental modeling and parametric images. Understand the

  15. Analysis of blood clearance and labeled metabolites for the estrogen receptor tracer [F-18]-16α-fluorestradiol (FES)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mankoff, David A.; Tewson, Timothy J.; Eary, Janet F.

    1997-01-01

    [F-18] 16α-Fluoroestradiol (FES) has been shown to be a tracer of estrogen receptor content in breast tumors; however, quantitative analysis of FES images is complicated by the rapid metabolism of the tracer in vivo. To optimize FES PET imaging studies and to provide an input function for the quantitative analysis of the tracer FES uptake in breast tumors, we studied the clearance and metabolism of FES in 15 breast cancer patients. FES clearance, protein binding, and metabolite production and limited assays to determine the identity of labeled metabolites were performed. These studies show that FES was rapidly cleared from the blood and metabolized; at 20 min only 20% of the circulating radioactivity was unmetabolized FES, and much of this was protein bound. The detectable metabolites in either blood or urine are conjugation products, largely the glucuronide and the sulfate of FES, and these are excreted through the kidneys at a rate comparable to their introduction into the circulation. After 20 min postinjection the blood levels of radioactivity remain fairly constant. Our results, the first report on human metabolites, are in close agreement with previous animal studies of FES metabolism. These studies show that because FES clearance is rapid and metabolite background is nearly constant, imaging starting at 20 to 30 min after injection may provide good visualization of estrogen-containing tissues. Labeled metabolites need to be accounted for in quantifying FES uptake

  16. Determination of tumour hypoxia with the PET tracer [{sup 18}F]EF3: improvement of the tumour-to-background ratio in a mouse tumour model

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Christian, Nicolas; Bol, Anne; Bast, Marc de; Labar, Daniel; Lee, John; Mahy, Pierre; Gregoire, Vincent [Universite Catholique de Louvain, Center for Molecular Imaging and Experimental Radiotherapy, Brussels (Belgium)

    2007-09-15

    The 2-(2-nitroimidazol-1-yl)-N-(3,3,3-trifluoropropyl)acetamide (EF3) is a 2-nitroimidazole derivative which undergoes bioreductive activation under hypoxic conditions. Using the PET tracer [{sup 18}F]EF3 in mice, tumour-to-muscle ratios ranging from 1.3 to 3.5 were observed. This study investigated the impact of various interventions aimed at increasing [{sup 18}F]EF3 elimination, thus potentially increasing the tumour-to-noise ratio in mice, by increasing the renal filtration rate (spironolactone, furosemide), decreasing tubular re-absorption (metronidazole, ornidazole, amino acid solution) or stimulating gastro-intestinal elimination (phenobarbital). C3H mice were injected i.v. with an average of 12.95 MBq of [{sup 18}F]EF3. Drugs were injected i.v. 15 min before the tracer or daily 4 days prior to the experiment (phenobarbital). Anaesthetised mice were imaged from 30 to 300 min with a dedicated animal PET (Mosaic, Philips). Regions of interest were delineated around the tumour, bladder, heart, liver and leg muscle. Radioactivity was expressed as a percentage of injected activity per gram of tissue. Ornidazole decreased the urinary excretion and increased the liver uptake of [{sup 18}F]EF3, but without causing any changes in the other organs. Phenobarbital significantly increased the liver concentration and decreased radioactivity in blood and muscle without affecting the tracer uptake in tumour. Consequently, a small but non-significant increase in tumour-to-noise ratio was observed. Although some effects were observed with other drugs, they did not modify the tumour-to-noise ratio. Only phenobarbital induced a trend toward an increased tumour-to-noise ratio that could possibly be tested in the clinical situation. (orig.)

  17. PET-based molecular imaging in neuroscience

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jacobs, A.H.; Heiss, W.D.; Li, H.; Knoess, C.; Schaller, B.; Kracht, L.; Monfared, P.; Vollmar, S.; Bauer, B.; Wagner, R.; Graf, R.; Wienhard, K.; Winkeler, A.; Rueger, A.; Klein, M.; Hilker, R.; Galldiks, N.; Herholz, K.; Sobesky, J.

    2003-01-01

    Positron emission tomography (PET) allows non-invasive assessment of physiological, metabolic and molecular processes in humans and animals in vivo. Advances in detector technology have led to a considerable improvement in the spatial resolution of PET (1-2 mm), enabling for the first time investigations in small experimental animals such as mice. With the developments in radiochemistry and tracer technology, a variety of endogenously expressed and exogenously introduced genes can be analysed by PET. This opens up the exciting and rapidly evolving field of molecular imaging, aiming at the non-invasive localisation of a biological process of interest in normal and diseased cells in animal models and humans in vivo. The main and most intriguing advantage of molecular imaging is the kinetic analysis of a given molecular event in the same experimental subject over time. This will allow non-invasive characterisation and ''phenotyping'' of animal models of human disease at various disease stages, under certain pathophysiological stimuli and after therapeutic intervention. The potential broad applications of imaging molecular events in vivo lie in the study of cell biology, biochemistry, gene/protein function and regulation, signal transduction, transcriptional regulation and characterisation of transgenic animals. Most importantly, molecular imaging will have great implications for the identification of potential molecular therapeutic targets, in the development of new treatment strategies, and in their successful implementation into clinical application. Here, the potential impact of molecular imaging by PET in applications in neuroscience research with a special focus on neurodegeneration and neuro-oncology is reviewed. (orig.)

  18. Neurotransmission imaging by PET

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Takano, Akihiro; Suhara, Tetsuya [National Inst. of Radiological Sciences, Chiba (Japan)

    2001-08-01

    been developed, and serotonin transporters have recently begun to be examined. GABA has been predominantly studied by PET in epilepsy by using the GABA receptor tracer [{sup 11}C]flumazenil and there have been reports on [{sup 123}I]iomazenil SPECT in panic disorder. Abnormal GABA/benzodiazepine receptors have been hypothesized to be related to schizophrenia, although insufficient evidence has been accumulated to verify it. The acetylcholinesterase tracer [{sup 11}C]N-methyl-4-piperidyl acetate, has been used to investigate changes in acetylcholinesterase in Alzheimer's disease, and another study used [{sup 11}C]N-methyl-4-piperidylbenzilate to determine the relationship between muscarinic receptor occupancy by biperiden and its blood concentration. Because of the many disadvantages associated with [{sup 11}C]nicotine, a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor tracer, a more useful tracer needs to be developed. Glutamic acid is thought to be related to mental disorders. Two types of PET legands selective for NMDA receptor sub-units have been developed very recently. (K.H.)

  19. Four-layer depth-of-interaction PET detector for high resolution PET using a multi-pixel S8550 avalanche photodiode

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nishikido, Fumihiko, E-mail: funis@nirs.go.j [Molecular Imaging Center, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8555 (Japan); Inadama, Naoko [Molecular Imaging Center, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8555 (Japan); Oda, Ichiro [Shimadzu Corporation, Nishinokyo Kuwabaracho 1 Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto 604-8511 (Japan); Shibuya, Kengo; Yoshida, Eiji; Yamaya, Taiga [Molecular Imaging Center, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8555 (Japan); Kitamura, Keishi [Shimadzu Corporation, Nishinokyo Kuwabaracho 1 Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto 604-8511 (Japan); Murayama, Hideo [Molecular Imaging Center, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8555 (Japan)

    2010-09-21

    Avalanche photodiodes (APDs) are being used as photodetectors in positron emission tomography (PET) because they have many advantages over photomultipliers (PMTs) typically used in PET detectors. We have developed a PET detector that consists of a multi-pixel APD and a 6x6x4 array of 1.46x1.46 mm{sup 2}x4.5 m LYSO crystals for a small animal PET scanner. The detector can identify four-layer depth of interaction (DOI) with a position-sensitive APD coupled to the backside of a crystal array by just an optimized reflector arrangement. Since scintillation lights are shared among many pixels by the method, weaker signals in APD pixels far from the interacting crystals are affected by noise. To evaluate the performance of the four-layer DOI detector with the APD and the influence of electrical noise on our method, we constructed a prototype DOI detector and tested its performance. We found, except for crystal elements on the edge of the crystal array, all crystal elements could be identified from the 2D position histogram. An energy resolution of 16.9% was obtained for the whole crystal array of the APD detector. The results of noise dependence of detector performances indicated that the DOI detector using the APD could achieve sufficient performance even when using application-specific integrated circuits.

  20. Four-layer depth-of-interaction PET detector for high resolution PET using a multi-pixel S8550 avalanche photodiode

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nishikido, Fumihiko; Inadama, Naoko; Oda, Ichiro; Shibuya, Kengo; Yoshida, Eiji; Yamaya, Taiga; Kitamura, Keishi; Murayama, Hideo

    2010-01-01

    Avalanche photodiodes (APDs) are being used as photodetectors in positron emission tomography (PET) because they have many advantages over photomultipliers (PMTs) typically used in PET detectors. We have developed a PET detector that consists of a multi-pixel APD and a 6x6x4 array of 1.46x1.46 mm 2 x4.5 m LYSO crystals for a small animal PET scanner. The detector can identify four-layer depth of interaction (DOI) with a position-sensitive APD coupled to the backside of a crystal array by just an optimized reflector arrangement. Since scintillation lights are shared among many pixels by the method, weaker signals in APD pixels far from the interacting crystals are affected by noise. To evaluate the performance of the four-layer DOI detector with the APD and the influence of electrical noise on our method, we constructed a prototype DOI detector and tested its performance. We found, except for crystal elements on the edge of the crystal array, all crystal elements could be identified from the 2D position histogram. An energy resolution of 16.9% was obtained for the whole crystal array of the APD detector. The results of noise dependence of detector performances indicated that the DOI detector using the APD could achieve sufficient performance even when using application-specific integrated circuits.

  1. Direct reconstruction of parametric images for brain PET with event-by-event motion correction: evaluation in two tracers across count levels

    Science.gov (United States)

    Germino, Mary; Gallezot, Jean-Dominque; Yan, Jianhua; Carson, Richard E.

    2017-07-01

    Parametric images for dynamic positron emission tomography (PET) are typically generated by an indirect method, i.e. reconstructing a time series of emission images, then fitting a kinetic model to each voxel time activity curve. Alternatively, ‘direct reconstruction’, incorporates the kinetic model into the reconstruction algorithm itself, directly producing parametric images from projection data. Direct reconstruction has been shown to achieve parametric images with lower standard error than the indirect method. Here, we present direct reconstruction for brain PET using event-by-event motion correction of list-mode data, applied to two tracers. Event-by-event motion correction was implemented for direct reconstruction in the Parametric Motion-compensation OSEM List-mode Algorithm for Resolution-recovery reconstruction. The direct implementation was tested on simulated and human datasets with tracers [11C]AFM (serotonin transporter) and [11C]UCB-J (synaptic density), which follow the 1-tissue compartment model. Rigid head motion was tracked with the Vicra system. Parametric images of K 1 and distribution volume (V T  =  K 1/k 2) were compared to those generated by the indirect method by regional coefficient of variation (CoV). Performance across count levels was assessed using sub-sampled datasets. For simulated and real datasets at high counts, the two methods estimated K 1 and V T with comparable accuracy. At lower count levels, the direct method was substantially more robust to outliers than the indirect method. Compared to the indirect method, direct reconstruction reduced regional K 1 CoV by 35-48% (simulated dataset), 39-43% ([11C]AFM dataset) and 30-36% ([11C]UCB-J dataset) across count levels (averaged over regions at matched iteration); V T CoV was reduced by 51-58%, 54-60% and 30-46%, respectively. Motion correction played an important role in the dataset with larger motion: correction increased regional V T by 51% on average in the [11C

  2. SPECT og PET i neurobiologien

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Paulson, O.B.; Lassen, N.A.

    1997-01-01

    PET (positron emission tomography) and SPECT (single photon emission computed tomography) are isotopic methods in which the distribution is registered of radiolabelled tracers given in such small amounts that they are without effect on the organism or the organism's disposal of them. Thus, a series...

  3. The establishment of the Rossendorf PET Center

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Johannsen, B.; Steinbach, J.

    1993-01-01

    The objectives of the newly established Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Center at the Institut of Bioinorganic and Radiopharmaceutical Chemistry in Rossendorf are described, referring to medical research, development of tracers and radiochemicals developments, biochemistry and future prospects of PET in Rossendorf. The layout of the center is also described considering the cyclotron and targetry, the transport system, the radiopharmaceutical laboratories and the tomograph. A schedule for project development is going. (BBR)

  4. PET/CT和MSCT联合应用在孤立性肺结节诊断中的价值%PET-CT with multi-slice spiral CT in the diagnosis of SPN

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    汪世存; 方雷; 潘博; 展凤麟; 谢强; 谢吉奎

    2009-01-01

    目的 探讨18F-脱氧葡萄糖正电子发射显像/电子计算机断层扫描成像(18F-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography /computer tomography 18F-FDG PET/CT)和多排CT( multi-slice spiral CT,MSCT)联合应用在孤立性肺结节(SPN)诊断中的价值.方法 87例SPN患者均行PET/CT及肺部病灶MSCT检查,影像诊断结果 与病理对照,进行统计分析.结果 87例SPN中,MSCT诊断正确64例,误诊23例,误诊率26.4%.PET/CT诊断正确70例,误诊17例,误诊率19.5%.MSCT和PET/CT联合诊断,80例诊断正确,7例误诊,误诊率8.0%.MSCT、PET/CT及两者联合诊断的敏感性、特异性和准确性分别为87.2%、68.1%、79.8%;89.5%、61.3%、81.4%和97.7%、74.2%、91.5%.MSCT和PET/CT单独诊断SPN的准确性无统计学意义(χ2=0.625,P=0.239),MSCT、PET/CT与两者联合应用诊断SPN的准确性均有统计学意义(χ2=7.762和5.318,P=0.005和0.021).结论 SPN的MSCT和PET/CT影像特征均有一定的重叠.单独采用MSCT或PET/CT诊断肺结节无明显统计学差异,MSCT和PET-CT协同诊断的准确性高于MSCT或PET/CT单独诊断.%Aim To evaluate the value of a combination of 18F-FDG PET-CT with multi-slice spiral CT in the diagnosis of SPN.Methods 18F-FDG PET-CT and multi-slice spiral CT were performed in 87 patients with SPN.The pathologically-proved findings were compared with findings diagnosed by MSCT and retrospectively analyzed.Results In 87 cases,the numbers of correct diagnosis and misdiagnosis with MSCT were 64 and 23 respectively,the misdiagnosis rate 26.4%,while the numbers of correct diagnosis and misdiagnosis with PET/CT were 70 and 17,the misdiagnosis rate 19.5%,but 50 cases were correctly diagnosed and 7 cases were misdiagnosed by combining 18F-FDG PET-CT with MSCT,the misdiagnosis rate 8.0%.The sensitivity,specificity,positive predictive value,negative predictive value,and accuracy of MSCT,PET/CT,and MSCT combined with PET /CT were 87.2%,68.1%,79.8%;89.5%,61.3%,81.4% and 97

  5. Hypoxia positron emission tomography imaging: combining information on perfusion and tracer retention to improve hypoxia specificity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Busk, Morten; Munk, Ole L; Jakobsen, Steen S

    2017-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Static positron emission tomography (PET) allows mapping of tumor hypoxia, but low resolution and slow tracer retention/clearance results in poor image contrast and the risk of missing areas where hypoxic cells and necrosis are intermixed. Fully dynamic PET may improve accuracy but scan...

  6. Molecular imaging of proliferation with [{sup 18}F]FLT-PET; Molekulare Bildgebung der Proliferation mit [{sup 18}F]FLT-PET

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Buck, A.K.; Herrmann, K.; Schwaiger, M.; Wester, H.J. [Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Univ. Muenchen (Germany). Nuklearmedizinische Klinik und Poliklinik; Dechow, T.; Graf, N. [Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Univ. Muenchen (Germany). Medizinische Klinik III, Haematologi/Onkologie

    2009-06-15

    An increased proliferation fraction is a hallmark of malignant cells and a specific feature of malignant tumors which potentially allows more specific tumor imaging compared to increased glucose consumption (FDG-PET). The majority of therapeutic approaches aim at inhibition of proliferation or induction of apoptosis. Accordingly, non-invasive assessment of the proliferation fraction is also of interest for monitoring response to treatment and to early detect resistance to a specific kind of therapy. In clinical studies it has been demonstrated that the radiotracer 3'-deoxy-3'-[{sup 18}F]fluorothymidine (FLT) accumulates specifically in malignant tumors. Regression analysis of tumoral FLT-uptake and immunohistochemically detected proliferation fraction (PCNA, Ki-67) resulted in a significant correlation (e.g., in lung cancer, correlation coefficient r=0.87, p<0.0001). The possibility to non-invasively assess the proliferation fraction with FLT-PET has been shown in a variety of solid cancers. Compared to the standard radiotracer FDG, superior demonstration of the proliferative activity using FLT as the tracer has been demonstrated. On the other hand, accumulation of FLT was significantly lower compared to FDG. Malignant tumors with low proliferation rates did not present with increased FLT-uptake resulting in a reduced sensitivity. In lung cancer for example, the sensitivity was 86% of FLT-PET compared to 100% of FDG-PET. Also, regarding detection of locoregional lymph node metastases or distant metastases, FDG-PET was shown to have a higher sensitivity. Due to the reduced sensitivity, there is no advantage of specific imaging of tumor proliferation regarding tumor staging. In malignant lymphoma, FLT was similar effective for tumor staging as compared to FDG-PET. In a pilot study comprising 34 patients, both tracers showed a similar sensitivity regarding detection of lymphoma. An observed specificity of 100% indicates that FLT-PET represents a diagnostic

  7. Follicular thyroid cancer avid on C-11 Methionine PET/CT

    OpenAIRE

    Jochumsen, Mads Ryø; Iversen, Peter; Arveschoug, Anne Kirstine

    2018-01-01

    Summary A case of follicular thyroid cancer with intense focal Methionine uptake on 11C-Methionine PET/CT is reported here. The use of 11C-Methionine PET in differentiated thyroid cancer is currently being investigated as a surrogate tracer compared to the more widely used 18F-FDG PET. This case illustrates the potential incremental value of this modality, not only in the localizing of parathyroid adenoma, but also indicating that 11C-Methionine PET might have a potential of increasing the pr...

  8. In Vivo Evaluation of 1-O-(4-(2-Fluoroethyl-Carbamoyloxymethyl-2-Nitrophenyl-O-β-D-Glucopyronuronate: A Positron Emission Tomographic Tracer for Imaging β-Glucuronidase Activity in a Tumor/Inflammation Rodent Model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Iněs F. Antunes

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available β-Glucuronidase (β-GUS plays an important role in inflammation and degenerative processes. The enzyme has also been investigated as a target in prodrug therapy for cancer. To investigate the role of β-GUS in pathologies and to optimize β-GUS-based prodrug therapies, we recently developed a positron emission tomographic (PET tracer, 1-O-(4-(2-fluoroethyl-carbamoyloxymethyl-2-nitrophenyl-O-β-D>-glucopyronuronate ([18F]FEAnGA, which proved to be selectively cleaved by β-GUS. Here we present the in vivo evaluation of [18F]FEAnGA for imaging of β-GUS in a tumor/inflammation model. Ex vivo biodistribution of [18F]FEAnGA was conducted in healthy rats. PET imaging and pharmacokinetic modeling were performed in Wistar rats bearing C6 tumors of different sizes and sterile inflammation. The biodistribution studies of [18F]FEAnGA indicated low uptake in major organs and rapid excretion through the renal pathway. MicroPET studies revealed three times higher uptake in the viable part of larger C6 gliomas than in smaller C6 gliomas. Uptake in inflamed muscle was significantly higher than in control muscle. The distribution volume of [18F]FEAnGA in the viable part of the tumor correlated well with the cleavage of the tracer to [18F]fluoroethylamine and the spacer 4-hydroxy-3-nitrobenzyl alcohol. [18F]FEAnGA is a PET tracer able to detect increased activity of β-GUS in large solid tumors and in inflamed tissues.

  9. The journey: from X-rays to PET-MRI

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sheikh, Tariq Hussain

    2010-01-01

    Full text: Medical imaging has undergone remarkable evolution over the past century. Since the discovery of the X-rays by (Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen), static emission tomography (Hal Anger) computed tomography (Godfrey Hounsfield and Alan Cormack), and magnetic resonance imaging (Paul Lauterbur and Peter Mansfield) there have been many other important discoveries and technical developments that have culminated in our current sophisticated multi-modality imaging systems. Nobel Prizes have been given for the discoveries of radioactivity (Marie Curie, Pierre Curie, and Henri Becquerel in 1903) and the positron (Carl Anderson in 1936) and for technical developments such as the radiotracer concept (George De Hevesy in 1943). Positron emission detection systems have developed since their first use in the 1950s to the high-resolution, high-sensitivity tomographic devices that we have today. In keeping pace with these milestones in the evolution of medical imaging, positron emission tomography (PET), and more recently integrated positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT), have now emerged not only as important research tools but also as significant diagnostic imaging systems in clinical medicine. The use of multi-modality imaging systems and 'smart' specific imaging agents will achieve the key task of accurate diagnosis, treatment evaluation, surveillance, and prognosis in individual patients. PET-CT instrumentation has continued to evolve rapidly, especially over the last decade A PET scanner is combined with a CT scanner into a single machine. The PET and CT components are mounted on the same aluminium support with the CT on the front and PET at the back. Metabolic information is obtained from the PET scanner (emission of annihilation photons) and anatomic information is obtained from the CT scan (transmission of X-Rays). In addition, the CT scan can be used to provide information needed for attenuation correction. The current generation of PET-CT scanners

  10. A combined positron emission tomography (PET)-electron paramagnetic resonance imaging (EPRI) system: initial evaluation of a prototype scanner

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tseytlin, Mark; Stolin, Alexander V.; Guggilapu, Priyaankadevi; Bobko, Andrey A.; Khramtsov, Valery V.; Tseytlin, Oxana; Raylman, Raymond R.

    2018-05-01

    The advent of hybrid scanners, combining complementary modalities, has revolutionized the application of advanced imaging technology to clinical practice and biomedical research. In this project, we investigated the melding of two complementary, functional imaging methods: positron emission tomography (PET) and electron paramagnetic resonance imaging (EPRI). PET radiotracers can provide important information about cellular parameters, such as glucose metabolism. While EPR probes can provide assessment of tissue microenvironment, measuring oxygenation and pH, for example. Therefore, a combined PET/EPRI scanner promises to provide new insights not attainable with current imagers by simultaneous acquisition of multiple components of tissue microenvironments. To explore the simultaneous acquisition of PET and EPR images, a prototype system was created by combining two existing scanners. Specifically, a silicon photomultiplier (SiPM)-based PET scanner ring designed as a portable scanner was combined with an EPRI scanner designed for the imaging of small animals. The ability of the system to obtain simultaneous images was assessed with a small phantom consisting of four cylinders containing both a PET tracer and EPR spin probe. The resulting images demonstrated the ability to obtain contemporaneous PET and EPR images without cross-modality interference. Given the promising results from this initial investigation, the next step in this project is the construction of the next generation pre-clinical PET/EPRI scanner for multi-parametric assessment of physiologically-important parameters of tissue microenvironments.

  11. Anatomy assisted PET image reconstruction incorporating multi-resolution joint entropy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tang, Jing; Rahmim, Arman

    2015-01-01

    A promising approach in PET image reconstruction is to incorporate high resolution anatomical information (measured from MR or CT) taking the anato-functional similarity measures such as mutual information or joint entropy (JE) as the prior. These similarity measures only classify voxels based on intensity values, while neglecting structural spatial information. In this work, we developed an anatomy-assisted maximum a posteriori (MAP) reconstruction algorithm wherein the JE measure is supplied by spatial information generated using wavelet multi-resolution analysis. The proposed wavelet-based JE (WJE) MAP algorithm involves calculation of derivatives of the subband JE measures with respect to individual PET image voxel intensities, which we have shown can be computed very similarly to how the inverse wavelet transform is implemented. We performed a simulation study with the BrainWeb phantom creating PET data corresponding to different noise levels. Realistically simulated T1-weighted MR images provided by BrainWeb modeling were applied in the anatomy-assisted reconstruction with the WJE-MAP algorithm and the intensity-only JE-MAP algorithm. Quantitative analysis showed that the WJE-MAP algorithm performed similarly to the JE-MAP algorithm at low noise level in the gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) regions in terms of noise versus bias tradeoff. When noise increased to medium level in the simulated data, the WJE-MAP algorithm started to surpass the JE-MAP algorithm in the GM region, which is less uniform with smaller isolated structures compared to the WM region. In the high noise level simulation, the WJE-MAP algorithm presented clear improvement over the JE-MAP algorithm in both the GM and WM regions. In addition to the simulation study, we applied the reconstruction algorithms to real patient studies involving DPA-173 PET data and Florbetapir PET data with corresponding T1-MPRAGE MRI images. Compared to the intensity-only JE-MAP algorithm, the WJE

  12. Anatomy assisted PET image reconstruction incorporating multi-resolution joint entropy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Jing; Rahmim, Arman

    2015-01-01

    A promising approach in PET image reconstruction is to incorporate high resolution anatomical information (measured from MR or CT) taking the anato-functional similarity measures such as mutual information or joint entropy (JE) as the prior. These similarity measures only classify voxels based on intensity values, while neglecting structural spatial information. In this work, we developed an anatomy-assisted maximum a posteriori (MAP) reconstruction algorithm wherein the JE measure is supplied by spatial information generated using wavelet multi-resolution analysis. The proposed wavelet-based JE (WJE) MAP algorithm involves calculation of derivatives of the subband JE measures with respect to individual PET image voxel intensities, which we have shown can be computed very similarly to how the inverse wavelet transform is implemented. We performed a simulation study with the BrainWeb phantom creating PET data corresponding to different noise levels. Realistically simulated T1-weighted MR images provided by BrainWeb modeling were applied in the anatomy-assisted reconstruction with the WJE-MAP algorithm and the intensity-only JE-MAP algorithm. Quantitative analysis showed that the WJE-MAP algorithm performed similarly to the JE-MAP algorithm at low noise level in the gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) regions in terms of noise versus bias tradeoff. When noise increased to medium level in the simulated data, the WJE-MAP algorithm started to surpass the JE-MAP algorithm in the GM region, which is less uniform with smaller isolated structures compared to the WM region. In the high noise level simulation, the WJE-MAP algorithm presented clear improvement over the JE-MAP algorithm in both the GM and WM regions. In addition to the simulation study, we applied the reconstruction algorithms to real patient studies involving DPA-173 PET data and Florbetapir PET data with corresponding T1-MPRAGE MRI images. Compared to the intensity-only JE-MAP algorithm, the WJE

  13. Quantification of Single- and Multi-Phase Hydrodynamic Dispersion in Rocks Using Dynamic 3D PET Imaging

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pini, R.; Vandehey, N. T.; O'Neil, J.; Benson, S. M.

    2015-12-01

    We report results of an experimental investigation into the effects of small-scale (mm-cm) heterogeneities and hydrodynamic dispersion on miscible and immiscible displacements in a Berea Sandstone core. Pulse-radiotracer tests were carried out by measuring breakthrough curves at distinct flow rates and gas/water saturation ratios, while simultaneously imaging the internal displacement of the radioactive solution by [11C]PET. Dynamic multidimensional maps of the tracer concentration in the rock sample have been obtained with a spatial resolution of about 10 mm3 and provide evidence for significant macrodispersion effects caused by the presence of heterogeneities at the same scale. The numerical solution of the classic Advection-Dispersion Equation (ADE) applied in 1D form fails to describe the measured breakthrough curves and significantly overestimates longitudinal dispersivity. An excellent agreement with the experiments is attained by explicitly accounting for permeability heterogeneity, while reducing the contribution of "Fickian" dispersivity. Heterogeneity was introduced in the model by discretising the rock sample into independent parallel streamlines, which were generated based on a previously determined 3D permeability map, and by solving the 1D ADE for each of them. The use of streamlines is supported by direct quantitative observations from the PET scans; remarkably, this approach leads to an accurate representation of both the temporal behaviour and spatial distribution of the tracer concentration in the sample. It is shown that when the length-scale of permeability variations is similar in order as the size of the sample, the effect of the former can be as significant as hydrodynamic dispersion. The presence of a second immiscible fluid phase further complicates the flow field and, accordingly, the interpretation of the experiments. The ability to decouple these effects leads to the estimation of dispersion coefficients that aren't sample specific and

  14. Monitoring of anti-cancer treatment with (18)F-FDG and (18)F-FLT PET

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Mette Munk; Kjaer, Andreas

    2015-01-01

    treatment effect early in a treatment course and by that to stratify patients into responders and non-responders. With 2-deoxy-2-[(18)F]fluoro-D-glucose ((18)F-FDG) and 3'-deoxy-3'-[(18)F]fluorothymidine((18)F-FLT) two of the cancer hallmarks, altered energy metabolism and increased cell proliferation, can......Functional imaging of solid tumors with positron emission tomography (PET) imaging is an evolving field with continuous development of new PET tracers and discovery of new applications for already implemented PET tracers. During treatment of cancer patients, a general challenge is to measure...... be visualized and quantified non-invasively by PET. With (18)F-FDG and (18)F-FLT PET changes in energy metabolism and cell proliferation can thereby be determined after initiation of cancer treatment in both clinical and pre-clinical studies in order to predict, at an early time-point, treatment response...

  15. Development of a New Positron Emission Tomography Tracer for Targeting Tumor Angiogenesis: Synthesis, Small Animal Imaging, and Radiation Dosimetry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David S. Lalush

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available Angiogenesis plays a key role in cancer progression and correlates with disease aggressiveness and poor clinical outcomes. Affinity ligands discovered by screening phage display random peptide libraries can be engineered to molecularly target tumor blood vessels for noninvasive imaging and early detection of tumor aggressiveness. In this study, we tested the ability of a phage-display-selected peptide sequence recognizing specifically bone marrow- derived pro-angiogenic tumor-homing cells, the QFP-peptide, radiolabeled with 64Cu radioisotope to selectively image tumor vasculature in vivo by positron emission tomography (PET. To prepare the targeted PET tracer we modified QFP-phage with the DOTA chelator and radiolabeled the purified QFP-phage-DOTA intermediate with 64Cu to obtain QFP-targeted radioconjugate with high radiopharmaceutical yield and specific activity. We evaluated the new PET tracer in vivo in a subcutaneous (s.c. Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC mouse model and conducted tissue distribution, small animal PET/CT imaging study, autoradiography, histology, fluorescence imaging, and dosimetry assessments. The results from this study show that, in the context of the s.c. LLC immunocompetent mouse model, the QFP-tracer can target tumor blood vessels selectively. However, further optimization of the biodistribution and dosimetry profile of the tracer is necessary to ensure efficient radiopharmaceutical applications enabled by the biological specificity of the QFP-peptide.

  16. Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of 68Ga-DOTA-PA1 for Lung Cancer: A Novel PET Tracer for Multiple Somatostatin Receptor Imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Fei; Liu, Teli; Xu, Xiaoxia; Guo, Xiaoyi; Li, Nan; Xiong, Chiyi; Li, Chun; Zhu, Hua; Yang, Zhi

    2018-02-05

    Most of the radiolabeled somatostatin analogues (SSAs) are specific for subtype somatostatin receptor 2 (SSTR 2 ). Lack of ligands targeting other subtypes of SSTRs, especially SSTR 1, SSTR 3 , and SSTR 5 , limited their applications in tumors of low SSTR 2 expression, including lung tumor. In this study, we aimed to design and synthesize a positron emission tomography (PET) radiotracer targeting multi-subtypes of SSTRs for PET imaging. PA1 peptide and its conjugate with 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid (DOTA) chelator or fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) at the N-terminal of the lysine position were synthesized. 68 Ga was chelated to DOTA-PA1 to obtain 68 Ga-DOTA-PA1 radiotracer. The stability, lipophilicity, binding affinity, and binding specificity of 68 Ga-DOTA-PA1 and FITC-PA1 were evaluated by various in vitro experiments. Micro-PET imaging of 68 Ga-DOTA-PA1 was performed in nude mice bearing A549 lung adenocarcinoma, as compared with 68 Ga-DOTA-(Tyr3)-octreotate ( 68 Ga-DOTA-TATE). Histological analysis of SSTR expression in A549 tumor tissues and human tumor tissues was conducted using immunofluorescence staining and immunohistochemical assay. 68 Ga-DOTA-PA1 had high radiochemical yield and radiochemical purity of over 95% and 99%, respectively. The radiotracer was stable in vitro in different buffers over a 2 h incubation period. Cell uptake of 68 Ga-DOTA-PA1 was 1.31-, 1.33-, and 1.90-fold that of 68 Ga-DOTA-TATE, which has high binding affinity only for SSTR 2 , after 2 h incubation in H520, PG, and A549 lung cancer cell lines, respectively. Micro-PET images of 68 Ga-DOTA-PA1 showed that the PET imaging signal correlated with the total expression of SSTRs, instead of SSTR 2 only, which was measured by Western blotting and immunofluorescence analysis in mice bearing A549 tumors. In summary, a novel PET radiotracer, 68 Ga-DOTA-PA1, targeting multi-subtypes of SSTRs, was successfully synthesized and was confirmed to be useful for PET

  17. TH-E-202-03: PET for Tumor Response Evaluation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lu, W.

    2016-01-01

    PET/CT is a very important imaging tool in the management of oncology patients. PET/CT has been applied for treatment planning and response evaluation in radiation therapy. This educational session will discuss: Pitfalls and remedies in PET/CT imaging for RT planning The use of hypoxia PET imaging for radiotherapy PET for tumor response evaluation The first presentation will address the issue of mis-registration between the CT and PET images in the thorax and the abdomen. We will discuss the challenges of respiratory gating and introduce an average CT technique to improve the registration for dose calculation and image-guidance in radiation therapy. The second presentation will discuss the use of hypoxia PET Imaging for radiation therapy. We will discuss various hypoxia radiotracers, the choice of clinical acquisition protocol (in particular a single late static acquisition versus a dynamic acquisition), and the compartmental modeling with different transfer rate constants explained. We will demonstrate applications of hypoxia imaging for dose escalation/de-escalation in clinical trials. The last presentation will discuss the use of PET/CT for tumor response evaluation. We will discuss anatomic response assessment vs. metabolic response assessment, visual evaluation and semi-quantitative evaluation, and limitations of current PET/CT assessment. We will summarize clinical trials using PET response in guiding adaptive radiotherapy. Finally, we will summarize recent advancements in PET/CT radiomics and non-FDG PET tracers for response assessment. Learning Objectives: Identify the causes of mis-registration of CT and PET images in PET/CT, and review the strategies to remedy the issue. Understand the basics of PET imaging of tumor hypoxia (radiotracers, how PET measures the hypoxia selective uptake, imaging protocols, applications in chemo-radiation therapy). Understand the basics of dynamic PET imaging, compartmental modeling and parametric images. Understand the

  18. TH-E-202-03: PET for Tumor Response Evaluation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lu, W. [University of Maryland School of Medicine (United States)

    2016-06-15

    PET/CT is a very important imaging tool in the management of oncology patients. PET/CT has been applied for treatment planning and response evaluation in radiation therapy. This educational session will discuss: Pitfalls and remedies in PET/CT imaging for RT planning The use of hypoxia PET imaging for radiotherapy PET for tumor response evaluation The first presentation will address the issue of mis-registration between the CT and PET images in the thorax and the abdomen. We will discuss the challenges of respiratory gating and introduce an average CT technique to improve the registration for dose calculation and image-guidance in radiation therapy. The second presentation will discuss the use of hypoxia PET Imaging for radiation therapy. We will discuss various hypoxia radiotracers, the choice of clinical acquisition protocol (in particular a single late static acquisition versus a dynamic acquisition), and the compartmental modeling with different transfer rate constants explained. We will demonstrate applications of hypoxia imaging for dose escalation/de-escalation in clinical trials. The last presentation will discuss the use of PET/CT for tumor response evaluation. We will discuss anatomic response assessment vs. metabolic response assessment, visual evaluation and semi-quantitative evaluation, and limitations of current PET/CT assessment. We will summarize clinical trials using PET response in guiding adaptive radiotherapy. Finally, we will summarize recent advancements in PET/CT radiomics and non-FDG PET tracers for response assessment. Learning Objectives: Identify the causes of mis-registration of CT and PET images in PET/CT, and review the strategies to remedy the issue. Understand the basics of PET imaging of tumor hypoxia (radiotracers, how PET measures the hypoxia selective uptake, imaging protocols, applications in chemo-radiation therapy). Understand the basics of dynamic PET imaging, compartmental modeling and parametric images. Understand the

  19. Tracer verification and monitoring of containment systems (II)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Williams, C.V.; Dunn, S.D.; Lowry, W.E.

    1997-01-01

    A tracer verification and monitoring system, SEAtrace trademark, has been designed and field tested which uses gas tracers to evaluate, verify, and monitor the integrity of subsurface barriers. This is accomplished using an automatic, rugged, autonomous monitoring system combined with an inverse optimization code. A gaseous tracer is injected inside the barrier and an array of wells outside the barrier are monitored. When the tracer gas is detected, a global optimization code is used to calculate the leak parameters, including leak size, location, and when the leak began. The multipoint monitoring system operates in real-time, can be used to measure both the tracer gas and soil vapor contaminants, and is capable of unattended operation for long periods of time (months). The global optimization code searches multi-dimensional open-quotes spaceclose quotes to find the best fit for all of the input parameters. These parameters include tracer gas concentration histories from multiple monitoring points, medium properties, barrier location, and the source concentration. SEAtrace trademark does not attempt to model all of the nuances associated with multi-phase, multi-component flow, but rather, the inverse code uses a simplistic forward model which can provide results which are reasonably accurate. The system has calculated leak locations to within 0.5 meters and leak radii to within 0.12 meters

  20. {sup 18}F-Alfatide II PET/CT in healthy human volunteers and patients with brain metastases

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yu, Chunjing; Mi, Baoming; Wan, Weixing [Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University (Wuxi No. 4 People' s Hospital), Department of Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi (China); Pan, Donghui; Xu, Yuping; Yang, Min [Jiangsu Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Ministry of Health, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi (China); Lang, Lixin; Niu, Gang; Chen, Xiaoyuan [National Institutes of Health, Laboratory of Molecular Imaging and Nanomedicine, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, Bethesda, MD (United States)

    2015-12-15

    We report the biodistribution and radiation dosimetry of an integrin α{sub v}β{sub 3} specific PET tracer {sup 18}F-AlF-NOTA-E[PEG{sub 4}-c(RGDfk)]{sub 2} (denoted as {sup 18}F-Alfatide II). We also assessed the value of {sup 18}F-Alfatide II in patients with brain metastases. A series of torso (from the skull to the thigh) static images were acquired in five healthy volunteers (3 M, 2 F) at 5, 10, 15, 30, 45, and 60 min after injection of {sup 18}F-Alfatide II (257 ± 48 MBq). Regions of interest (ROIs) were drawn manually, and the time-activity curves (TACs) were obtained for major organs. Nine patients with brain metastases were examined by static PET imaging with {sup 18}F-FDG (5.55 MBq/kg) and {sup 18}F-Alfatide II. Injection of {sup 18}F-Alfatide II was well tolerated in all healthy volunteers, with no serious tracer-related adverse events found. {sup 18}F-Alfatide II showed rapid clearance from the blood pool and kidneys. The total effective dose equivalent (EDE) and effective dose (ED) were 0.0277 ± 0.003 mSv/MBq and 0.0198 ± 0.002 mSv/MBq, respectively. The organs with the highest absorbed dose were the kidneys and the spleen. Nine patients with 20 brain metastatic lesions identified by MRI and/or CT were enrolled in this study. All 20 brain lesions were visualized by {sup 18}F-Alfatide II PET, while only ten lesions were visualized by {sup 18}F-FDG, and 13 by CT. F-Alfatide II is a safe PET tracer with a favorable dosimetry profile. The observed ED suggests that {sup 18}F-Alfatide II is feasible for human studies. {sup 18}F-Alfatide II has potential value in finding brain metastases of different cancers as a biomarker of angiogenesis. (orig.)

  1. Comparison of dosimetry between PET/CT and PET alone using 11C-ITMM

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ito, Kimiteru; Sakata, Muneyuki; Wagarsuma, Kei; Toyohara, Jun; Ishibashi, Kenji; Ishii, Kenji; Ishiwata, Kiichi; Oda, Keiichi

    2016-01-01

    We used a new tracer, N-[4-[6-(isopropylamino) pyrimidin-4-yl]-1,3-thiazol-2-yl]-4- 11 C-methoxy-N-methylbenzamide ( 11 C-ITMM), to compare radiation doses from positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) with previously published doses from PET alone. Twelve healthy volunteers [six males (mean age ± SD, 27.7 ± 6.7 years) and six females (31.8 ± 14.5 years)] in 12 examinations were recruited. Dose estimations from PET/CT were compared with those from PET alone. Regions of interest (ROIs) in PET/CT were delineated on the basis of low-dose CT (LD-CT) images acquired during PET/CT. Internal and external radiation doses were estimated using OLINDA/EXM 1.0 and CT-Expo software. The effective dose (ED) for 11 C-ITMM calculated from PET/CT was estimated to be 4.7 ± 0.5 μSv/MBq for the male subjects and 4.1 ± 0.7 μSv/MBq for the female subjects. The mean ED for 11 C-ITMM calculated from PET alone in a previous report was estimated to be 4.6 ± 0.3 μSv/MBq (males, n = 3). The ED values for 11 C-ITMM calculated from PET/CT in the male subjects were almost identical to those from PET alone. The absorbed doses (ADs) of the gallbladder, stomach, red bone marrow, and spleen calculated from PET/CT were significantly different from those calculated from PET alone. The EDs of 11 C-ITMM calculated from PET/CT were almost identical to those calculated from PET alone. The ADs in several organs calculated from PET/CT differed from those from PET alone. LD-CT images acquired during PET/CT may facilitate organ identification.

  2. Carbon-11 labelled ketamine-synthesis, distribution in mice and PET studies in baboons

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shiue, C.-Y.; Vallabhahosula, Shankar; Wolf, Alfred P.; Dewey, Stephen L.; Fowler, Joanna S.; Schlyer, David J.; Arnett, Carroll D.; Zhou Yiguo

    1997-02-01

    No-carrier-added (NCA)[{sup 11}C]({+-})-ketamine (2a) and its enantiomers (+)-2b and (-)-2c were synthesized by methylation of the corresponding norketamine (1a-c) with [{sup 11}C]H{sub 3}I in an overall radiochemical yield of 20% (EOB) with specific activities of 0.35-0.45 Ci/{mu}mole at EOB in a synthesis time of 40 min from EOB. Compound 2a was metabolized rapidly in mouse brain and labeled metabolites appeared in baboon plasma. PET studies of compounds 2a-c in a baboon showed that influx of compounds 2a-c into the brain was high for the first few min but radioactivity then declined rapidly. Although the retention of radioactivity in the baboon striatum was not significantly different for 2a-c 20 min post-injection, graphical analysis of time-activity data for each enantiomer and for the racemate in baboon striatum suggested that (+)-ketamine may interact with receptors slightly more effectively than its (-)-enantiomer or racemate. However, due to its rapid metabolism in the brain and a similar uptake in the striatum and cerebellum, [{sup 11}C]ketamine may not be an ideal tracer for studying NMDA receptor with PET.

  3. Fabrication of different pore shapes by multi-step etching technique in ion-irradiated PET membranes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mo, D.; Liu, J. D.; Duan, J. L.; Yao, H. J.; Latif, H.; Cao, D. L.; Chen, Y. H.; Zhang, S. X.; Zhai, P. F.; Liu, J.

    2014-08-01

    A method for the fabrication of different pore shapes in polyethylene terephthalate (PET)-based track etched membranes (TEMs) is reported. A multi-step etching technique involving etchant variation and track annealing was applied to fabricate different pore shapes in PET membranes. PET foils of 12-μm thickness were irradiated with Bi ions (kinetic energy 9.5 MeV/u, fluence 106 ions/cm2) at the Heavy Ion Research Facility (HIRFL, Lanzhou). The cross-sections of fundamental pore shapes (cylinder, cone, and double cone) were analyzed. Funnel-shaped and pencil-shaped pores were obtained using a two-step etching process. Track annealing was carried out in air at 180 °C for 120 min. After track annealing, the selectivity of the etching process decreased, which resulted in isotropic etching in subsequent etching steps. Rounded cylinder and rounded cone shapes were obtained by introducing a track-annealing step in the etching process. Cup and spherical funnel-shaped pores were fabricated using a three- and four-step etching process, respectively. The described multi-step etching technique provides a controllable method to fabricate new pore shapes in TEMs. Introduction of a variety of pore shapes may improve the separation properties of TEMs and enrich the series of TEM products.

  4. Impact of contamination with long-lived radionuclides on PET kinetics modelling in multitracer studies

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jødal, Lars; Hansen, Søren Baarsgaard; Jensen, Svend B

    2016-01-01

    Introduction: An important issue in multitracer studies is the separation of signals from the different radiotracers. This is especially the case when an early tracer has a long physical half-life and kinetic modelling has to be performed, because the early tracer can confer a long-lived contamin......Introduction: An important issue in multitracer studies is the separation of signals from the different radiotracers. This is especially the case when an early tracer has a long physical half-life and kinetic modelling has to be performed, because the early tracer can confer a long...... of subsequent PET tracers. Blood sample counts were corrected by recounting the samples a few days later. A more optimal choice of energy window was also explored. The effect of correction versus noncorrection was investigated using a two-tissue kinetic model with irreversible uptake (K1, k2, k3). Results: K1...... counting of blood samples can lead to a contaminating background not observed in PET imaging and this background can affect kinetic modelling. If the contaminating tracer has a much longer half-life than the foreground tracer, then the problem can be solved by late recounting of the samples....

  5. Imaging in-vivo tau pathology in Alzheimer's disease with THK5317 PET in a multimodal paradigm

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chiotis, Konstantinos; Saint-Aubert, Laure; Savitcheva, Irina; Jelic, Vesna; Andersen, Pia; Jonasson, My; Eriksson, Jonas; Antoni, Gunnar; Lubberink, Mark; Almkvist, Ove; Wall, Anders; Nordberg, Agneta

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this study was to explore the cerebral distribution of the tau-specific PET tracer [ 18 F]THK5317 (also known as (S)-[ 18 F]THK5117) retention in different stages of Alzheimer's disease; and study any associations with markers of hypometabolism and amyloid-beta deposition. Thirty-three individuals were enrolled, including nine patients with Alzheimer's disease dementia, thirteen with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), two with non-Alzheimer's disease dementia, and nine healthy controls (five young and four elderly). In a multi-tracer PET design [ 18 F]THK5317, [ 11 C] Pittsburgh compound B ([ 11 C]PIB), and [ 18 F]FDG were used to assess tau pathology, amyloid-beta deposition and cerebral glucose metabolism, respectively. The MCI patients were further divided into MCI [ 11 C]PIB-positive (n = 11) and MCI [ 11 C]PIB-negative (n = 2) groups. Test-retest variability for [ 18 F]THK5317-PET was very low (1.17-3.81 %), as shown by retesting five patients. The patients with prodromal (MCI [ 11 C]PIB-positive) and dementia-stage Alzheimer's disease had significantly higher [ 18 F]THK5317 retention than healthy controls (p = 0.002 and p = 0.001, respectively) in areas exceeding limbic regions, and their discrimination from this control group (using the area under the curve) was >98 %. Focal negative correlations between [ 18 F]THK5317 retention and [ 18 F]FDG uptake were observed mainly in the frontal cortex, and focal positive correlations were found between [ 18 F]THK5317 and [ 11 C]PIB retentions isocortically. One patient with corticobasal degeneration syndrome and one with progressive supranuclear palsy showed no [ 11 C]PIB but high [ 18 F]THK5317 retentions with a different regional distribution from that in Alzheimer's disease patients. The tau-specific PET tracer [ 18 F]THK5317 images in vivo the expected regional distribution of tau pathology. This distribution contrasts with the different patterns of hypometabolism and amyloid

  6. A combined positron emission tomography (PET)- electron paramagnetic resonance imaging (EPRI) system: initial evaluation of a prototype scanner.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tseytlin, Mark; Stolin, Alexander V; Guggilapu, Priyaankadevi; Bobko, Andrey A; Khramtsov, Valery V; Tseytlin, Oxana; Raylman, Raymond R

    2018-04-20

    The advent of hybrid scanners, combining complementary modalities, has revolutionized imaging; enhancing clinical practice and biomedical research. In this project, we investigated the melding of two complementary, functional imaging methods: positron emission tomography (PET) and electron paramagnetic resonance imaging (EPRI). The PET radiotracers can provide important information about cellular parameters, such as glucose metabolism. While EPR probes can provide assessment of tissue microenvironment, measuring parameters such as oxygenation and pH, for example. A combined PET/EPRI scanner has the promise to provide new insights not attainable with current imagers by simultaneous acquisition of multiple components of tissue microenvironments. In this investigation, a prototype system was created by combing two existing scanners, modified for simultaneous imaging. Specifically, a silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) based PET scanner ring designed as a portable scanner was combined with an EPRI scanner designed for the imaging of small animals. The ability of the system to obtain simultaneous images was assessed with a small phantom consisting of four cylinders containing both PET and EPR tracers. The resulting images demonstrated the ability to obtain contemporaneous PET and ERP images without cross-modality interference. The next step in this project is the construction of pre-clinical PET/EPRI scanner for multi-parametric assessment of physiologically important parameters of tissue microenvironments. . © 2018 Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine.

  7. PET for molecular imaging of cancer: a tool for tailored therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kjaer, Andreas

    2014-01-01

    The concept of personalised medicine has led to a need for improved phenotyping as well as prediction of treatment response early after therapy initiation. Most of the molecular biology methods used today need tissue sampling for in vitro analysis. In contrast, molecular imaging allows for non-invasive studies at the molecular level in living, intact organisms. Accordingly, molecular imaging with PET has been one of the most successful techniques in such phenotyping and response prediction using FDG. In addition, recent development of new PET tracers has further improved the value of PET in tumor characterization. Such new PET tracers allow for visualization of tumor specific receptors and tissue characteristics such as ability to metastasize. Furthermore, PET has a high sensitivity and allows for quantification and is not prone to sampling error as seen with biopsies. We will present examples of development of probes targeting the somatostatin receptor type 2, over-expressed in neuroendocrine tumors, including our first-in-man studies of 64 Cu-DOTATATE. Also development in probes for visualization of the invasive phenotype will be presented. Finally, with the most recent development of true integrated PET/MRI scanners has now become possible to add information from MRI. The value of such hybrid imaging will also be briefly discussed. (author)

  8. PET for molecular imaging of cancer: a tool for tailored therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kjaer, Andreas

    2013-01-01

    The concept of personalised medicine has led to a need for improved phenotyping as well as prediction of treatment response early after therapy initiation. Most of the molecular biology methods used today need tissue sampling for in vitro analysis. In contrast, molecular imaging allows for non-invasive studies at the molecular level in living, intact organisms. Accordingly, molecular imaging with PET has been one of the most successful techniques in such phenotyping and response prediction using FDG. In addition, recent development of new PET tracers has further improved the value of PET in tumor characterization. Such new PET tracers allow for visualization of tumor specific receptors and tissue characteristics such as ability to metastasize. Furthermore, PET has a high sensitivity and allows for quantification and is not prone to sampling error as seen with biopsies. We will present examples of development of probes targeting the somatostatin receptor type 2, over-expressed in neuroendocrine tumors, including our first-in-man studies of 64Cu-DOTATATE. Also development in probes for visualization of the invasive phenotype will be presented. Finally, with the most recent development of true integrated PET/MRI scanners it has now become possible to add information from MRI. The value of such hybrid imaging will also be briefly discussed. (author)

  9. Fundamentals of quantitative PET data analysis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Willemsen, ATM; van den Hoff, J

    2002-01-01

    Drug analysis and development with PET should fully exhaust the ability of this tomographic technique to quantify regional tracer concentrations in vivo. Data evaluation based on visual inspection or assessment of regional image contrast is not sufficient for this purpose since much of the

  10. Radiosynthesis and evaluation of 11C-CIMBI-5 as a 5-HT2A receptor agonist radioligand for PET

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ettrup, Anders; Palner, Mikael; Gillings, Nic

    2010-01-01

    PET brain imaging of the serotonin 2A (5-hydroxytryptamine 2A, or 5-HT(2A)) receptor has been widely used in clinical studies, and currently, several well-validated radiolabeled antagonist tracers are used for in vivo imaging of the cerebral 5-HT(2A) receptor. Access to 5-HT(2A) receptor agonist...... PET tracers would, however, enable imaging of the active, high-affinity state of receptors, which may provide a more meaningful assessment of membrane-bound receptors. In this study, we radiolabel the high-affinity 5-HT(2A) receptor agonist 2-(4-iodo-2,5-dimethoxyphenyl)-N-(2-[(11)C-OCH(3......)]methoxybenzyl)ethanamine ((11)C-CIMBI-5) and investigate its potential as a PET tracer....

  11. Usefulness of Choline-PET for the detection of residual hemangiopericytoma in the skull base: comparison with FDG-PET

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ito Shin

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Choline is a new PET tracer that is useful for the detection of malignant tumor. Choline is a precursor of the biosynthesis of phosphatidylcholine, a major phospholipid in the cell membrane of eukaryotic cells. Malignant tumors have an elevated level of phosphatidylcholine in cell membrane. Thus, choline is a marker of tumor malignancy. Method The patient was a 51-year-old man with repeated recurrent hemangiopericytoma in the skull base. We performed Choline-PET in this patient after various treatments and compared findings with those of FDG-PET. Results Choline accumulated in this tumor, but FDG did not accumulate. We diagnosed this tumor as residual hemangiopericytoma and performed the resection of the residual tumor. FDG-PET is not appropriate for skull base tumor detection because uptake in the brain is very strong. Conclusion We emphasize the usefulness of Choline-PET for the detection of residual hemangiopericytoma in the skull base after various treatments, compared with FDG-PET.

  12. Diagnostic performance of {sup 18}F-fluorothymidine PET/CT for primary colorectal cancer and its lymph node metastasis: comparison with {sup 18}F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nakajo, Masatoyo [Kagoshima University, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Department of Radiology, Kagoshima (Japan); Nanpuh Hospital, Department of Radiology, Kagoshima (Japan); Nakajo, Masayuki; Jinguji, Megumi; Fukukura, Yoshihiko [Kagoshima University, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Department of Radiology, Kagoshima (Japan); Kajiya, Yoriko; Tani, Atushi [Nanpuh Hospital, Department of Radiology, Kagoshima (Japan); Nishimata, Nobuaki; Shimaoka, Shunji; Nihara, Tohru [Nanpuh Hospital, Department of Gastroenterology, Kagoshima (Japan); Aridome, Kuniaki [Nanpuh Hospital, Department of Surgery, Kagoshima (Japan); Tanaka, Sadao [Nanpuh Hospital, Department of Pathology, Kagoshima (Japan); Koriyama, Chihaya [Kagoshima University, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Kagoshima (Japan)

    2013-08-15

    To examine the diagnostic performance of {sup 18}F-fluorothymidine (FLT) PET/CT in primary and metastatic lymph node colorectal cancer foci in comparison with {sup 18}F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/CT. The study population comprised 28 patients with 30 newly diagnosed colorectal cancers who underwent surgical resection of the primary lesion and regional lymph nodes after both FLT and FDG PET/CT. The associations between SUVmax levels and pathological factors were evaluated using the Mann-Whitney U or Kruskal-Wallis test. Differences in diagnostic indexes for detecting nodal metastasis between the two tracers were estimated using the McNemar exact or {chi} {sup 2} test. All 30 primary cancers (43.0 {+-} 20.0 mm, range 14 - 85 mm) were visualized by both tracers, but none of the FLT SUVmax values exceeded the FDG SUVmax values in any of the primary cancers (6.6 {+-} 2.4 vs. 13.6 {+-} 5.8, p < 0.001). The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy for detecting nodal metastasis were 41 % (15/37), 98.8 % (493/499) and 94.8 % (508/536) for FDG PET/CT, and 32 % (12/37), 98.8 % (493/499) and 94.2 % (505/536) for FLT PET/CT, respectively. The sensitivity (p = 0.45), specificity (p = 0.68) and accuracy (p = 0.58) were not different between the tracers. Nodal uptake of FLT and FDG was discordant in 7 (19 %) of 37 metastatic nodes. There were ten concordant true-positive nodes of which six showed higher FDG SUVmax and four showed higher FLT SUVmax, but the difference between FDG and FLT SUVmax was not significant (5.56 {+-} 3.55 and 3.62 {+-} 1.45, respectively; p = 0.22). FLT has the same potential as FDG in PET/CT for the diagnosis of primary and nodal foci of colorectal cancer despite significantly lower FLT uptake in primary foci. (orig.)

  13. Multiparametric PET imaging in thyroid malignancy characterizing tumour heterogeneity: somatostatin receptors and glucose metabolism

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Traub-Weidinger, Tatjana [Medical University of Vienna, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Vienna (Austria); Medical University of Innsbruck, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Innsbruck (Austria); Putzer, Daniel; Bale, Reto [Medical University of Innsbruck, Department of Radiology, Innsbruck (Austria); Guggenberg, Elisabeth von; Dobrozemsky, Georg; Nilica, Bernhard; Kendler, Dorota; Virgolini, Irene Johanna [Medical University of Innsbruck, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Innsbruck (Austria)

    2015-12-15

    Radiolabelled somatostatin (SST) analogues have proven useful in diagnosing tumours positive for SST receptor (SSTR). As different subtypes of SSTR are expressed on the tumour cell surface, the choice of appropriate therapeutic SST analogue is crucial. We evaluated the SSTR status of thyroid cancer patients who had signs of progressive disease comparing different SSTR ligands for PET imaging to evaluate possible further therapeutic options. PET with {sup 68}Ga-radiolabelled SSTR ligands DOTA lanreotide (DOTA-LAN), DOTA-Tyr{sup 3} octreotide (DOTA-TOC) and {sup 18}F-FDG was performed in 31 patients with thyroid cancer (TC). These 31 patients comprised 18 with radioiodine non-avid differentiated TC (DTC) including 6 papillary TC (PTC), 8 follicular TC (FTC) and 4 oxyphilic TC (oxyTC), 5 with anaplastic TC (ATC), and 8 with medullary TC (MTC). The PET results were compared in a region-based evaluation. All patients underwent a PET study with {sup 68}Ga-DOTA-LAN, 28 patients with {sup 68}Ga-DOTA-TOC and 28 patients with {sup 18}F-FDG. A lack of SSTR expression was found in 13 of the 31 patients (42 %) with negative results with both SSTR tracers in 12 patients. Ambiguous results with both SSTR tracers were observed in one patient. High tracer uptake in SSTR PET images was seen in seven DTC patients (39 %; two PTC, three FTC, two oxyTC), in four ATC patients (80 %) and in six MTC patients (75 %). Lesions showing aerobic glycolysis on {sup 18}F-FDG PET were found in 24 of 28 patients (86 %) with corresponding positive results with {sup 68}Ga-DOTA-LAN in 35 % and with {sup 68}Ga-DOTA-TOC in 29 %. The heterogeneous SSTR profile of TC tumour lesions needs to be evaluated using different SSTR PET tracers to characterize more closely the SSTR subtype affinities in patients with progressive TC in order to further stratify therapy with SSTR therapeutics. (orig.)

  14. Early dynamic imaging in 68Ga- PSMA-11 PET/CT allows discrimination of urinary bladder activity and prostate cancer lesions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uprimny, Christian; Kroiss, Alexander Stephan; Decristoforo, Clemens; Fritz, Josef; Warwitz, Boris; Scarpa, Lorenza; Roig, Llanos Geraldo; Kendler, Dorota; von Guggenberg, Elisabeth; Bektic, Jasmin; Horninger, Wolfgang; Virgolini, Irene Johanna

    2017-05-01

    PET/CT with 68 Ga-labelled prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-ligands has been proven to establish a promising imaging modality in the work-up of prostate cancer (PC) patients with biochemical relapse. Despite a high overall detection rate, the visualisation of local recurrence may be hampered by high physiologic tracer accumulation in the urinary bladder on whole body imaging, usually starting 60 min after injection. This study sought to verify whether early dynamic 68 Ga-PSMA-11 (HBED-CC)PET/CT can differentiate pathologic PC-related tracer uptake from physiologic tracer accumulation in the urinary bladder. Eighty consecutive PC patients referred to 68 Ga -PSMA-11 PET/CT were included in this retrospective analysis (biochemical relapse: n = 64; primary staging: n = 8; evaluation of therapy response/restaging: n = 8). In addition to whole-body PET/CT acquisition 60 min post injection early dynamic imaging of the pelvis in the first 8 min after tracer injection was performed. SUV max of pathologic lesions was calculated and time-activity curves were generated and compared to those of urinary bladder and areas of physiologic tracer uptake. A total of 55 lesions consistent with malignancy on 60 min whole body imaging exhibited also pathologic 68 Ga-PSMA-11 uptake during early dynamic imaging (prostatic bed/prostate gland: n = 27; lymph nodes: n = 12; bone: n = 16). All pathologic lesions showed tracer uptake within the first 3 min, whereas urinary bladder activity was absent within the first 3 min of dynamic imaging in all patients. Suv max was significantly higher in PC lesions in the first 6 min compared to urinary bladder accumulation (p dynamic imaging in 68 Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT reliably enables the differentiation of pathologic tracer uptake in PC lesions from physiologic bladder accumulation. Performance of early dynamic imaging in addition to whole body imaging 60 min after tracer injection might improve the detection rate

  15. WE-AB-204-03: A Novel 3D Printed Phantom for 4D PET/CT Imaging and SIB Radiotherapy Verification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Soultan, D; Murphy, J; Moiseenko, V; Cervino, L; Gill, B

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: To construct and test a 3D printed phantom designed to mimic variable PET tracer uptake seen in lung tumor volumes. To assess segmentation accuracy of sub-volumes of the phantom following 4D PET/CT scanning with ideal and patient-specific respiratory motion. To plan, deliver and verify delivery of PET-driven, gated, simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) radiotherapy plans. Methods: A set of phantoms and inserts were designed and manufactured for a realistic representation of lung cancer gated radiotherapy steps from 4D PET/CT scanning to dose delivery. A cylindrical phantom (40x 120 mm) holds inserts for PET/CT scanning. The novel 3D printed insert dedicated to 4D PET/CT mimics high PET tracer uptake in the core and lower uptake in the periphery. This insert is a variable density porous cylinder (22.12×70 mm), ABS-P430 thermoplastic, 3D printed by uPrint SE Plus with inner void volume (5.5×42 mm). The square pores (1.8×1.8 mm2 each) fill 50% of outer volume, resulting in a 2:1 SUV ratio of PET-tracer in the void volume with respect to porous volume. A matching in size cylindrical phantom is dedicated to validate gated radiotherapy. It contains eight peripheral holes matching the location of the porous part of the 3D printed insert, and one central hole. These holes accommodate adaptors for Farmer-type ion chamber and cells vials. Results: End-to-end test were performed from 4D PET/CT scanning to transferring data to the planning system and target volume delineation. 4D PET/CT scans were acquired of the phantom with different respiratory motion patterns and gating windows. A measured 2:1 18F-FDG SUV ratio between inner void and outer volume matched the 3D printed design. Conclusion: The novel 3D printed phantom mimics variable PET tracer uptake typical of tumors. Obtained 4D PET/CT scans are suitable for segmentation, treatment planning and delivery in SIB gated treatments of NSCLC

  16. Analysis of pairwise correlations in multi-parametric PET/MR data for biological tumor characterization and treatment individualization strategies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Leibfarth, Sara; Moennich, David; Thorwarth, Daniela [University Hospital Tuebingen, Section for Biomedical Physics, Department of Radiation Oncology, Tuebingen (Germany); Simoncic, Urban [University Hospital Tuebingen, Section for Biomedical Physics, Department of Radiation Oncology, Tuebingen (Germany); University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Ljubljana (Slovenia); Jozef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana (Slovenia); Welz, Stefan; Zips, Daniel [University Hospital Tuebingen, Department of Radiation Oncology, Tuebingen (Germany); Schmidt, Holger; Schwenzer, Nina [University Hospital Tuebingen, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Tuebingen (Germany)

    2016-07-15

    The aim of this pilot study was to explore simultaneous functional PET/MR for biological characterization of tumors and potential future treatment adaptations. To investigate the extent of complementarity between different PET/MR-based functional datasets, a pairwise correlation analysis was performed. Functional datasets of N=15 head and neck (HN) cancer patients were evaluated. For patients of group A (N=7), combined PET/MR datasets including FDG-PET and ADC maps were available. Patients of group B (N=8) had FMISO-PET, DCE-MRI and ADC maps from combined PET/MRI, an additional dynamic FMISO-PET/CT acquired directly after FMISO tracer injection as well as an FDG-PET/CT acquired a few days earlier. From DCE-MR, parameter maps K{sup trans}, v{sub e} and v{sub p} were obtained with the extended Tofts model. Moreover, parameter maps of mean DCE enhancement, ΔS{sub DCE}, and mean FMISO signal 0-4 min p.i., anti A{sub FMISO}, were derived. Pairwise correlations were quantified using the Spearman correlation coefficient (r) on both a voxel and a regional level within the gross tumor volume. Between some pairs of functional imaging modalities moderate correlations were observed with respect to the median over all patient datasets, whereas distinct correlations were only present on an individual basis. Highest inter-modality median correlations on the voxel level were obtained for FDG/FMISO (r = 0.56), FDG/ anti A{sub FMISO} (r = 0.55), anti A{sub FMISO}/ΔS{sub DCE} (r = 0.46), and FDG/ADC (r = -0.39). Correlations on the regional level showed comparable results. The results of this study suggest that the examined functional datasets provide complementary information. However, only pairwise correlations were examined, and correlations could still exist between combinations of three or more datasets. These results might contribute to the future design of individually adapted treatment approaches based on multiparametric functional imaging.

  17. Molecular Imaging of Hydrolytic Enzymes Using PET and SPECT.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rempel, Brian P; Price, Eric W; Phenix, Christopher P

    2017-01-01

    Hydrolytic enzymes are a large class of biological catalysts that play a vital role in a plethora of critical biochemical processes required to maintain human health. However, the expression and/or activity of these important enzymes can change in many different diseases and therefore represent exciting targets for the development of positron emission tomography (PET) and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) radiotracers. This review focuses on recently reported radiolabeled substrates, reversible inhibitors, and irreversible inhibitors investigated as PET and SPECT tracers for imaging hydrolytic enzymes. By learning from the most successful examples of tracer development for hydrolytic enzymes, it appears that an early focus on careful enzyme kinetics and cell-based studies are key factors for identifying potentially useful new molecular imaging agents.

  18. Mapping neurotransmitter networks with PET: an example on serotonin and opioid systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tuominen, Lauri; Nummenmaa, Lauri; Keltikangas-Järvinen, Liisa; Raitakari, Olli; Hietala, Jarmo

    2014-05-01

    All functions of the human brain are consequences of altered activity of specific neural pathways and neurotransmitter systems. Although the knowledge of "system level" connectivity in the brain is increasing rapidly, we lack "molecular level" information on brain networks and connectivity patterns. We introduce novel voxel-based positron emission tomography (PET) methods for studying internal neurotransmitter network structure and intercorrelations of different neurotransmitter systems in the human brain. We chose serotonin transporter and μ-opioid receptor for this analysis because of their functional interaction at the cellular level and similar regional distribution in the brain. Twenty-one healthy subjects underwent two consecutive PET scans using [(11)C]MADAM, a serotonin transporter tracer, and [(11)C]carfentanil, a μ-opioid receptor tracer. First, voxel-by-voxel "intracorrelations" (hub and seed analyses) were used to study the internal structure of opioid and serotonin systems. Second, voxel-level opioid-serotonin intercorrelations (between neurotransmitters) were computed. Regional μ-opioid receptor binding potentials were uniformly correlated throughout the brain. However, our analyses revealed nonuniformity in the serotonin transporter intracorrelations and identified a highly connected local network (midbrain-striatum-thalamus-amygdala). Regionally specific intercorrelations between the opioid and serotonin tracers were found in anteromedial thalamus, amygdala, anterior cingulate cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and left parietal cortex, i.e., in areas relevant for several neuropsychiatric disorders, especially affective disorders. This methodology enables in vivo mapping of connectivity patterns within and between neurotransmitter systems. Quantification of functional neurotransmitter balances may be a useful approach in etiological studies of neuropsychiatric disorders and also in drug development as a biomarker-based rationale for targeted

  19. Follicular thyroid cancer avid on C-11 Methionine PET/CT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mads Ryø Jochumsen

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available A case of follicular thyroid cancer with intense focal Methionine uptake on 11C-Methionine PET/CT is reported here. The use of 11C-Methionine PET in differentiated thyroid cancer is currently being investigated as a surrogate tracer compared to the more widely used 18F-FDG PET. This case illustrates the potential incremental value of this modality, not only in the localizing of parathyroid adenoma, but also indicating that 11C-Methionine PET might have a potential of increasing the pretest likelihood of thyroid malignancy in a cold nodule with highly increased Sestamibi uptake.

  20. Laboratory and cyclotron requirements for PET research

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schlyer, D.J.

    1993-01-01

    The requirements for carrying out PET research can vary widely depending on the type of basic research being carried out and the extent of a clinical program at a particular center. The type of accelerator and laboratory facilities will, of course, depend on the exact mix. These centers have been divided into four categories. 1. Clinical PET with no radionuclide production facilities, 2. clinical PET with some radionuclide production facilities, 3. clinical PET with research support, and 4. a PET research facility developing new tracers and exploring clinical applications. Guidelines for the choice of an accelerator based on these categories and the practical yields of the common nuclear reactions for production of PET isotopes have been developed and are detailed. Guidelines as to the size and physical layout of the laboratory space necessary for the synthesis of various radiopharmaceuticals have also been developed and are presented. Important utility and air flow considerations are explored

  1. PET studies in Alzheimer disease and other degenerative dementias

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jeong, Yong; Na, Duk L.

    2003-01-01

    Neurodegenerative disorders cause a variety of dementia including Alzheimer disease, frontotemporal dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies, corticobasal degeneration, progressive supranuclear palsy, and Huntington's disease. PET scan is useful for early detection and differential diagnosis of theses dementing disorders. Also, it provides valuable information about clinico-anatomical correlation, allowing better understanding of function of brain. Here we discuss recent achievements PET studies regarding these dementing disorders. Future progress in PET technology, new tracers, and image analysis will play an important role in further clarifying the disease pathophysiology and brain functions

  2. FDG-PET in the clinical management of Hodgkin lymphoma

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hutchings, Martin; Eigtved, Annika I; Specht, Lena

    2004-01-01

    Positron emission tomography (PET) is a molecular functional imaging technique that provides qualitative and quantitative information about the localization and activity of pathophysiological processes. The most commonly used tracer for oncological purposes is 2-[18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose (FDG......). FDG-PET has within recent years become the most important nuclear medicine imaging modality in the management of lymphoma. This review summarizes the data published so far concerning the value of FDG-PET in staging, treatment monitoring, therapy planning, and follow-up of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). FDG...

  3. A quality system for PET: An industry perspective

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zigler, Steven S.; Breslow, Kenneth; Nazerias, Michael

    2005-01-01

    Quality systems have been employed in a variety of industries to develop and supply products that meet customer expectations and regulatory requirements. Most quality systems address organizational structure, design controls, production, complaints, audits, corrective actions and preventive actions. This paper describes PETNET's efforts to develop a quality system for use in the production of PET tracers. Our goal is to ensure quality products and to facilitate compliance with impending PET good manufacturing practice (GMP) regulations

  4. Co-registration of fluorescence diffuse optical tomography (fDOT) with positron emission tomography (PET) and development of multi-angle fDOT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tong, X.

    2012-01-01

    This thesis concerns the image processing of fluorescence diffuse optical tomography (fDOT), following two axes: fDOT image co-registration with PET (positron emission tomography) image and improvement of fDOT image reconstructions using mirrors to collect additional projections. It is presented in two parts:In the first part, an automatic method to co-register the fDOT images with PET images has been developed to correlate all the information from each modality. This co-registration method is based on automatic detection of fiducial markers (FM) present in both modalities. The particularity of this method is the use of optical surface image obtained in fDOT imaging system, which serves to identify the Z position of FM in optical images. We tested this method on a model of mice bearing tumor xenografts of MEN2A cancer cells that mimic a human medullary thyroid carcinoma, after a double injection of radiotracer [ 18 F] 2-fluoro-2-Deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) for PET imaging and optical fluorescent infrared tracer Sentidye. With the accuracy of our method, we can demonstrate that the signal of Sentidye is present both in the tumor and surrounding vessels.The fDOT reconstruction image quality is degraded along the Z axis due to a limited number of projections for reconstruction. In the second part, the work is oriented towards a new method of fDOT image reconstruction with a new multi-angle data acquisition system in placing two mirrors on each side of the animal. This work was conducted in collaboration with the CS Department of University College London (UCL), a partner of the European project FMT-XCT. TOAST software developed by this team was used as source code for the reconstruction algorithm, and was modified to adapt to the concerned problem. After several tests on the adjustment of program parameters, we applied this method on a phantom that simulating the biological tissue and on mice. The results showed an improvement in the reconstructed image of a semi

  5. Initial tests of a prototype MRI-compatible PET imager

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Raylman, Raymond R.; Majewski, Stan; Lemieux, Susan; Velan, S. Sendhil; Kross, Brain; Popov, Vladimir; Smith, Mark F.; Weisenberger, Andrew G.; Wojcik, Randy

    2006-01-01

    Multi-modality imaging is rapidly becoming a valuable tool in the diagnosis of disease and in the development of new drugs. Functional images produced with PET fused with anatomical structure images created by MRI, will allow the correlation of form with function. Our group (a collaboration of West Virginia University and Jefferson Lab) is developing a system to acquire MRI and PET images contemporaneously. The prototype device consists of two opposed detector heads, operating in coincidence mode with an active FOV of 5x5x4 cm 3 . Each MRI-PET detector module consists of an array of LSO detector elements (2.5x2.5x15 mm 3 ) coupled through a long fiber optic light guide to a single Hamamatsu flat panel PSPMT. The fiber optic light guide is made of a glued assembly of 2 mm diameter acrylic fibers with a total length of 2.5 m. The use of a light guides allows the PSPMTs to be positioned outside the bore of the 3 T General Electric MRI scanner used in the tests. Photon attenuation in the light guides resulted in an energy resolution of ∼60% FWHM, interaction of the magnetic field with PSPMT further reduced energy resolution to ∼85% FWHM. Despite this effect, excellent multi-plane PET and MRI images of a simple disk phantom were acquired simultaneously. Future work includes improved light guides, optimized magnetic shielding for the PSPMTs, construction of specialized coils to permit high-resolution MRI imaging, and use of the system to perform simultaneous PET and MRI or MR-spectroscopy

  6. Early dynamic imaging in {sup 68}Ga- PSMA-11 PET/CT allows discrimination of urinary bladder activity and prostate cancer lesions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Uprimny, Christian; Kroiss, Alexander Stephan; Decristoforo, Clemens; Warwitz, Boris; Scarpa, Lorenza; Roig, Llanos Geraldo; Kendler, Dorota; Guggenberg, Elisabeth von; Virgolini, Irene Johanna [Medical University Innsbruck, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Innsbruck (Austria); Fritz, Josef [Medical University Innsbruck, Department for Medical Statistics, Informatics and Health Economics, Innsbruck (Austria); Bektic, Jasmin; Horninger, Wolfgang [Medical University Innsbruck, Department of Urology, Innsbruck (Austria)

    2017-05-15

    PET/CT with {sup 68}Ga-labelled prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-ligands has been proven to establish a promising imaging modality in the work-up of prostate cancer (PC) patients with biochemical relapse. Despite a high overall detection rate, the visualisation of local recurrence may be hampered by high physiologic tracer accumulation in the urinary bladder on whole body imaging, usually starting 60 min after injection. This study sought to verify whether early dynamic {sup 68}Ga-PSMA-11 (HBED-CC)PET/CT can differentiate pathologic PC-related tracer uptake from physiologic tracer accumulation in the urinary bladder. Eighty consecutive PC patients referred to {sup 68}Ga -PSMA-11 PET/CT were included in this retrospective analysis (biochemical relapse: n = 64; primary staging: n = 8; evaluation of therapy response/restaging: n = 8). In addition to whole-body PET/CT acquisition 60 min post injection early dynamic imaging of the pelvis in the first 8 min after tracer injection was performed. SUV{sub max} of pathologic lesions was calculated and time-activity curves were generated and compared to those of urinary bladder and areas of physiologic tracer uptake. A total of 55 lesions consistent with malignancy on 60 min whole body imaging exhibited also pathologic {sup 68}Ga-PSMA-11 uptake during early dynamic imaging (prostatic bed/prostate gland: n = 27; lymph nodes: n = 12; bone: n = 16). All pathologic lesions showed tracer uptake within the first 3 min, whereas urinary bladder activity was absent within the first 3 min of dynamic imaging in all patients. Suv{sub max} was significantly higher in PC lesions in the first 6 min compared to urinary bladder accumulation (p < 0.001). In the subgroup of PC patients with biochemical relapse the detection rate of local recurrence could be increased from 20.3 to 29.7%. Early dynamic imaging in {sup 68}Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT reliably enables the differentiation of pathologic tracer uptake in PC lesions from physiologic

  7. Early dynamic imaging in "6"8Ga- PSMA-11 PET/CT allows discrimination of urinary bladder activity and prostate cancer lesions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Uprimny, Christian; Kroiss, Alexander Stephan; Decristoforo, Clemens; Warwitz, Boris; Scarpa, Lorenza; Roig, Llanos Geraldo; Kendler, Dorota; Guggenberg, Elisabeth von; Virgolini, Irene Johanna; Fritz, Josef; Bektic, Jasmin; Horninger, Wolfgang

    2017-01-01

    PET/CT with "6"8Ga-labelled prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-ligands has been proven to establish a promising imaging modality in the work-up of prostate cancer (PC) patients with biochemical relapse. Despite a high overall detection rate, the visualisation of local recurrence may be hampered by high physiologic tracer accumulation in the urinary bladder on whole body imaging, usually starting 60 min after injection. This study sought to verify whether early dynamic "6"8Ga-PSMA-11 (HBED-CC)PET/CT can differentiate pathologic PC-related tracer uptake from physiologic tracer accumulation in the urinary bladder. Eighty consecutive PC patients referred to "6"8Ga -PSMA-11 PET/CT were included in this retrospective analysis (biochemical relapse: n = 64; primary staging: n = 8; evaluation of therapy response/restaging: n = 8). In addition to whole-body PET/CT acquisition 60 min post injection early dynamic imaging of the pelvis in the first 8 min after tracer injection was performed. SUV_m_a_x of pathologic lesions was calculated and time-activity curves were generated and compared to those of urinary bladder and areas of physiologic tracer uptake. A total of 55 lesions consistent with malignancy on 60 min whole body imaging exhibited also pathologic "6"8Ga-PSMA-11 uptake during early dynamic imaging (prostatic bed/prostate gland: n = 27; lymph nodes: n = 12; bone: n = 16). All pathologic lesions showed tracer uptake within the first 3 min, whereas urinary bladder activity was absent within the first 3 min of dynamic imaging in all patients. Suv_m_a_x was significantly higher in PC lesions in the first 6 min compared to urinary bladder accumulation (p < 0.001). In the subgroup of PC patients with biochemical relapse the detection rate of local recurrence could be increased from 20.3 to 29.7%. Early dynamic imaging in "6"8Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT reliably enables the differentiation of pathologic tracer uptake in PC lesions from physiologic bladder accumulation

  8. (-)-N-[11C]propyl-norapomorphine: a positron-labeled dopamine agonist for PET imaging of D2 receptors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hwang, Dah-Ren; Kegeles, Lawrence S.; Laruelle, Marc

    2000-01-01

    Imaging neuroreceptors with radiolabeled agonists might provide valuable information on the in vivo agonist affinity states of receptors of interest. We report here the radiosynthesis, biodistribution in rodents, and imaging studies in baboons of [ 11 C]-labeled (-)-N-propyl-norapomorphine [(-)-NPA]. (-)-[ 11 C]NPA was prepared by reacting norapomorphine with [ 11 C]propionyl chloride and a lithium aluminum hydride reduction. [ 11 C]Propionyl chloride was prepared by reacting [ 11 C]CO 2 with ethylmagnesium bromide, followed by reacting with phthaloyl chloride. The radiochemical yield of (-)-[ 11 C]NPA was 2.5% at end of synthesis (EOS), and the synthesis time was 60 min. The specific activity was 1700±1900 mCi/μmol ( N=7; ranged 110-5200 mCi/μmol at EOS). Rodent biodistribution studies showed high uptake of [ 11 C](-)-NPA in D 2 receptor-rich areas, and the striatum/cerebellum ratios were 1.7, 3.4, and 4.4 at 5 min, 30 min, and 60 min postinjection, respectively. Pretreating the animals with haloperidol (1 mg/kg) decreased the striatum/cerebellum ratio at 30 min postinjection to 1.3. (-)-[ 11 C]NPA was also evaluated via baboon positron emission tomography (PET) studies. Under control conditions ( N=4), rapid uptake of the tracer was observed and the striatum/cerebellum ratio reached 2.86±0.15 at 45 min postinjection. Following haloperidol pretreatment (0.2 mg/kg IV), the striatum/cerebellum ratio was 1.29 at 45 min postinjection. The result demonstrated the existence of specific binding of this new tracer to the D 2 receptor. To our knowledge, the current finding of a striatum/cerebellum ratio of 2.8 in baboon was the highest reported with a radiolabeled D 2 agonist. (-)-[ 11 C]NPA is a promising new D 2 agonist PET tracer for probing D 2 receptors in vivo using PET

  9. (-)-N-[(11)C]propyl-norapomorphine: a positron-labeled dopamine agonist for PET imaging of D(2) receptors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hwang, D R; Kegeles, L S; Laruelle, M

    2000-08-01

    Imaging neuroreceptors with radiolabeled agonists might provide valuable information on the in vivo agonist affinity states of receptors of interest. We report here the radiosynthesis, biodistribution in rodents, and imaging studies in baboons of [(11)C]-labeled (-)-N-propyl-norapomorphine [(-)-NPA]. (-)-[(11)C]NPA was prepared by reacting norapomorphine with [(11)C]propionyl chloride and a lithium aluminum hydride reduction. [(11)C]Propionyl chloride was prepared by reacting [(11)C]CO(2) with ethylmagnesium bromide, followed by reacting with phthaloyl chloride. The radiochemical yield of (-)-[(11)C]NPA was 2.5% at end of synthesis (EOS), and the synthesis time was 60 min. The specific activity was 1700+/-1900 mCi/micromol ( N=7; ranged 110-5200 mCi/micromol at EOS). Rodent biodistribution studies showed high uptake of [(11)C](-)-NPA in D(2) receptor-rich areas, and the striatum/cerebellum ratios were 1.7, 3.4, and 4.4 at 5 min, 30 min, and 60 min postinjection, respectively. Pretreating the animals with haloperidol (1 mg/kg) decreased the striatum/cerebellum ratio at 30 min postinjection to 1.3. (-)-[(11)C]NPA was also evaluated via baboon positron emission tomography (PET) studies. Under control conditions ( N=4), rapid uptake of the tracer was observed and the striatum/cerebellum ratio reached 2.86+/-0.15 at 45 min postinjection. Following haloperidol pretreatment (0.2 mg/kg IV), the striatum/cerebellum ratio was 1.29 at 45 min postinjection. The result demonstrated the existence of specific binding of this new tracer to the D(2) receptor. To our knowledge, the current finding of a striatum/cerebellum ratio of 2.8 in baboon was the highest reported with a radiolabeled D(2) agonist. (-)-[(11)C]NPA is a promising new D(2) agonist PET tracer for probing D(2) receptors in vivo using PET.

  10. Multimodality functional imaging of spontaneous canine tumors using 64CU-ATSM and 18FDG PET/CT and dynamic contrast enhanced perfusion CT

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Anders E; Kristensen, Annemarie T; Law, Ian

    2012-01-01

    To compare the distribution and uptake of the hypoxia tracer (64)Cu-diacetyl-bis(N(4)-methylthiosemicarbazone) ((64)Cu-ATSM) PET/CT, FDG PET/CT and dynamic contrast enhanced perfusion CT (DCE-pCT) in spontaneous canine tumors. In addition (64)Cu-ATSM distribution over time was evaluated.......To compare the distribution and uptake of the hypoxia tracer (64)Cu-diacetyl-bis(N(4)-methylthiosemicarbazone) ((64)Cu-ATSM) PET/CT, FDG PET/CT and dynamic contrast enhanced perfusion CT (DCE-pCT) in spontaneous canine tumors. In addition (64)Cu-ATSM distribution over time was evaluated....

  11. Simultaneous MRI and PET imaging of a rat brain

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Raylman, Raymond R [Center for Advanced Imaging, Department of Radiology, Box 9236, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV (United States); Majewski, Stan [Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, 12000 Jefferson Ave., Newport News, VA (United States); Lemieux, Susan K [Center for Advanced Imaging, Department of Radiology, Box 9236, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV (United States); Velan, S Sendhil [Center for Advanced Imaging, Department of Radiology, Box 9236, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV (United States); Kross, Brian [Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, 12000 Jefferson Ave., Newport News, VA (United States); Popov, Vladimir [Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, 12000 Jefferson Ave., Newport News, VA (United States); Smith, Mark F [Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, 12000 Jefferson Ave., Newport News, VA (United States); Weisenberger, Andrew G [Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, 12000 Jefferson Ave., Newport News, VA (United States); Zorn, Carl [Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, 12000 Jefferson Ave., Newport News, VA (United States); Marano, Gary D [Center for Advanced Imaging, Department of Radiology, Box 9236, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV (United States)

    2006-12-21

    Multi-modality imaging is rapidly becoming a valuable tool in the diagnosis of disease and in the development of new drugs. Functional images produced with PET fused with anatomical structure images created by MRI will allow the correlation of form with function. Our group is developing a system to acquire MRI and PET images contemporaneously. The prototype device consists of two opposed detector heads, operating in coincidence mode. Each MRI-PET detector module consists of an array of LSO detector elements coupled through a long fibre optic light guide to a single Hamamatsu flat panel position-sensitive photomultiplier tube (PSPMT). The use of light guides allows the PSPMTs to be positioned outside the bore of a 3T MRI scanner where the magnetic field is relatively small. To test the device, simultaneous MRI and PET images of the brain of a male Sprague Dawley rat injected with FDG were successfully obtained. The images revealed no noticeable artefacts in either image set. Future work includes the construction of a full ring PET scanner, improved light guides and construction of a specialized MRI coil to permit higher quality MRI imaging.

  12. Simultaneous MRI and PET imaging of a rat brain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Raylman, Raymond R; Majewski, Stan; Lemieux, Susan K; Velan, S Sendhil; Kross, Brian; Popov, Vladimir; Smith, Mark F; Weisenberger, Andrew G; Zorn, Carl; Marano, Gary D

    2006-01-01

    Multi-modality imaging is rapidly becoming a valuable tool in the diagnosis of disease and in the development of new drugs. Functional images produced with PET fused with anatomical structure images created by MRI will allow the correlation of form with function. Our group is developing a system to acquire MRI and PET images contemporaneously. The prototype device consists of two opposed detector heads, operating in coincidence mode. Each MRI-PET detector module consists of an array of LSO detector elements coupled through a long fibre optic light guide to a single Hamamatsu flat panel position-sensitive photomultiplier tube (PSPMT). The use of light guides allows the PSPMTs to be positioned outside the bore of a 3T MRI scanner where the magnetic field is relatively small. To test the device, simultaneous MRI and PET images of the brain of a male Sprague Dawley rat injected with FDG were successfully obtained. The images revealed no noticeable artefacts in either image set. Future work includes the construction of a full ring PET scanner, improved light guides and construction of a specialized MRI coil to permit higher quality MRI imaging

  13. Respiratory gating in cardiac PET

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lassen, Martin Lyngby; Rasmussen, Thomas; Christensen, Thomas E

    2017-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Respiratory motion due to breathing during cardiac positron emission tomography (PET) results in spatial blurring and erroneous tracer quantification. Respiratory gating might represent a solution by dividing the PET coincidence dataset into smaller respiratory phase subsets. The aim...... of our study was to compare the resulting imaging quality by the use of a time-based respiratory gating system in two groups administered either adenosine or dipyridamole as the pharmacological stress agent. METHODS AND RESULTS: Forty-eight patients were randomized to adenosine or dipyridamole cardiac...... stress (82)RB-PET. Respiratory rates and depths were measured by a respiratory gating system in addition to registering actual respiratory rates. Patients undergoing adenosine stress showed a decrease in measured respiratory rate from initial to later scan phase measurements [12.4 (±5.7) vs 5.6 (±4...

  14. Development of fluorine 18 labelled MPPF, radiopharmaceutical tracer for serotoninergic system exploration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Le Bars, D.; Tochon-Danguy, H.

    2002-01-01

    Full text: Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a non-invasive method for exploration, in man and animals, of metabolism with radiopharmaceutical tracers labelled with positron emitters such as carbon 11 and fluorine 18 obtained with a cyclotron. Among the ever increasing number of tracers focussed at the CNS neurotransmission, the discovery of a new family of serotoninergic 5HT 1A antagonists (WAY 100635) has led to the first in vivo imaging of 5HT 1A receptors in man, located in cerebral structures such as cortex and hippocampus. Exploration of serotonine parthway is particulaly interesting in normal or diseased state, as this neurotransmitter is involved in the control of mood, sleep and is probably altered in psychiatric disorders. CERMEP, in collaboration with other PET centres has developped a new 5HT 1A antagonist, MPPF, labelled with fluorine 18. [ 18 F]MPPF has the advantadge of fluorine 18 labelling, with a longer half-life (110 min vs 20 min for carbon 11) and easier radiosynthesis automation. Moreover, MPPF affinity for 5HT 1A is close to serotonin itself, thus enabling displacement of MPPF by endogenous serotonin during pharmacological challenges. Automated radiosynthesis of MPPF is achieved via a classical [ 18 F]F - fluoro for nitro displacement, activated by a catalyst, on a nitro precursor prepared in four steps. A final HPLC purification ensures the production of [ 18 F]MPPF with a high purity and a high specific activity. Ex vivo autoradiographies and PET studies in animals (rat, cat) have shown the excellent specificity of MPPF for the 5HT 1A receptor. Experiments with intracerebral β probe have evidenced the displacement of [ 18 F]MPPF by endogenous serotonin after fenfluramine injection. [ 18 F]MPPF is now used in man for non-invasive PET studies of serotoninergic system. Normal volunteers matched for age and sex have been screened as a database and to compute a mathematical model of the tracer kinetic describing 5HT 1A receptor affinity and

  15. Translation of New Molecular Imaging Approaches to the Clinical Setting : Bridging the Gap to Implementation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Es, Suzanne C; Venema, Clasina M; Glaudemans, Andor W J M; Lub-de Hooge, Marjolijn N; Elias, Sjoerd G; Boellaard, Ronald; Hospers, Geke A P; Schröder, Carolina P; de Vries, Elisabeth G E

    Molecular imaging with PET is a rapidly emerging technique. In breast cancer patients, more than 45 different PET tracers have been or are presently being tested. With a good rationale, after development of the tracer and proven feasibility, it is of interest to evaluate whether there is a potential

  16. Translation of New Molecular Imaging Approaches to the Clinical Setting : Bridging the Gap to Implementation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Es, Suzanne C; Venema, Clasina M; Glaudemans, Andor W J M; Lub-de Hooge, Marjolijn N; Elias, Sjoerd G; Boellaard, Ronald; Hospers, Geke A.P.; Schröder, Carolina P; de Vries, Elisabeth G E

    2016-01-01

    Molecular imaging with PET is a rapidly emerging technique. In breast cancer patients, more than 45 different PET tracers have been or are presently being tested. With a good rationale, after development of the tracer and proven feasibility, it is of interest to evaluate whether there is a potential

  17. Dual tracer functional imaging of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors using 68Ga-DOTA-NOC PET-CT and 18F-FDG PET-CT: competitive or complimentary?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naswa, Niraj; Sharma, Punit; Gupta, Santosh Kumar; Karunanithi, Sellam; Reddy, Rama Mohan; Patnecha, Manish; Lata, Sneh; Kumar, Rakesh; Malhotra, Arun; Bal, Chandrasekhar

    2014-01-01

    This study aimed to compare the diagnostic performance of Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT with F-FDG PET/CT in the patients with gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs). Data of 51 patients with definite histological diagnosis of GEP-NET who underwent both Ga-DOTA-NOC PET-CT and F-FDG PET-CT within a span of 15 days were selected for this retrospective analysis. Sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values were calculated for Ga-DOTA-NOC PET-CT and F-FDG PET-CT, and results were compared both on patientwise and regionwise analysis. Ga-DOTA-NOC PET-CT is superior to F-FDG PET-CT on patientwise analysis (P DOTA-NOC PET-CT is superior to F-FDG PET-CT only for lymph node metastases (P DOTA-NOC PET-CT detected more liver and skeletal lesions compared with F-FDG PET-CT, the difference was not statistically significant. In addition, the results of combined imaging helped in selecting candidates who would undergo the appropriate mode of treatment, whether octreotide therapy or conventional chemotherapy Ga-DOTA-NOC PET-CT seems to be superior to F-FDG PET-CT for imaging GEP-NETs. However, their role seems to be complementary because combination of Ga-DOTA-NOC PET-CT and F-FDG PET-CT in such patients helps demonstrate the total disease burden and segregate them to proper therapeutic groups.

  18. WE-H-207A-06: Hypoxia Quantification in Static PET Images: The Signal in the Noise

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Keller, H; Yeung, I; Milosevic, M; Jaffray, D; Kueng, R; Shek, T; Driscoll, B

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: Quantification of hypoxia from PET images is of considerable clinical interest. In the absence of dynamic PET imaging the hypoxic fraction (HF) of a tumor has to be estimated from voxel values of activity concentration of a radioactive hypoxia tracer. This work is part of an effort to standardize quantification of tumor hypoxic fraction from PET images. Methods: A simple hypoxia imaging model in the tumor was developed. The distribution of the tracer activity was described as the sum of two different probability distributions, one for the normoxic (and necrotic), the other for the hypoxic voxels. The widths of the distributions arise due to variability of the transport, tumor tissue inhomogeneity, tracer binding kinetics, and due to PET image noise. Quantification of HF was performed for various levels of variability using two different methodologies: a) classification thresholds between normoxic and hypoxic voxels based on a non-hypoxic surrogate (muscle), and b) estimation of the (posterior) probability distributions based on maximizing likelihood optimization that does not require a surrogate. Data from the hypoxia imaging model and from 27 cervical cancer patients enrolled in a FAZA PET study were analyzed. Results: In the model, where the true value of HF is known, thresholds usually underestimate the value for large variability. For the patients, a significant uncertainty of the HF values (an average intra-patient range of 17%) was caused by spatial non-uniformity of image noise which is a hallmark of all PET images. Maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) is able to directly optimize for the weights of both distributions, however, may suffer from poor optimization convergence. For some patients, MLE-based HF values showed significant differences to threshold-based HF-values. Conclusion: HF-values depend critically on the magnitude of the different sources of tracer uptake variability. A measure of confidence should also be reported.

  19. WE-H-207A-06: Hypoxia Quantification in Static PET Images: The Signal in the Noise

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Keller, H; Yeung, I; Milosevic, M; Jaffray, D [University of Toronto, Toronto (Canada); Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto (Canada); Kueng, R [Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto (Canada); Inselspital Bern, Bern, Switzerland. (Switzerland); Shek, T; Driscoll, B [Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto (Canada)

    2016-06-15

    Purpose: Quantification of hypoxia from PET images is of considerable clinical interest. In the absence of dynamic PET imaging the hypoxic fraction (HF) of a tumor has to be estimated from voxel values of activity concentration of a radioactive hypoxia tracer. This work is part of an effort to standardize quantification of tumor hypoxic fraction from PET images. Methods: A simple hypoxia imaging model in the tumor was developed. The distribution of the tracer activity was described as the sum of two different probability distributions, one for the normoxic (and necrotic), the other for the hypoxic voxels. The widths of the distributions arise due to variability of the transport, tumor tissue inhomogeneity, tracer binding kinetics, and due to PET image noise. Quantification of HF was performed for various levels of variability using two different methodologies: a) classification thresholds between normoxic and hypoxic voxels based on a non-hypoxic surrogate (muscle), and b) estimation of the (posterior) probability distributions based on maximizing likelihood optimization that does not require a surrogate. Data from the hypoxia imaging model and from 27 cervical cancer patients enrolled in a FAZA PET study were analyzed. Results: In the model, where the true value of HF is known, thresholds usually underestimate the value for large variability. For the patients, a significant uncertainty of the HF values (an average intra-patient range of 17%) was caused by spatial non-uniformity of image noise which is a hallmark of all PET images. Maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) is able to directly optimize for the weights of both distributions, however, may suffer from poor optimization convergence. For some patients, MLE-based HF values showed significant differences to threshold-based HF-values. Conclusion: HF-values depend critically on the magnitude of the different sources of tracer uptake variability. A measure of confidence should also be reported.

  20. 18F-FPYBF-2, a new F-18 labelled amyloid imaging PET tracer: biodistribution and radiation dosimetry assessment of first-in-man 18F-FPYBF-2 PET imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nishii, Ryuichi; Higashi, Tatsuya; Kagawa, Shinya; Okuyama, Chio; Kishibe, Yoshihiko; Takahashi, Masaaki; Okina, Tomoko; Suzuki, Norio; Hasegawa, Hiroshi; Nagahama, Yasuhiro; Ishizu, Koichi; Oishi, Naoya; Kimura, Hiroyuki; Watanabe, Hiroyuki; Ono, Masahiro; Saji, Hideo; Yamauchi, Hiroshi

    2018-05-01

    Recently, a benzofuran derivative for the imaging of β-amyloid plaques, 5-(5-(2-(2-(2- 18 F-fluoroethoxy)ethoxy)ethoxy)benzofuran-2-yl)- N-methylpyridin-2-amine ( 18 F-FPYBF-2) has been validated as a tracer for amyloid imaging and it was found that 18 F-FPYBF-2 PET/CT is a useful and reliable diagnostic tool for the evaluation of AD (Higashi et al. Ann Nucl Med, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12149-018-1236-1 , 2018). The aim of this study was to assess the biodistribution and radiation dosimetry of diagnostic dosages of 18 F-FPYBF-2 in normal healthy volunteers as a first-in-man study. Four normal healthy volunteers (male: 3, female: 1; mean age: 40 ± 17; age range 25-56) were included and underwent 18 F-FPYBF-2 PET/CT study for the evaluation of radiation exposure and pharmacokinetics. A 10-min dynamic PET/CT scan of the body (chest and abdomen) was performed at 0-10 min and a 15-min whole-body static scan was performed six times after the injection of 18 F-FPYBF-2. After reconstructing PET and CT image data, individual organ time-activity curves were estimated by fitting volume of interest data from the dynamic scan and whole-body scans. The OLINDA/EXM version 2.0 software was used to determine the whole-body effective doses. Dynamic PET imaging demonstrated that the hepatobiliary and renal systems were the principal pathways of clearance of 18 F-FPYBF-2. High uptake in the liver and the gall bladder, the stomach, and the kidneys were demonstrated, followed by the intestines and the urinary bladder. The ED for the adult dosimetric model was estimated to be 8.48 ± 1.25 µSv/MBq. The higher absorbed doses were estimated for the liver (28.98 ± 12.49 and 36.21 ± 15.64 µGy/MBq), the brain (20.93 ± 4.56 and 23.05 ± 5.03µ Gy/MBq), the osteogenic cells (9.67 ± 1.67 and 10.29 ± 1.70 µGy/MBq), the small intestines (9.12 ± 2.61 and 11.12 ± 3.15 µGy/MBq), and the kidneys (7.81 ± 2.62 and 8.71 ± 2.90 µGy/MBq) for

  1. Facile Fabrication of Animal-Specific Positioning Molds For Multi-modality Molecular Imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Jeong Chan; Oh, Ji Eun; Woo, Seung Tae

    2008-01-01

    Recently multi-modal imaging system has become widely adopted in molecular imaging. We tried to fabricate animal-specific positioning molds for PET/MR fusion imaging using easily available molding clay and rapid foam. The animal-specific positioning molds provide immobilization and reproducible positioning of small animal. Herein, we have compared fiber-based molding clay with rapid foam in fabricating the molds of experimental animal. The round bottomed-acrylic frame, which fitted into microPET gantry, was prepared at first. The experimental mice was anesthetized and placed on the mold for positioning. Rapid foam and fiber-based clay were used to fabricate the mold. In case of both rapid foam and the clay, the experimental animal needs to be pushed down smoothly into the mold for positioning. However, after the mouse was removed, the fabricated clay needed to be dried completely at 60 .deg. C in oven overnight for hardening. Four sealed pipe tips containing [ 18 F]FDG solution were used as fiduciary markers. After injection of [ 18 F]FDG via tail vein, microPET scanning was performed. Successively, MRI scanning was followed in the same animal. Animal-specific positioning molds were fabricated using rapid foam and fiber-based molding clay for multimodality imaging. Functional and anatomical images were obtained with microPET and MRI, respectively. The fused PET/MR images were obtained using freely available AMIDE program. Animal-specific molds were successfully prepared using easily available rapid foam, molding clay and disposable pipet tips. Thanks to animal-specific molds, fusion images of PET and MR were co-registered with negligible misalignment

  2. Cardiac sympathetic neuronal imaging using PET

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lautamaeki, Riikka; Tipre, Dnyanesh; Bengel, Frank M.

    2007-01-01

    Balance of the autonomic nervous system is essential for adequate cardiac performance, and alterations seem to play a key role in the development and progression of various cardiac diseases. PET imaging of the cardiac autonomic nervous system has advanced extensively in recent years, and multiple pre- and postsynaptic tracers have been introduced. The high spatial and temporal resolution of PET enables noninvasive quantification of neurophysiologic processes at the tissue level. Ligands for catecholamine receptors, along with radiolabeled catecholamines and catecholamine analogs, have been applied to determine involvement of sympathetic dysinnervation at different stages of heart diseases such as ischemia, heart failure, and arrhythmia. This review summarizes the recent findings in neurocardiological PET imaging. Experimental studies with several radioligands and clinical findings in cardiac dysautonomias are discussed. (orig.)

  3. One-Step 18F-Labeling of Estradiol Derivative for PET Imaging of Breast Cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hongbo Huang

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Positron emission tomography (PET imaging is a useful method to evaluate in situ estrogen receptor (ER status for the early diagnosis of breast cancer and optimization of the appropriate treatment strategy. The 18F-labeled estradiol derivative has been successfully used to clinically assess the ER level of breast cancer. In order to simplify the radiosynthesis process, one-step 18F-19F isotope exchange reaction was employed for the 18F-fluorination of the tracer of [18F]AmBF3-TEG-ES. The radiotracer was obtained with the radiochemical yield (RCY of ~61% and the radiochemical purity (RCP of >98% within 40 min. Cell uptake and blocking assays indicated that the tracer could selectively accumulate in the ER-positive human breast cancer cell lines MCF-7 and T47D. In vivo PET imaging on the MCF-7 tumor-bearing mice showed relatively high tumor uptake (1.4~2.3 %D/g and tumor/muscle uptake ratio (4~6. These results indicated that the tracer is a promising PET imaging agent for ER-positive breast cancers.

  4. Structure of rapidity divergences in multi-parton scattering soft factors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vladimirov, Alexey

    2018-04-01

    We discuss the structure of rapidity divergences that are presented in the soft factors of transverse momentum dependent (TMD) factorization theorems. To provide the discussion on the most general level we consider soft factors for multi-parton scattering. We show that the rapidity divergences are result of the gluon exchanges with the distant transverse plane, and are structurally equivalent to the ultraviolet divergences. It allows to formulate and to prove the renormalization theorem for rapidity divergences. The proof is made with the help the conformal transformation which maps rapidity divergences to ultraviolet divergences. The theorem is the systematic form of the factorization of rapidity divergences, which is required for the definition of TMD parton distributions. In particular, the definition of multi parton distributions is presented. The equivalence of ultraviolet and rapidity divergences leads to the exact relation between soft and rapidity anomalous dimensions. Using this relation we derive the rapidity anomalous dimension at the three-loop order.

  5. Preparation, quality control and biodistribution of [61Cu]-doxorubicin for PET imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jalilian, A.R.; Akhlaghi, M.; Zandi, H.; Yousefnia, H.; Faghihi, R.

    2009-01-01

    This work was conducted for radiolabeling of an anticancer antibiotic, i.e. doxorubicin with 61 Cu for production of possible tracer used in PET oncology. 61 Cu was prepared with natural zinc target and 22 MeV 150 μA protons via nat Zn(p, xn) 61 Cu reaction with a yield of 123.2 MBq·μA -1 ·h -1 . Optimization reactions were performed for pH, temperature and concentration. Biodistribution of the tracer was studied in normal and fibrosarcoma bearing mice. At the optimized conditions, ITLC showed that radiochemical purity was over 97% with a specific activity of 2.22 X 10 3 MBq·mmol -1 ·L -1 . This was kept unchanged even with presence of human serum as well as room temperature for 5 h. Biodistribution of the tracer in fibrosarcoma bearing mice demonstrated significant tumor uptake after 2 h. This tracer can be used in the detection of various tumors responding to doxorubicin chemotherapy using PET scan and/or determination of tumor therapy response to doxorubicin chemotherapy. (authors)

  6. Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Imaging of Opioid Receptors

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Waarde, Aren; Absalom, Anthony; Visser, Anniek; Dierckx, Rudi; Dierckx, Rudi AJO; Otte, Andreas; De Vries, Erik FJ; Van Waarde, Aren; Luiten, Paul GM

    2014-01-01

    The opioid system consists of opioid receptors (which mediate the actions of opium), their endogenous ligands (the enkephalins, endorphins, endomorphins, dynorphin, and nociceptin), and the proteins involved in opioid production, transport, and degradation. PET tracers for the various opioid

  7. PET/MR in oncology: an introduction with focus on MR and future perspectives for hybrid imaging

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balyasnikova, Svetlana; Löfgren, Johan; de Nijs, Robin; Zamogilnaya, Yanna; Højgaard, Liselotte; Fischer, Barbara M

    2012-01-01

    After more than 20 years of research, a fully integrated PET/MR scanner was launched in 2010 enabling simultaneous acquisition of PET and MR imaging. Currently, no clinical indication for combined PET/MR has been established, however the expectations are high. In this paper we will discuss some of the challenges inherent in this new technology, but focus on potential applications for simultaneous PET/MR in the field of oncology. Methods and tracers for use with the PET technology will be familiar to most readers of this journal; thus this paper aims to provide a short and basic introduction to a number of different MRI techniques, such as DWI-MR (diffusion weighted imaging MR), DCE-MR (dynamic contrast enhanced MR), MRS (MR spectroscopy) and MR for attenuation correction of PET. All MR techniques presented in this paper have shown promising results in the treatment of patients with solid tumors and could be applied together with PET increasing the amount of information about the tissues of interest. The potential clinical benefit of applying PET/MR in staging, radiotherapy planning and treatment evaluation in oncology, as well as the research perspectives for the use of PET/MR in the development of new tracers and drugs will be discussed. PMID:23145362

  8. PET/CT in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma using [{sup 18}F]fluorocholine: preliminary comparison with [{sup 18}F]FDG PET/CT

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Talbot, Jean-Noel; Gutman, Fabrice; Kerrou, Khaldoun; Grahek, Dany; Montravers, Francoise [Hopital Tenon, AP-HP, et Universite Pierre et Marie Curie, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Paris (France); Fartoux, Laetitia; Poupon, Raoul; Rosmorduc, Olivier [Hopital Saint-Antoine, AP-HP, et Universite Pierre et Marie Curie, Department of Hepatology, Paris (France); Grange, Jean-Didier [Hopital Tenon, AP-HP, et Universite Pierre et Marie Curie, Department of Hepatology, Paris (France); Ganne, Nathalie [Hopital Jean Verdier, AP-HP, Department of Hepatology, Bondy (France)

    2006-11-15

    The diagnostic accuracy of [{sup 18}F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET is insufficient to characterise hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in liver masses and to diagnose all cases of recurrent HCC. HCC has been reported to take up [{sup 11}C]acetate, but routine use of this tracer is difficult. Choline is another tracer of lipid metabolism, present in large amounts in HCC. In a proof-of-concept study, we evaluated [{sup 18}F]fluorocholine (FCH) uptake by HCC and compared FCH PET/CT with FDG PET/CT. Twelve patients with newly diagnosed (n=8) or recurrent HCC (n=4) were prospectively enrolled. HCC was assessed by histology in eight cases and by American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) criteria in four cases. All patients underwent whole-body PET/CT 10 min after injection of 4 MBq/kg FCH. Within 1 week, 9 of the 12 patients also underwent whole-body FDG PET/CT 1 h after injection of 5 MBq/kg FDG. The per-patient analysis showed a detection rate of 12/12 using FCH PET/CT for both newly diagnosed and recurrent HCC. The median signal to noise ratio was 1.5{+-}0.38. There was a trend towards a higher FCH SUV{sub max} in well-differentiated HCC (15.6{+-}7.9 vs 11.9{+-}0.9, NS). Of the nine patients who underwent FCH and FDG PET/CT, all nine were positive with FCH whereas only five were positive with FDG. FCH provides a high detection rate for HCC, making it potentially useful in the initial evaluation of HCC or in the detection of recurrent disease. The favourable result of this proof-of-concept study opens the way to a phase III prospective study. (orig.)

  9. Cost effectiveness of FDG-PET: rapid evaluation in recurrent colorectal cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kelley, B.B.; Miles, K.A.; Keith, C.J.; Wong, D.C.; Griffiths, M.R.

    2002-01-01

    Full text: Intensive patient follow-up in assessments of the cost-effectiveness of a new imaging modality is associated with time-delays, ethical difficulties and increased costs. This study aims to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of FDG-PET in recurrent colorectal cancer using Australian data whilst avoiding intensive patient follow-up. The study population comprised patients with recurrent colorectal under consideration for resection of apparently isolated hepatic metastasis in whom demonstration of extra-hepatic tumour would preclude surgery. The results of FDG-PET in a consecutive series of 75 such patients referred to the Wesley PET centre were used to determine the range of possible values for disease prevalence and specificity, assuming the value for PET sensitivity as reported in the federal government's PET review. These values, along with the diagnostic accuracy of CT and Australian costs for procedures (PET = $ 1200), were entered into decision trees modelling a diagnostic strategy comprising CT only and an alternative strategy where patients without extra-hepatic tumour on CT also undergo FDG-PET. The cost per patient, accuracy and Incremental Cost-Accuracy Ratio (ICAR) were determined for each strategy. The PET strategy is cheaper for all possible values of disease prevalence and PET specificity ($306-328/patient) and is more cost-effective for values of disease prevalence above 0.18 or PET specificity above 0.86. At a typical disease prevalence of 0.3 (PET specificity 0.92), the ICAR for the PET strategy is $9700 versus $11,200 for CT. PET remains cost saving even if the best reported values for sensitivity of CT and worse values for PET are used, FDG-PET for recurrent colorectal cancer in Australia would be cost-saving and most probably cost-effective. Copyright (2002) The Australian and New Zealand Society of Nuclear Medicine Inc

  10. Quantitative analysis of coronary endothelial function with generator-produced {sup 82}Rb PET: comparison with {sup 15}O-labelled water PET

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yoshinaga, Keiichiro [Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Department of Photobiology, Division of Molecular/Cellular Imaging, Kita-Ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido (Japan); Manabe, Osamu; Tamaki, Nagara [Hokkaido University of Graduate School of Medicine, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Sapporo (Japan); Katoh, Chietsugu [Hokkaido University of Graduate School of Medicine, Department of Health Sciences, Sapporo (Japan); Chen, Li; Kemp, Robert A. de; Williams, Kathryn; Beanlands, Rob S.B. [University of Ottawa Heart Institute, National Cardiac PET Centre, Division of Cardiology, Ottawa, Ontario (Canada); Klein, Ran [Hokkaido University of Graduate School of Medicine, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Sapporo (Japan); University of Ottawa Heart Institute, National Cardiac PET Centre, Division of Cardiology, Ottawa, Ontario (Canada); Naya, Masanao [Hokkaido University of Graduate School of Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Sapporo (Japan)

    2010-12-15

    Endothelial dysfunction is the earliest abnormality in the development of coronary atherosclerosis. {sup 82}Rb is a generator-produced positron emission tomography (PET) myocardial perfusion tracer that is becoming more widely used. We aimed to (1) develop a method for quantitative assessment of coronary endothelial function using the myocardial blood flow (MBF) response during a cold pressor test (CPT) in smokers, measured using {sup 82}Rb PET, and (2) compare the results with those measured using {sup 15}O-water PET. MBF was assessed at rest and during the CPT with {sup 82}Rb and {sup 15}O-water in nine controls and ten smokers. A one-compartment model with tracer extraction correction was used to estimate MBF with both tracers. CPT response was calculated as the ratio of MBF during the CPT to MBF at rest. At rest, measurements of MBF for smokers vs controls were not different using {sup 15}O-water (0.86 {+-} 0.18 vs 0.70 {+-} 0.13, p = 0.426) than they were using {sup 82}Rb (0.83 {+-} 0.23 vs 0.62 {+-} 0.20, p = 0.051). Both methods showed a reduced CPT response in smokers vs controls ({sup 15}O-water, 1.03 {+-} 0.21 vs 1.42 {+-} 0.29, p = 0.006; {sup 82}Rb, 1.02 {+-} 0.28 vs 1.70 {+-} 0.52, p < 0.001). There was high reliability [intraclass correlation coefficients: 0.48 (0.07, 0.75)] of MBF measurement between {sup 82}Rb and {sup 15}O-water during the CPT. Using a CPT, {sup 82}Rb MBF measurements detected coronary endothelial dysfunctions in smokers. {sup 82}Rb MBF measurements were comparable to those made using the {sup 15}O-water approach. Thus, {sup 82}Rb PET may be applicable for risk assessments or evaluation of risk factor modification in subjects with coronary risk factors. (orig.)

  11. Multi-tracer investigation of river and groundwater interactions: a case study in Nalenggele River basin, northwest China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Wei; Su, Xiaosi; Dai, Zhenxue; Yang, Fengtian; Zhu, Pucheng; Huang, Yong

    2017-11-01

    Environmental tracers (such as major ions, stable and radiogenic isotopes, and heat) monitored in natural waters provide valuable information for understanding the processes of river-groundwater interactions in arid areas. An integrated framework is presented for interpreting multi-tracer data (major ions, stable isotopes (2H, 18O), the radioactive isotope 222Rn, and heat) for delineating the river-groundwater interactions in Nalenggele River basin, northwest China. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were undertaken to estimate the bidirectional water exchange associated with small-scale interactions between groundwater and surface water. Along the river stretch, groundwater and river water exchange readily. From the high mountain zone to the alluvial fan, groundwater discharge to the river is detected by tracer methods and end-member mixing models, but the river has also been identified as a losing river using discharge measurements, i.e. discharge is bidirectional. On the delta-front of the alluvial fan and in the alluvial plain, in the downstream area, the characteristics of total dissolved solids values, 222Rn concentrations and δ18O values in the surface water, and patterns derived from a heat-tracing method, indicate that groundwater discharges into the river. With the environmental tracers, the processes of river-groundwater interaction have been identified in detail for better understanding of overall hydrogeological processes and of the impacts on water allocation policies.

  12. Translation of New Molecular Imaging Approaches to the Clinical Setting: Bridging the Gap to Implementation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Es, Suzanne C; Venema, Clasina M; Glaudemans, Andor W J M; Lub-de Hooge, Marjolijn N; Elias, Sjoerd G; Boellaard, Ronald; Hospers, Geke A P; Schröder, Carolina P; de Vries, Elisabeth G E

    2016-02-01

    Molecular imaging with PET is a rapidly emerging technique. In breast cancer patients, more than 45 different PET tracers have been or are presently being tested. With a good rationale, after development of the tracer and proven feasibility, it is of interest to evaluate whether there is a potential meaningful role for the tracer in the clinical setting-such as in staging, in the (early) prediction of a treatment response, or in supporting drug choices. So far, only (18)F-FDG PET has been incorporated into breast cancer guidelines. For proof of the clinical relevance of tracers, especially for analysis in a multicenter setting, standardization of the technology and access to the novel PET tracer are required. However, resources for PET implementation research are limited. Therefore, next to randomized studies, novel approaches are required for proving the clinical value of PET tracers with the smallest possible number of patients. The aim of this review is to describe the process of the development of PET tracers and the level of evidence needed for the use of these tracers in breast cancer. Several breast cancer trials have been performed with the PET tracers (18)F-FDG, 3'-deoxy-3'-(18)F-fluorothymidine ((18)F-FLT), and (18)F-fluoroestradiol ((18)F-FES). We studied them to learn lessons for the implementation of novel tracers. After defining the gap between a good rationale for a tracer and implementation in the clinical setting, we propose solutions to fill the gap to try to bring more PET tracers to daily clinical practice. © 2016 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Inc.

  13. A microvascular compartment model validated using 11C-methylglucose liver PET in pigs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Munk, Ole L.; Keiding, Susanne; Baker, Charles; Bass, Ludvik

    2018-01-01

    The standard compartment model (CM) is widely used to analyse dynamic PET data. The CM is fitted to time-activity curves to estimate rate constants that describe the transport of a tracer between well-mixed compartments. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a more realistic microvascular compartment model (MCM) that includes capillary tracer concentration gradients, backflux from cells into the perfused capillaries and multiple re-uptakes during the passage through a capillary. The MCM incorporates only parameters with clear physiological meaning, it is easy to implement, and it does not require numerical solution. We compared the MCM and CM for the analysis of 3 min dynamic PET data of pig livers (N  =  5) following injection of 11C-methylglucose. During PET scans, the tracer concentrations in blood were measured in the abdominal aorta, portal vein and liver vein by manual sampling. We found that the MCM outperformed the CM and that dynamic PET data include information which cannot be extracted using standard CM. The MCM fitted dynamic PET data better than the CM (Akaike values were 46  ±  4 for best MCM fits, and 82  ±  8 for best CM fits; mean  ±  standard deviation) and extracted physiologically reasonable parameter estimates such as blood perfusion that were in agreement with independent measurements. The difference between model-independent perfusion estimates and the best MCM perfusion estimates was  -0.01  ±  0.05 ml/ml/min, whereas the difference was 0.30  ±  0.13 ml/ml/min using the CM. In addition, the MCM predicted the time course of concentrations in the liver vein, a prediction fundamentally unobtainable using the CM as it does not return tracer backflux from cells to capillary blood. The results demonstrate the benefit of using models that include more physiology and that models including concentration gradients should be preferred when analysing the blood-cell exchange of

  14. Spatial resolution recovery utilizing multi-ray tracing and graphic processing unit in PET image reconstruction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liang, Yicheng; Peng, Hao

    2015-01-01

    Depth-of-interaction (DOI) poses a major challenge for a PET system to achieve uniform spatial resolution across the field-of-view, particularly for small animal and organ-dedicated PET systems. In this work, we implemented an analytical method to model system matrix for resolution recovery, which was then incorporated in PET image reconstruction on a graphical processing unit platform, due to its parallel processing capacity. The method utilizes the concepts of virtual DOI layers and multi-ray tracing to calculate the coincidence detection response function for a given line-of-response. The accuracy of the proposed method was validated for a small-bore PET insert to be used for simultaneous PET/MR breast imaging. In addition, the performance comparisons were studied among the following three cases: 1) no physical DOI and no resolution modeling; 2) two physical DOI layers and no resolution modeling; and 3) no physical DOI design but with a different number of virtual DOI layers. The image quality was quantitatively evaluated in terms of spatial resolution (full-width-half-maximum and position offset), contrast recovery coefficient and noise. The results indicate that the proposed method has the potential to be used as an alternative to other physical DOI designs and achieve comparable imaging performances, while reducing detector/system design cost and complexity. (paper)

  15. Current status and prospects of cardiac PET

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yoshida, Katuya

    1999-01-01

    With positron emission tomography (PET), noninvasive measurements of myocardial blood flow and metabolism have now become possible. 1) Myocardial blood flow: We developed a high-resolution PET system for rabbits and showed that myocardial N-13 ammonnia uptake correlated well with flow measure with microspheres. We also demonstrated that a simplified PET protocol using N-13 ammonia or Rb-82 provide noninvasive measurement of coronary flow reserve in dog experiments. This protocol enables to produce estimates of myocardial blood flow in man and that are well correlated with the complex compartment model. 2) Myocardial glucose metabolism: We validated experimentally a simple method to quantify tissue glucose utilization with the brain reference index (BRI) using C-14 deoxyglucose and assessed its clinical feasibility for myocardial PET. 3) Membrane integrity: Loss of cell membrane integrity for trapping the potassium or it's analog is a market of myocardial necrosis/viability. We recently synthetized potassium-38 as a PET tracer and started an experimental study. (author)

  16. Somatostatin receptor PET in neuroendocrine tumours: 68Ga-DOTA0,Tyr3-octreotide versus 68Ga-DOTA0-lanreotide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Putzer, Daniel; Kroiss, Alexander; Waitz, Dietmar; Gabriel, Michael; Uprimny, Christian; Guggenberg, Elisabeth von; Decristoforo, Clemens; Warwitz, Boris; Virgolini, Irene Johanna; Traub-Weidinger, Tatjana; Widmann, Gerlig

    2013-01-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of 68 Ga-labelled DOTA 0 -lanreotide ( 68 Ga-DOTA-LAN) on the diagnostic assessment of neuroendocrine tumour (NET) patients with low to moderate uptake on planar somatostatin receptor (SSTR) scintigraphy or 68 Ga-labelled DOTA 0 ,Tyr 3 -octreotide ( 68 Ga-DOTA-TOC) positron emission tomography (PET). Fifty-three patients with histologically confirmed NET and clinical signs of progressive disease, who had not qualified for peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) on planar SSTR scintigraphy or 68 Ga-DOTA-TOC PET (n = 38) due to lack of tracer uptake, underwent 68 Ga-DOTA-LAN PET to evaluate a treatment option with 90 Y-labelled lanreotide according to the MAURITIUS trial. The included patients received 150 ± 30 MBq of each radiopharmaceutical intravenously. PET scans were acquired 60-90 min after intravenous bolus injection. Image results from both PET scans were compared head to head, focusing on the intensity of tracer uptake in terms of treatment decision. CT was used for morphologic correlation of tumour lesions. To further evaluate the binding affinities of each tracer, quantitative and qualitative values were calculated for target lesions. 68 Ga-DOTA-LAN and 68 Ga-DOTA-TOC both showed equivalent findings in 24/38 patients when fused PET/CT images were interpreted. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of 68 Ga-DOTA-LAN in comparison to CT were 0.63, 0.5 and 0.62 (n = 53; p 68 Ga-DOTA-TOC in comparison to CT 0.78, 0.5 and 0.76 (n = 38; p 68 Ga-DOTA-TOC showed a significantly higher maximum standardized uptake value (SUV max ) regarding the primary tumour in 25 patients (p 68 Ga-DOTA-LAN. Corresponding values of both PET scans for tumour and liver did not show any significant correlation. 68 Ga-DOTA-TOC revealed more tumour sites than 68 Ga-DOTA-LAN (106 vs 53). The tumour to background ratios for tumour and liver calculated from SUV max measurements were significantly higher for 68 Ga-DOTA-TOC than 68 Ga

  17. Approaches using molecular imaging technology - use of PET in clinical microdose studies§

    OpenAIRE

    Wagner, Claudia C.; Langer, Oliver

    2011-01-01

    Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging uses minute amounts of radiolabeled drug tracers and thereby meets the criteria for clinical microdose studies. The advantage of PET, when compared to other analytical methods used in microdose studies, is that the pharmacokinetics (PK) of a drug can be determined in the tissue targeted for drug treatment. PET microdosing already offers interesting applications in clinical oncology and in the development of central nervous system pharmaceuticals and ...

  18. Initial tests of a prototype MRI-compatible PET imager

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Raylman, Raymond R. [Center for Advanced Imaging, Department of Radiology, West Virginia University, HSB Box 9236, Morgantown, WV (United States)]. E-mail: rraylman@wvu.edu; Majewski, Stan [Detector Group, Physics Division, Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, Newport News, VA (United States); Lemieux, Susan [Center for Advanced Imaging, Department of Radiology, West Virginia University, HSB Box 9236, Morgantown, WV (United States); Velan, S. Sendhil [Center for Advanced Imaging, Department of Radiology, West Virginia University, HSB Box 9236, Morgantown, WV (United States); Kross, Brain [Detector Group, Physics Division, Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, Newport News, VA (United States); Popov, Vladimir [Detector Group, Physics Division, Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, Newport News, VA (United States); Smith, Mark F. [Detector Group, Physics Division, Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, Newport News, VA (United States); Weisenberger, Andrew G. [Detector Group, Physics Division, Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, Newport News, VA (United States); Wojcik, Randy [Detector Group, Physics Division, Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, Newport News, VA (United States)

    2006-12-20

    Multi-modality imaging is rapidly becoming a valuable tool in the diagnosis of disease and in the development of new drugs. Functional images produced with PET fused with anatomical structure images created by MRI, will allow the correlation of form with function. Our group (a collaboration of West Virginia University and Jefferson Lab) is developing a system to acquire MRI and PET images contemporaneously. The prototype device consists of two opposed detector heads, operating in coincidence mode with an active FOV of 5x5x4 cm{sup 3}. Each MRI-PET detector module consists of an array of LSO detector elements (2.5x2.5x15 mm{sup 3}) coupled through a long fiber optic light guide to a single Hamamatsu flat panel PSPMT. The fiber optic light guide is made of a glued assembly of 2 mm diameter acrylic fibers with a total length of 2.5 m. The use of a light guides allows the PSPMTs to be positioned outside the bore of the 3 T General Electric MRI scanner used in the tests. Photon attenuation in the light guides resulted in an energy resolution of {approx}60% FWHM, interaction of the magnetic field with PSPMT further reduced energy resolution to {approx}85% FWHM. Despite this effect, excellent multi-plane PET and MRI images of a simple disk phantom were acquired simultaneously. Future work includes improved light guides, optimized magnetic shielding for the PSPMTs, construction of specialized coils to permit high-resolution MRI imaging, and use of the system to perform simultaneous PET and MRI or MR-spectroscopy.

  19. Use of PET and PET/CT for Radiation Therapy Planning: IAEA expert report 2006-2007

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    MacManus, Michael; Nestle, Ursula; Rosenzweig, Kenneth E.; Carrio, Ignasi; Messa, Cristina; Belohlavek, Otakar; Danna, Massimo; Inoue, Tomio; Deniaud-Alexandre, Elizabeth; Schipani, Stefano; Watanabe, Naoyuki; Dondi, Maurizio; Jeremic, Branislav

    2009-01-01

    Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a significant advance in cancer imaging with great potential for optimizing radiation therapy (RT) treatment planning and thereby improving outcomes for patients. The use of PET and PET/CT in RT planning was reviewed by an international panel. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) organized two synchronized and overlapping consultants' meetings with experts from different regions of the world in Vienna in July 2006. Nine experts and three IAEA staff evaluated the available data on the use of PET in RT planning, and considered practical methods for integrating it into routine practice. For RT planning, 18 F fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) was the most valuable pharmaceutical. Numerous studies supported the routine use of FDG-PET for RT target volume determination in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). There was also evidence for utility of PET in head and neck cancers, lymphoma and in esophageal cancers, with promising preliminary data in many other cancers. The best available approach employs integrated PET/CT images, acquired on a dual scanner in the radiotherapy treatment position after administration of tracer according to a standardized protocol, with careful optimization of images within the RT planning system and carefully considered rules for contouring tumor volumes. PET scans that are not recent or were acquired without proper patient positioning should be repeated for RT planning. PET will play an increasing valuable role in RT planning for a wide range of cancers. When requesting PET scans, physicians should be aware of their potential role in RT planning.

  20. New developments in PET detector technology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Niu Lingxin; Zhao Shujun; Zhang Bin; Liu Haojia

    2010-01-01

    The researches on PET detector are always active and innovative area. The research direction of PET detector includes improving performances of scintillator-based detectors, investigating new detectors suitable for multi-modality imaging (e.g. PET/CT and PET/MRI), meeting requirements of TOF and DOI technologies and boosting the development of the technologies. In this paper, new developments in PET detector technology about scintillation crystal, photodetector and semiconductor detector is introduced. (authors)

  1. Development of 68Ga ethyl cysteinate dimer for PET studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alireza Mirzaei; Jalilian, A.R.; Gholamali Shabani; Ashraf Fakhari; Mehdi Akhlaghi; Davood Beiki

    2016-01-01

    In this work development of 68 Ga-ethyl cysteinate dimer ( 68 Ga-ECD) a 68 Ga tracer for possible cerebral blood flow based on 99m Tc ECD homolog is reported. 68 Ga-ECD was prepared using generator-based 68 GaCl 3 and ECD at optimized conditions. Quality control, stability, partition co-efficient and the biodistribution of the tracer (by tissue counting and PET/CT in rats) was studied. Significant metabolism of the lipophilic tracer into water soluble metabolite(s) led to urinary excretion of the tracer, un-comparable to that of homologous 99m Tc-compound. Cardiac uptake of the complex suggests formation of a possible lipophil cationic complex and/or metabolite. (author)

  2. PET-CT and PET-MRI of the prostate. From {sup 18}F-FDG to {sup 68}Ga-PSMA; PET-CT/-MRT der Prostata. Von {sup 18}F-FDG zu {sup 68}Ga-PSMA

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Knorr, K.; Eiber, M.; Scheidhauer, K. [Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Nuklearmedizinische Klinik und Poliklinik, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Muenchen (Germany); Maurer, T. [Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Urologische Klinik und Poliklinik, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Muenchen (Germany); Wester, H.J. [Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Pharmazeutische Radiochemie, Garching (Germany)

    2017-08-15

    In the last few years nuclear medical diagnostics have experienced a unprecedented renaissance in the diagnostics of prostate cancer, due to the availability of hybrid imaging with positron emission tomography computed tomography (PET/CT), PET magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) CT as well as the development of prostate-specific radiopharmaceuticals. The use of fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG), which has been successfully implemented for many years in PET diagnostics, is only helpful in dedifferentiated tumors due to the biological characteristics of prostate cancer. New specific radiopharmaceuticals, such as choline-derivatives, which are incorporated into the prostate cancer cell and built into the cell membrane as well as the recently developed highly specific ligands for prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) are revolutionizing prostate cancer imaging and (re-) staging. The {sup 68} Ga-labeled PSMA ligands for PET-CT and PET-MRI are highly specific tracers for primary diagnostics and detection of metastases of prostate carcinoma. In risk patients, which includes patients with intermediate and high-risk tumors, they have largely replaced choline-based PET-CT, especially in the case of very low PSA values <0.5 ng/ml in the diagnostics of recurrence. The use in the primary diagnostics as PET-MRI, also in combination with multiparametric MRI (mpMRI), is promising with respect to early diagnostics and image fusion-assisted biopsy as well as surgery and irradiation planning. (orig.) [German] Die nuklearmedizinische Diagnostik hat in den letzten Jahren bei der Bildgebung des Prostatakarzinoms eine rasante Entwicklung erlebt, sowohl aufgrund der verfuegbaren Hybridbildgebung mit der Positronenemissionstomographie(PET)-CT, PET-MRT sowie der Single-photon-emission-computed-tomography(SPECT)-CT als auch durch die Entwicklung prostataspezifischer Radiopharmaka. Die in der PET-Diagnostik seit Jahren erfolgreich eingesetzte

  3. TH-E-202-02: The Use of Hypoxia PET Imaging for Radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Humm, J.

    2016-01-01

    PET/CT is a very important imaging tool in the management of oncology patients. PET/CT has been applied for treatment planning and response evaluation in radiation therapy. This educational session will discuss: Pitfalls and remedies in PET/CT imaging for RT planning The use of hypoxia PET imaging for radiotherapy PET for tumor response evaluation The first presentation will address the issue of mis-registration between the CT and PET images in the thorax and the abdomen. We will discuss the challenges of respiratory gating and introduce an average CT technique to improve the registration for dose calculation and image-guidance in radiation therapy. The second presentation will discuss the use of hypoxia PET Imaging for radiation therapy. We will discuss various hypoxia radiotracers, the choice of clinical acquisition protocol (in particular a single late static acquisition versus a dynamic acquisition), and the compartmental modeling with different transfer rate constants explained. We will demonstrate applications of hypoxia imaging for dose escalation/de-escalation in clinical trials. The last presentation will discuss the use of PET/CT for tumor response evaluation. We will discuss anatomic response assessment vs. metabolic response assessment, visual evaluation and semi-quantitative evaluation, and limitations of current PET/CT assessment. We will summarize clinical trials using PET response in guiding adaptive radiotherapy. Finally, we will summarize recent advancements in PET/CT radiomics and non-FDG PET tracers for response assessment. Learning Objectives: Identify the causes of mis-registration of CT and PET images in PET/CT, and review the strategies to remedy the issue. Understand the basics of PET imaging of tumor hypoxia (radiotracers, how PET measures the hypoxia selective uptake, imaging protocols, applications in chemo-radiation therapy). Understand the basics of dynamic PET imaging, compartmental modeling and parametric images. Understand the

  4. TH-E-202-02: The Use of Hypoxia PET Imaging for Radiotherapy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Humm, J. [Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (United States)

    2016-06-15

    PET/CT is a very important imaging tool in the management of oncology patients. PET/CT has been applied for treatment planning and response evaluation in radiation therapy. This educational session will discuss: Pitfalls and remedies in PET/CT imaging for RT planning The use of hypoxia PET imaging for radiotherapy PET for tumor response evaluation The first presentation will address the issue of mis-registration between the CT and PET images in the thorax and the abdomen. We will discuss the challenges of respiratory gating and introduce an average CT technique to improve the registration for dose calculation and image-guidance in radiation therapy. The second presentation will discuss the use of hypoxia PET Imaging for radiation therapy. We will discuss various hypoxia radiotracers, the choice of clinical acquisition protocol (in particular a single late static acquisition versus a dynamic acquisition), and the compartmental modeling with different transfer rate constants explained. We will demonstrate applications of hypoxia imaging for dose escalation/de-escalation in clinical trials. The last presentation will discuss the use of PET/CT for tumor response evaluation. We will discuss anatomic response assessment vs. metabolic response assessment, visual evaluation and semi-quantitative evaluation, and limitations of current PET/CT assessment. We will summarize clinical trials using PET response in guiding adaptive radiotherapy. Finally, we will summarize recent advancements in PET/CT radiomics and non-FDG PET tracers for response assessment. Learning Objectives: Identify the causes of mis-registration of CT and PET images in PET/CT, and review the strategies to remedy the issue. Understand the basics of PET imaging of tumor hypoxia (radiotracers, how PET measures the hypoxia selective uptake, imaging protocols, applications in chemo-radiation therapy). Understand the basics of dynamic PET imaging, compartmental modeling and parametric images. Understand the

  5. Pharmacokinetic Analysis of 64Cu-ATSM Dynamic PET in Human Xenograft Tumors in Mice

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Li, Fan; Jørgensen, Jesper Tranekjær; Madsen, Jacob

    2015-01-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility to perform voxel-wise kinetic modeling on datasets obtained from tumor-bearing mice that underwent dynamic PET scans with 64Cu-ATSM and extract useful physiological parameters.METHODS: Tumor-bearing mice underwent 90-min dynamic PET scans...... relevant parameters from voxel-wise pharmacokinetic analysis to be used for preclinical validation of 64Cu-ATSM as a hypoxia-specific PET tracer....

  6. Automatic extraction of forward stroke volume using dynamic PET/CT

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Harms, Hans; Tolbod, Lars Poulsen; Hansson, Nils Henrik Stubkjær

    2015-01-01

    Background The aim of this study was to develop and validate an automated method for extracting forward stroke volume (FSV) using indicator dilution theory directly from dynamic positron emission tomography (PET) studies for two different tracers and scanners. Methods 35 subjects underwent...... a dynamic 11 C-acetate PET scan on a Siemens Biograph TruePoint-64 PET/CT (scanner I). In addition, 10 subjects underwent both dynamic 15 O-water PET and 11 C-acetate PET scans on a GE Discovery-ST PET/CT (scanner II). The left ventricular (LV)-aortic time-activity curve (TAC) was extracted automatically...... from PET data using cluster analysis. The first-pass peak was isolated by automatic extrapolation of the downslope of the TAC. FSV was calculated as the injected dose divided by the product of heart rate and the area under the curve of the first-pass peak. Gold standard FSV was measured using phase...

  7. Radiosynthesis and biological evaluation of 5-(3-[18F]Fluoropropyloxy)-L-tryptophan for tumor PET imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    He, Shanzhen; Tang, Ganghua; Hu, Kongzhen; Wang, Hongliang; Wang, Shuxia; Huang, Tingting; Liang, Xiang; Tang, Xiaolan

    2013-01-01

    Introduction: [ 18 F]FDG PET has difficulty distinguishing tumor from inflammation in the clinic because of the same high uptake in nonmalignant and inflammatory tissue. In contrast, amino acid tracers do not accumulate in inflamed tissues and thus provide an excellent opportunity for their use in clinical cancer imaging. In this study, we developed a new amino acid tracer 5-(3-[ 18 F]Fluoropropyloxy)-L-tryptophan ([ 18 F]-L-FPTP) by two-step reactions and performed its biologic evaluation. Methods: [ 18 F]-L-FPTP was prepared by [ 18 F]fluoropropylation of 5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan disodium salt and purification on C18 cartridges. The biodistribution of [ 18 F]-L-FPTP was determined in normal mice and the incorporation of [ 18 F]-L-FPTP into tissue proteins was investigated. In vitro competitive inhibition experiments were performed with Hepa1-6 hepatoma cell lines. [ 18 F]-L-FPTP PET imaging was performed on tumor-bearing and inflammation mice and compared with [ 18 F]-L-FEHTP PET. Results: The overall uncorrected radiochemical yield of [ 18 F]-L-FPTP was 21.1 ± 4.4% with a synthesis time of 60 min, the radiochemical purity was more than 99%. Biodistribution studies demonstrate high uptake of [ 18 F]-L-FPTP in liver, kidney, pancreas, and blood at the early phase, and fast clearance in most tissues over the whole observed time. The uptake studies in Hepa1-6 cells suggest that [ 18 F]-L-FPTP is transported by the amino acid transport system B 0,+ , LAT2 and ASC. [ 18 F]-L-FPTP displays good stability and is not incorporated into proteins in vitro. PET imaging shows that [ 18 F]-L-FPTP can be a better potential PET tracer for differentiating tumor from inflammation than [ 18 F]FDG and 5-(3-[ 18 F]fluoroethyloxy)-L-tryptophan ([ 18 F]-L-FEHTP), with high [ 18 F]-L-FPTP uptake ratio (2.53) of tumor to inflammation at 60 min postinjection. Conclusions: Using [ 18 F]fluoropropyl derivatives as intermediates, the new tracer [ 18 F]-L-FPTP was achieved with good yield and

  8. Mechanical properties of PET composites using multi-walled carbon nanotubes functionalized by inorganic and itaconic acids

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. May-Pat

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs were oxidized by two different acid treatments and further functionalized with itaconic acid (IA. The functionalized MWCNTs were used to fabricate Poly(ethylene terephthalate (PET composites by melt mixing. The presence of functional groups on the surface of the treated MWCNTs was confirmed by infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. The MWCNTs oxidized with a concentrated mixture of HNO3 and H2SO4 exhibited more oxygen containing functional groups (OH, COOH but also suffer larger structural degradation than those oxidized by a mild treatment based on diluted HNO3 followed by H2O2. PET composites were fabricated using the oxidized-only and oxidized followed by functionalization with IA MWCNTs. PET composites fabricated with MWCNT oxidized by mild conditions showed improved tensile strength and failure strain, while harsh MWCNT oxidation render them overly brittle.

  9. A multi-centre evaluation of eleven clinically feasible brain PET/MRI attenuation correction techniques using a large cohort of patients

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ladefoged, Claes Nøhr; Law, Ian; Anazodo, Udunna

    2017-01-01

    in the robustness, outlier analysis, and clinical feasibility. Overall, the best performing methods were MR-ACBOSTON, MR-ACMAXPROB, MR-ACRESOLUTE and MR-ACUCL, ordered alphabetically. These methods all minimized the number of outliers, standard deviation, and average global and local error. The methods MR...... globally and regionally, with a special focus on robustness and outlier analysis.  Results: The average performance in PET tracer uptake was within ±5% of CT for all of the proposed methods, with the average±SD global percentage bias in PET FDG uptake for each method being: MR-ACDIXON (−11.3±3.5)%, MR......-ACMUNICH and MR-ACCAR-RiDR were both within acceptable quantitative limits, so these methods should be considered if processing time is a factor. The method MR-ACSEGBONE also demonstrates promising results, and performs well within the likely acceptable quantitative limits. For clinical routine scans where...

  10. Amyloid PET imaging in Alzheimer's disease: a comparison of three radiotracers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Landau, S.M.; Jagust, W.J. [University of California, Berkeley, Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, Berkeley, CA (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Life Sciences Division, Berkeley, CA (United States); Thomas, B.A. [University College London, Institute of Nuclear Medicine, London (United Kingdom); Thurfjell, L. [GE Healthcare, Uppsala (Sweden); Schmidt, M. [Janssen Pharmaceutica, NV, Beerse (Belgium); Margolin, R. [Janssen Alzheimer Immunotherapy, South San Francisco, CA (United States); Mintun, M.; Pontecorvo, M. [Avid Radiopharmaceuticals, Inc., Philadelphia, PA (United States); Baker, S.L. [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Life Sciences Division, Berkeley, CA (United States); Collaboration: The Alzheimer' s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative

    2014-07-15

    The increasing use of amyloid PET in Alzheimer's disease research and clinical trials has motivated efforts to standardize methodology. We compared retention of the {sup 11}C radiotracer Pittsburgh Compound B (PiB) and that of two {sup 18}F amyloid radiotracers (florbetapir and flutemetamol) using two study populations. We also examined the feasibility of converting between tracer-specific measures, using PiB as the common link between the two {sup 18}F tracers. One group of 40 subjects underwent PiB and flutemetamol imaging sessions and a separate group of 32 subjects underwent PiB and florbetapir imaging sessions. We compared cortical and white matter retention for each {sup 18}F tracer relative to that of PiB, as well as retention in several reference regions and image analysis methods. Correlations between tracer pairs were used to convert tracer-specific threshold values for amyloid positivity between tracers. Cortical retention for each pair of tracers was strongly correlated regardless of reference region (PiB-flutemetamol, ρ = 0.84-0.99; PiB-florbetapir, ρ = 0.83-0.97) and analysis method (ρ = 0.90-0.99). Compared to PiB, flutemetamol had higher white matter retention, while florbetapir had lower cortical retention. Two previously established independent thresholds for amyloid positivity were highly consistent when values were converted between tracer pairs. Despite differing white and grey matter retention characteristics, cortical retention for each {sup 18}F tracer was highly correlated with that of PiB, enabling conversion of thresholds across tracer measurement scales with a high level of internal consistency. Standardization of analysis methods and measurement scales may facilitate the comparison of amyloid PET data obtained using different tracers. (orig.)

  11. Feasibility of using sodium chloride as a tracer for the characterization of the distribution of matter in complex multi-compartment 3D bioreactors for stem cell culture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gerlach, Jörg C; Witaschek, Tom; Strobel, Catrin; Brayfield, Candace A; Bornemann, Reinhard; Catapano, Gerardo; Zeilinger, Katrin

    2010-06-01

    The experimental characterization of the distribution of matter in complex multi-compartment three-dimensional membrane bioreactors for human cell culture is complicated by tracer interactions with the membranes and other bioreactor constituents. This is due to the fact that membranes with a high specific surface area often feature a hydrophobic chemical backbone that may adsorb tracers often used to this purpose, such as proteins and dyes. Membrane selectivity, and its worsening caused by protein adsorption, may also hinder tracer transfer across neighboring compartments, thus preventing effective characterization of the distribution of matter in the whole bioreactor. Tracer experiments with sodium chloride (NaCl) may overcome some of these limitations and be effectively used to characterize the distribution of matter in complex 3D multi-compartments membrane bioreactors for stem cell culture. NaCl freely permeates most used membranes, it does not adsorb on uncharged membranes, and its concentration may be accurately measured in terms of solution conductivity. In this preliminary study, the feasibility of complex multi-compartment membrane bioreactors was investigated with a NaCl concentration pulse challenge to characterize how their distribution of matter changes when they are operated under different conditions. In particular, bioreactors consisting of three different membrane types stacked on top of one another to form a 3D network were characterized under different feed conditions.

  12. Amyloid- and FDG-PET in sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease: Correlation with pathological prion protein in neuropathology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matías-Guiu, Jordi A; Guerrero-Márquez, Carmen; Cabrera-Martín, María Nieves; Gómez-Pinedo, Ulises; Romeral, María; Mayo, Diego; Porta-Etessam, Jesús; Moreno-Ramos, Teresa; Carreras, José Luis; Matías-Guiu, Jorge

    2017-05-04

    The role of positron emission tomography (PET) in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is less defined than in other neurodegenerative diseases. We studied the correlation between the uptake of 18 F-florbetaben and 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose with pathological prion protein deposition in histopathology in a case. A patient with 80 y old with a rapid neurological deterioration with a confirmed diagnosis of CJD was studied. PET and MRI studies were performed between 13-20 d before the death. A region of interest analysis was performed using Statistical Parametric Mapping. MRI showed atrophy with no other alterations. FDG-PET showed extensive areas of hypometabolism including left frontoparietal lobes as well as bilateral thalamus. Correlation between uptake of 18 F-florbetaben and pathological prion protein deposition was r = 0.786 (p < 0.05). Otherwise, correlation between uptake of 18 F-FDG and pathological prion protein was r = 0.357 (p = 0.385). Immunohistochemistry with β-amyloid did not show amyloid deposition or neuritic plaques. Our study supports the use of FDG-PET in the assessment of CJD. FDG-PET may be especially useful in cases of suspected CJD and negative MRI. Furthermore, this case report provides more evidence about the behavioral of amyloid tracers, and the possibility of a low-affinity binding to other non-amyloid proteins, such as the pathological prion protein, is discussed.

  13. Rapid dual-injection single-scan 13N-ammonia PET for quantification of rest and stress myocardial blood flows

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rust, T C; DiBella, E V R; McGann, C J; Christian, P E; Hoffman, J M; Kadrmas, D J

    2006-01-01

    Quantification of myocardial blood flows at rest and stress using 13 N-ammonia PET is an established method; however, current techniques require a waiting period of about 1 h between scans. The objective of this study was to test a rapid dual-injection single-scan approach, where 13 N-ammonia injections are administered 10 min apart during rest and adenosine stress. Dynamic PET data were acquired in six human subjects using imaging protocols that provided separate single-injection scans as gold standards. Rest and stress data were combined to emulate rapid dual-injection data so that the underlying activity from each injection was known exactly. Regional blood flow estimates were computed from the dual-injection data using two methods: background subtraction and combined modelling. The rapid dual-injection approach provided blood flow estimates very similar to the conventional single-injection standards. Rest blood flow estimates were affected very little by the dual-injection approach, and stress estimates correlated strongly with separate single-injection values (r = 0.998, mean absolute difference = 0.06 ml min -1 g -1 ). An actual rapid dual-injection scan was successfully acquired in one subject and further demonstrates feasibility of the method. This study with a limited dataset demonstrates that blood flow quantification can be obtained in only 20 min by the rapid dual-injection approach with accuracy similar to that of conventional separate rest and stress scans. The rapid dual-injection approach merits further development and additional evaluation for potential clinical use

  14. PET application in psychiatry and psychopharmacology

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Suhara, Tetsuya [National Inst. of Radiological Sciences, Chiba (Japan)

    1999-07-01

    In the last few decades diagnostic and research tools in the medical field have made great advances, yet psychiatry has lacked sufficiently sensitive tools to measure the aberration of brain functions. Recently however, the development of Positron emission tomography (PET) techniques has made it possible to measure changes in neurochemical components in mental disorders and the effect of psychoactive drugs in living human brain. Most of the advancement in the psychiatric field has came from the development psychoactive drugs. Brain research involving identification of neurotransmission is largely based on compounds developed in psychopharmacology. Some of these compounds have been radiolabelled and used as radioligands for quantitative examination of neuroreceptors and other aspects of neurotransmission. Using PET, radioligand binding can now be examined in the human brain in vivo. PET techniques also allow examination of an unlabelled drug by examination of its interaction with a radioligand. So one potential of PET in psychiatry is to investigate the mechanism of psychoactive drugs. Antidepressants modulate serotonin transmission by inhibiting serotonin reuptake from the synaptic cleft. High affinity [{sup 3}H]imipramine binding sites in mammalian brain have been labelled to investigate serotonin transporters in living human brain by PET. Cyanoimipramine which is described as a potent serotonin reuptake inhibitor, was labelled with {sup 11}C. In a PET experiment with 6 healthy human subjects, a high accumulation of [{sup 11}C]cyanoimipramine was found in the thalamus and striatum and lowest accumulation was observed in the cerebellum, a region relatively void of serotonin transporters. The thalamus to cerebellum ratio was about 2 at 90 min after the injection of the tracer. Recently, [{sup 11}C]McN5652-X has been introduced as a better tracer for serotonin transporter imaging. Employing [{sup 11}C]McN5652-X in a PET study of 7 healthy human subjects, a high

  15. PET application in psychiatry and psychopharmacology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suhara, Tetsuya

    1999-01-01

    In the last few decades diagnostic and research tools in the medical field have made great advances, yet psychiatry has lacked sufficiently sensitive tools to measure the aberration of brain functions. Recently however, the development of Positron emission tomography (PET) techniques has made it possible to measure changes in neurochemical components in mental disorders and the effect of psychoactive drugs in living human brain. Most of the advancement in the psychiatric field has came from the development psychoactive drugs. Brain research involving identification of neurotransmission is largely based on compounds developed in psychopharmacology. Some of these compounds have been radiolabelled and used as radioligands for quantitative examination of neuroreceptors and other aspects of neurotransmission. Using PET, radioligand binding can now be examined in the human brain in vivo. PET techniques also allow examination of an unlabelled drug by examination of its interaction with a radioligand. So one potential of PET in psychiatry is to investigate the mechanism of psychoactive drugs. Antidepressants modulate serotonin transmission by inhibiting serotonin reuptake from the synaptic cleft. High affinity [ 3 H]imipramine binding sites in mammalian brain have been labelled to investigate serotonin transporters in living human brain by PET. Cyanoimipramine which is described as a potent serotonin reuptake inhibitor, was labelled with 11 C. In a PET experiment with 6 healthy human subjects, a high accumulation of [ 11 C]cyanoimipramine was found in the thalamus and striatum and lowest accumulation was observed in the cerebellum, a region relatively void of serotonin transporters. The thalamus to cerebellum ratio was about 2 at 90 min after the injection of the tracer. Recently, [ 11 C]McN5652-X has been introduced as a better tracer for serotonin transporter imaging. Employing [ 11 C]McN5652-X in a PET study of 7 healthy human subjects, a high accumulation was observed

  16. Visualization of multiple organ amyloid involvement in systemic amyloidosis using {sup 11}C-PiB PET imaging

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ezawa, Naoki; Katoh, Nagaaki; Yoshinaga, Tsuneaki [Shinshu University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine (Neurology and Rheumatology), Nagano (Japan); Oguchi, Kazuhiro [Jisenkai Brain Imaging Research Center, Matsumoto (Japan); Yazaki, Masahide [Shinshu University School of Health Sciences, Department of Biomedical Laboratory Sciences, Matsumoto (Japan); Shinshu University, Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Matsumoto (Japan); Sekijima, Yoshiki [Shinshu University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine (Neurology and Rheumatology), Nagano (Japan); Jisenkai Brain Imaging Research Center, Matsumoto (Japan); Shinshu University, Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Matsumoto (Japan)

    2018-03-15

    To investigate the utility of Pittsburgh compound B (PiB) positron emission tomography (PET) imaging for evaluating whole-body amyloid involvement in patients with systemic amyloidosis. Whole-body {sup 11}C-PiB PET was performed in seven patients with systemic immunoglobulin light-chain (AL) amyloidosis, seven patients with hereditary transthyretin (ATTRm) amyloidosis, one asymptomatic TTR mutation carrier and three healthy controls. The correlations between clinical organ involvement, radiological {sup 11}C-PiB uptake and histopathological findings were analysed for each organ. Organ involvement on {sup 11}C-PiB PET imaging showed good correlations with the clinical findings for the heart and stomach. Abnormal tracer uptake was also observed in the spleen, lachrymal gland, submandibular gland, sublingual gland, lymph node, brain, scalp, extraocular muscles, nasal mucosa, pharynx, tongue and nuchal muscles, most of which were asymptomatic. Physiological tracer uptake was universally observed in the urinary tract (kidney, renal pelvis, ureter and bladder) and enterohepatic circulatory system (liver, gallbladder, bile duct and small intestine) in all participants. Most of the patients and one healthy control subject showed asymptomatic tracer uptake in the lung and parotid gland. The peripheral nervous system did not show any tracer uptake even in patients with apparent peripheral neuropathy. Histological amyloid deposition was confirmed in biopsied myocardium and gastric mucosa where abnormal {sup 11}C-PiB retention was observed. {sup 11}C-PiB PET imaging can be used clinically in the systemic evaluation of amyloid distribution in patients with AL and ATTRm amyloidosis. Quantitative analysis of {sup 11}C-PiB PET images may be useful in therapy evaluation and will reveal whether amyloid clearance is correlated with clinical response. (orig.)

  17. Preparation and evaluation of 68Ga-ECC as a PET renal imaging agent

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mizaei, Alireza; Jaililan, Amir Reza; Mazidi, Mohammad; Aghanejad, Ayuob; Yousefnia, Hassan; Shabani, Gholamli; Ardaneh, Khosro; Geramifar, Patham; Beiki, Davood

    2015-01-01

    Development of a gallium-68-labeled renal tracer can be a good substitute for Tc-99m, a known SPECT tracer. In this study, effort was made to develop 68 Ga-ethylenecysteamine cysteine ( 68 Ga-ECC). Ga-ECC was prepared using generator-based 68 GaCl3 and ethylenecysteamine cysteine (ECC) at optimized conditions. Stability of the complex was checked in human serum followed by partition coefficient determination of the tracer. The biodistribution of the tracer in rats was studied using tissue counting and PET/CT imaging up to 120 min. Ga-ECC was prepared at optimized conditions in 15 min at 90 °C (radiochemical purity ≈97 ± 0.88 % ITLC, >99 % HPLC, specific activity: 210 ± 5 GBq/mM). 68 Ga-ECC was a water-soluble complex based on partition coefficient data (log P; −1.378) and was stable in the presence of human serum for 2 h at 37 °C. The biodistribution of the tracer demonstrated high kidney excretion of the tracer in 10–20 min. The SUV max ratios of the liver to left kidney were 0.38 and 0.39 for 30 and 90 min, respectively, indicating high kidney uptake. Initial biodistribution results showed significant kidney and urinary excretion of the tracer comparable to that of the homologous 99m Tc compound. The complex could be a possible PET kidney imaging agent with a fast imaging time

  18. Therapy assessment in prostate cancer using choline and PSMA PET/CT

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ceci, Francesco; Castellucci, Paolo; Fanti, Stefano [University of Bologna, Nuclear Medicine Unit, S. Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, Bologna (Italy); Herrmann, Ken [University Hospital Essen, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Essen (Germany); University of California Los Angeles, Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA (United States); Hadaschik, Boris [University Hospital Essen, Department of Urology, Essen (Germany)

    2017-08-15

    While PET with non-FDG tracers (mainly choline and Ga-PSMA) has commonly been used for restaging in men with biochemically recurrent prostate cancer, as well as for primary staging, it is only recently that a few preliminary studies have addressed the possible use of PET for monitoring the response to systemic therapy of metastatic disease, especially innovative treatments such as abiraterone and enzalutamide. This article aims to evaluate the role of PET imaging with different non-FDG radiotracers for assessment of therapy in advanced prostate cancer patients. (orig.)

  19. Comparison of {sup 18}F-FET and {sup 18}F-FDG PET in brain tumors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pauleit, Dirk; Stoffels, Gabriele [Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Forschungszentrum Juelich, D-52425 Juelich (Germany); Bachofner, Ansgar [Clinic of Nuclear Medicine, Heinrich-Heine-University, D-40001 Duesseldorf (Germany); Floeth, Frank W.; Sabel, Michael [Department of Neurosurgery, Heinrich-Heine-University, D-40001 Duesseldorf (Germany); Herzog, Hans; Tellmann, Lutz [Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Forschungszentrum Juelich, D-52425 Juelich (Germany); Jansen, Paul [Institute of Advanced Simulation, Forschungszentrum Juelich, D-52425 Juelich (Germany); Reifenberger, Guido [Department of Neuropathology, Heinrich-Heine-University, D-40001 Duesseldorf (Germany); Hamacher, Kurt; Coenen, Heinz H. [Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Forschungszentrum Juelich, D-52425 Juelich (Germany); Langen, Karl-Josef [Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Forschungszentrum Juelich, D-52425 Juelich (Germany)], E-mail: k.j.langen@fz-juelich.de

    2009-10-15

    The purpose of this study was to compare the diagnostic value of positron emission tomography (PET) using [{sup 18}F]-fluorodeoxyglucose ({sup 18}F-FDG) and O-(2-[{sup 18}F]fluoroethyl)-L-tyrosine ({sup 18}F-FET) in patients with brain lesions suspicious of cerebral gliomas. Methods: Fifty-two patients with suspicion of cerebral glioma were included in this study. From 30 to 50 min after injection of 180 MBq {sup 18}F-FET, a first PET scan ({sup 18}F-FET scan) was performed. Thereafter, 240 MBq {sup 18}F-FDG was injected and a second PET scan was acquired from 30 to 60 min after the second injection ({sup 18}F-FET/{sup 18}F-FDG scan). The cerebral accumulation of {sup 18}F-FDG was calculated by decay corrected subtraction of the {sup 18}F-FET scan from the {sup 18}F-FET/{sup 18}F-FDG scan. Tracer uptake was evaluated by visual scoring and by lesion-to-background (L/B) ratios. The imaging results were compared with the histological results and prognosis. Results: Histology revealed 24 low-grade gliomas (LGG) of World Health Organization (WHO) Grade II and 19 high-grade gliomas (HGG) of WHO Grade III or IV, as well as nine others, mainly benign histologies. The gliomas showed increased {sup 18}F-FET uptake (>normal brain) in 86% and increased {sup 18}F-FDG uptake (>white matter) in 35%. {sup 18}F-FET PET provided diagnostically useful delineation of tumor extent while this was impractical with {sup 18}F-FDG due to high tracer uptake in the gray matter. A local maximum in the tumor area for biopsy guidance could be identified with {sup 18}F-FET in 76% and with {sup 18}F-FDG in 28%. The L/B ratios showed significant differences between LGG and HGG for both tracers but considerable overlap so that reliable preoperative grading was not possible. A significant correlation of tracer uptake with overall survival was found with {sup 18}F-FDG only. In some benign lesions like abscesses, increased uptake was observed for both tracers indicating a limited specificity of both

  20. Clinical experience with a commercially available negative oral contrast medium in PET/CT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hausegger, K.; Reinprecht, P.; Kau, T.; Igerc, I.; Lind, P.

    2005-01-01

    Purpose: to evaluate a commercially available negative oral contrast material for PET/CT. Material and methods: in a prospective series of 49 patients, Mukofalk registered , which is a vegetarian-based substance, was used as a negative oral contrast medium in whole body PET/CT studies. Mukofalk was administered during a time period of 1.5 hours before the examination. Quality of small bowl distension and eventual pathological tracer uptake in the intestine were evaluated. Results: distension of the small bowel was excellent or good in 41 (85%) and poor in 8 (15%) patients. Mild tracer uptake in the small bowel was observed in 5 patients (10.2%) and moderate uptake in another 2 patients (4%). In none of these patients did the F-18 FDG uptake interfere with image interpretation. Conclusion: Mukofalk registered can be used as a negative oral contrast medium in PET/CT studies. (orig.)

  1. Clinical experience with a commercially available negative oral contrast medium in PET/CT

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hausegger, K.; Reinprecht, P. [Roentgendiagnostisches Zentralinstitut, LKH Klagenfurt (Austria); Kau, T. [Roentgendiagnostisches Zentral Inst., Klagenfurt (Austria); Igerc, I.; Lind, P. [Abt. fuer Nuklearmedizin und Spezielle Endokrinologie, LKH Klagenfurt (Austria)

    2005-06-01

    Purpose: to evaluate a commercially available negative oral contrast material for PET/CT. Material and methods: in a prospective series of 49 patients, Mukofalk {sup registered}, which is a vegetarian-based substance, was used as a negative oral contrast medium in whole body PET/CT studies. Mukofalk was administered during a time period of 1.5 hours before the examination. Quality of small bowl distension and eventual pathological tracer uptake in the intestine were evaluated. Results: distension of the small bowel was excellent or good in 41 (85%) and poor in 8 (15%) patients. Mild tracer uptake in the small bowel was observed in 5 patients (10.2%) and moderate uptake in another 2 patients (4%). In none of these patients did the F-18 FDG uptake interfere with image interpretation. Conclusion: Mukofalk {sup registered} can be used as a negative oral contrast medium in PET/CT studies. (orig.)

  2. MRI-guided attenuation correction in whole-body PET/MR. Assessment of the effect of bone attenuation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Akbarzadeh, A.; Ay, M.R.; Ahmadian, A.; Riahi Alam, N.; Zaidi, H.

    2013-01-01

    Hybrid positron emission tomography (PET)/MRI presents many advantages in comparison with its counterpart PET/CT in terms of improved soft-tissue contrast, decrease in radiation exposure, and truly simultaneous and multi-parametric imaging capabilities. However, the lack of well-established methodology for MR-based attenuation correction is hampering further development and wider acceptance of this technology. We assess the impact of ignoring bone attenuation and using different tissue classes for generation of the attenuation map on the accuracy of attenuation correction of PET data. This work was performed using simulation studies based on the XCAT phantom and clinical input data. For the latter, PET and CT images of patients were used as input for the analytic simulation model using realistic activity distributions where CT-based attenuation correction was utilized as reference for comparison. For both phantom and clinical studies, the reference attenuation map was classified into various numbers of tissue classes to produce three (air, soft tissue and lung), four (air, lungs, soft tissue and cortical bones) and five (air, lungs, soft tissue, cortical bones and spongeous bones) class attenuation maps. The phantom studies demonstrated that ignoring bone increases the relative error by up to 6.8% in the body and up to 31.0% for bony regions. Likewise, the simulated clinical studies showed that the mean relative error reached 15% for lesions located in the body and 30.7% for lesions located in bones, when neglecting bones. These results demonstrate an underestimation of about 30% of tracer uptake when neglecting bone, which in turn imposes substantial loss of quantitative accuracy for PET images produced by hybrid PET/MRI systems. Considering bones in the attenuation map will considerably improve the accuracy of MR-guided attenuation correction in hybrid PET/MR to enable quantitative PET imaging on hybrid PET/MR technologies. (author)

  3. Review on PET radiopharmaceuticals: from isotopes and molecules to medical applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seimbille, Yann

    2014-01-01

    Molecular imaging of living subjects is an emerging field that aims to study molecular and cellular events in the intact living animal and human. Unlike classical biology, molecular imaging allows to study biological processes with cells residing in their native environment in the living subjects. Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is actually one of the preferred molecular imaging tool for its high sensitivity and its capability to non-invasively and quantitatively visualize in vivo cellular events in the non- or sub-pharmacologic concentration (nano to picomolar) without affecting biological processes. An overview of the principles of this imaging technique and a comparison with other imaging modalities will be presented. Combination of PET technology with conventional anatomical imaging (computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)) or with another molecular imaging technique is getting more and more relevant, and such hybrid imaging is often best suited to answer specific biological or medical question. PET imaging requires the injection of a radioactive tracer, which is made of a positron-emitting isotope that allows signal detection and a chemically specific pharmacophore that interacts with the intended molecular target. Infrastructure, methods and regulation about the production of the different radionuclides of interest and the synthesis of PET tracers will be discussed. Recent novel radiolabelling strategies, as well as new technologies (i.e. micro fluidic), to generate libraries of PET radiopharmaceuticals will also be covered in this presentation

  4. Inter-subject FDG PET Brain Networks Exhibit Multi-scale Community Structure with Different Normalization Techniques.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sperry, Megan M; Kartha, Sonia; Granquist, Eric J; Winkelstein, Beth A

    2018-07-01

    Inter-subject networks are used to model correlations between brain regions and are particularly useful for metabolic imaging techniques, like 18F-2-deoxy-2-(18F)fluoro-D-glucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET). Since FDG PET typically produces a single image, correlations cannot be calculated over time. Little focus has been placed on the basic properties of inter-subject networks and if they are affected by group size and image normalization. FDG PET images were acquired from rats (n = 18), normalized by whole brain, visual cortex, or cerebellar FDG uptake, and used to construct correlation matrices. Group size effects on network stability were investigated by systematically adding rats and evaluating local network connectivity (node strength and clustering coefficient). Modularity and community structure were also evaluated in the differently normalized networks to assess meso-scale network relationships. Local network properties are stable regardless of normalization region for groups of at least 10. Whole brain-normalized networks are more modular than visual cortex- or cerebellum-normalized network (p network resolutions where modularity differs most between brain and randomized networks. Hierarchical analysis reveals consistent modules at different scales and clustering of spatially-proximate brain regions. Findings suggest inter-subject FDG PET networks are stable for reasonable group sizes and exhibit multi-scale modularity.

  5. Radiosynthesis and biological evaluation of 18F-labeled 4-anilinoquinazoline derivative (18F-FEA-Erlotinib) as a potential EGFR PET agent.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Shun; Han, Yanjiang; Chen, Min; Hu, Kongzhen; Qi, Yongshuai; Sun, Penghui; Wang, Men; Wu, Hubing; Li, Guiping; Wang, Quanshi; Du, Zhiyun; Zhang, Kun; Zhao, Suqing; Zheng, Xi

    2018-04-01

    Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) has gained significant attention as a therapeutic target. Several EGFR targeting drugs (Gefitinib and Erlotinib) have been approved by US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and have received high approval in clinical treatment. Nevertheless, the curative effect of these medicines varied in many solid tumors because of the different levels of expression and mutations of EGFR. Therefore, several PET radiotracers have been developed for the selective treatment of responsive patients who undergo PET/CT imaging for tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy. In this study, a novel fluorine-18 labeled 4-anilinoquinazoline based PET tracer, 1N-(3-(1-(2- 18 F-fluoroethyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)phenyl)-6,7-bis(2-methoxyethoxy)quinazolin-4-amine ( 18 F-FEA-Erlotinib), was synthesized and biological evaluation was performed in vitro and in vivo. 18 F-FEA-Erlotinib was achieved within 50min with over 88% radiochemical yield (decay corrected RCY), an average specific activity over 50GBq/μmol, and over 99% radiochemical purity. In vitro stability study showed no decomposition of 18 F-FEA-Erlotinib after incubated in PBS and FBS for 2h. Cellular uptake and efflux experiment results indicated the specific binding of 18 F-FEA-Erlotinib to HCC827 cell line with EGFR exon 19 deletions. In vivo, Biodistribution studies revealed that 18 F-FEA-Erlotinib exhibited rapid blood clearance both through hepatobiliary and renal excretion. The tumor uptake of 18 F-FEA-Erlotinib in HepG2, HCC827, and A431 tumor xenografts, with different EGFR expression and mutations, was visualized in PET images. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of using 18 F-FEA-Erlotinib as a PET tracer for screening EGFR TKIs sensitive patients. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Kinetic Modeling of the Tau PET Tracer 18F-AV-1451 in Human Healthy Volunteers and Alzheimer Disease Subjects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barret, Olivier; Alagille, David; Sanabria, Sandra; Comley, Robert A; Weimer, Robby M; Borroni, Edilio; Mintun, Mark; Seneca, Nicholas; Papin, Caroline; Morley, Thomas; Marek, Ken; Seibyl, John P; Tamagnan, Gilles D; Jennings, Danna

    2017-07-01

    18 F-AV-1451 is currently the most widely used of several experimental tau PET tracers. The objective of this study was to evaluate 18 F-AV-1451 binding with full kinetic analysis using a metabolite-corrected arterial input function and to compare parameters derived from kinetic analysis with SUV ratio (SUVR) calculated over different imaging time intervals. Methods: 18 F-AV-1451 PET brain imaging was completed in 16 subjects: 4 young healthy volunteers (YHV), 4 aged healthy volunteers (AHV), and 8 Alzheimer disease (AD) subjects. Subjects were imaged for 3.5 h, with arterial blood samples obtained throughout. PET data were analyzed using plasma and reference tissue-based methods to estimate the distribution volume, binding potential (BP ND ), and SUVR. BP ND and SUVR were calculated using the cerebellar cortex as a reference region and were compared across the different methods and across the 3 groups (YHV, AHV, and AD). Results: AD demonstrated increased 18 F-AV-1451 retention compared with YHV and AHV based on both invasive and noninvasive analyses in cortical regions in which paired helical filament tau accumulation is expected in AD. A correlation of R 2 > 0.93 was found between BP ND (130 min) and SUVR-1 at all time intervals. Cortical SUVR curves reached a relative plateau around 1.0-1.2 for YHV and AHV by approximately 50 min, but increased in AD by up to approximately 20% at 110-130 min and approximately 30% at 160-180 min relative to 80-100 min. Distribution volume (130 min) was lower by 30%-35% in the YHV than AHV. Conclusion: Our data suggest that although 18 F-AV-1451 SUVR curves do not reach a plateau and are still increasing in AD, an SUVR calculated over an imaging window of 80-100 min (as currently used in clinical studies) provides estimates of paired helical filament tau burden in good correlation with BP ND , whereas SUVR sensitivity to regional cerebral blood changes needs further investigation. © 2017 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and

  7. 18F-labelled annexin V: a PET tracer for apoptosis imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Murakami, Yoshihiro; Tatsumi, Mitsuyoshi; Ichise, Rikiya; Nishimura, Shintaro; Takamatsu, Hiroyuki; Noda, Akihiro; Taki, Junichi; Tait, Jonathan F.

    2004-01-01

    Annexin V can be used to detect apoptotic cells in vitro and in vivo, based on its ability to identify extracellular phosphatidylserine, which arises during apoptosis. In the present study, we examined the synthesis of fluorine-18 labelled annexin V as a positron emission tomography tracer for apoptosis imaging. The distribution of [ 18 F]annexin V and technetium-99m labelled annexin V, a well-characterised SPET tracer for apoptosis imaging, was compared. [ 18 F]annexin V was synthesised using N-succinimidyl 4-[ 18 F]fluorobenzoate as an 18 F labelling reagent. Synthesised and purified [ 18 F]annexin V was confirmed by SDS-PAGE. In an ex vivo imaging experiment, [ 18 F]annexin V was intravenously injected into rats 24 h after the induction of myocardial ischaemia, and accumulation in the left ventricle was examined. [ 18 F]annexin V accumulated in the infarct area of the left ventricle, where apoptotic cells were observed. In separate experiments, [ 18 F]annexin V or [ 99m Tc]annexin V was intravenously injected into ischaemic or normal animals, and the distribution of the tracers was compared. In ischaemic animals, accumulation of [ 18 F]annexin V and [ 99m Tc]annexin V in the infarct area was about threefold higher than in the non-infarct area. Furthermore, the ratio of accumulation in the normal heart to the blood radioactivity was not significantly different between the tracers. In normal animals, however, the uptake of [ 18 F]annexin V in the liver, spleen and kidney was much lower than that of [ 99m Tc]annexin V. The low uptake of [ 18 F]annexin V in these organs might represent an advantage over [ 99m Tc]annexin V. (orig.)

  8. Evolution of PET and SPECT tracers from cyclotrons: production and application

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stoecklin, G.

    1992-01-01

    Small cyclotrons play an increasing role in the production of medically useful isotopes. Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) are major tools in modern nuclear medicine for monitoring regional physiological and pharmacological functions at a molecular level. This requires physiological substrates or drugs labeled with suitable positron emitters or single photon emitters. Short-lived neutron deficient radioisotopes of high specific activity and high radionuclidic purity are needed. Some examples of radionuclide production, the development of radiopharmaceuticals for PET and SPECT, and their applications is presented with special emphasis on fluorine-18 and iodine-123. (author)

  9. Spectral Analysis of Dynamic PET Studies: A Review of 20 Years of Method Developments and Applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Veronese, Mattia; Rizzo, Gaia; Bertoldo, Alessandra; Turkheimer, Federico E

    2016-01-01

    In Positron Emission Tomography (PET), spectral analysis (SA) allows the quantification of dynamic data by relating the radioactivity measured by the scanner in time to the underlying physiological processes of the system under investigation. Among the different approaches for the quantification of PET data, SA is based on the linear solution of the Laplace transform inversion whereas the measured arterial and tissue time-activity curves of a radiotracer are used to calculate the input response function of the tissue. In the recent years SA has been used with a large number of PET tracers in brain and nonbrain applications, demonstrating that it is a very flexible and robust method for PET data analysis. Differently from the most common PET quantification approaches that adopt standard nonlinear estimation of compartmental models or some linear simplifications, SA can be applied without defining any specific model configuration and has demonstrated very good sensitivity to the underlying kinetics. This characteristic makes it useful as an investigative tool especially for the analysis of novel PET tracers. The purpose of this work is to offer an overview of SA, to discuss advantages and limitations of the methodology, and to inform about its applications in the PET field.

  10. Selected PET radiomic features remain the same.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsujikawa, Tetsuya; Tsuyoshi, Hideaki; Kanno, Masafumi; Yamada, Shizuka; Kobayashi, Masato; Narita, Norihiko; Kimura, Hirohiko; Fujieda, Shigeharu; Yoshida, Yoshio; Okazawa, Hidehiko

    2018-04-17

    We investigated whether PET radiomic features are affected by differences in the scanner, scan protocol, and lesion location using 18 F-FDG PET/CT and PET/MR scans. SUV, TMR, skewness, kurtosis, entropy, and homogeneity strongly correlated between PET/CT and PET/MR images. SUVs were significantly higher on PET/MR 0-2 min and PET/MR 0-10 min than on PET/CT in gynecological cancer ( p = 0.008 and 0.008, respectively), whereas no significant difference was observed between PET/CT, PET/MR 0-2 min , and PET/MR 0-10 min images in oral cavity/oropharyngeal cancer. TMRs on PET/CT, PET/MR 0-2 min , and PET/MR 0-10 min increased in this order in gynecological cancer and oral cavity/oropharyngeal cancer. In contrast to conventional and histogram indices, 4 textural features (entropy, homogeneity, SRE, and LRE) were not significantly different between PET/CT, PET/MR 0-2 min , and PET/MR 0-10 min images. 18 F-FDG PET radiomic features strongly correlated between PET/CT and PET/MR images. Dixon-based attenuation correction on PET/MR images underestimated tumor tracer uptake more significantly in oral cavity/oropharyngeal cancer than in gynecological cancer. 18 F-FDG PET textural features were affected less by differences in the scanner and scan protocol than conventional and histogram features, possibly due to the resampling process using a medium bin width. Eight patients with gynecological cancer and 7 with oral cavity/oropharyngeal cancer underwent a whole-body 18 F-FDG PET/CT scan and regional PET/MR scan in one day. PET/MR scans were performed for 10 minutes in the list mode, and PET/CT and 0-2 min and 0-10 min PET/MR images were reconstructed. The standardized uptake value (SUV), tumor-to-muscle SUV ratio (TMR), skewness, kurtosis, entropy, homogeneity, short-run emphasis (SRE), and long-run emphasis (LRE) were compared between PET/CT, PET/MR 0-2 min , and PET/MR 0-10 min images.

  11. Brain tumors : L-[1-C-11]tyrosine PET for visualization and quantification of protein synthesis rate

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Pruim, J; Willemsen, A T; Molenaar, W M; Waarde, A van; Paans, A M; Heesters, M A; Go, K G; Visser, Gerben; Franssen, E J; Vaalburg, W

    1995-01-01

    PURPOSE: Positron emission tomography (PET) with the amino acid tracer L-[1-C-11]-tyrosine was evaluated in 27 patients with primary and recurrent brain tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients underwent either static (n = 14) or dynamic PET (n = 13), with quantification of protein synthesis rate

  12. Semi-Supervised Tripled Dictionary Learning for Standard-dose PET Image Prediction using Low-dose PET and Multimodal MRI

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yan; Ma, Guangkai; An, Le; Shi, Feng; Zhang, Pei; Lalush, David S.; Wu, Xi; Pu, Yifei; Zhou, Jiliu; Shen, Dinggang

    2017-01-01

    Objective To obtain high-quality positron emission tomography (PET) image with low-dose tracer injection, this study attempts to predict the standard-dose PET (S-PET) image from both its low-dose PET (L-PET) counterpart and corresponding magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Methods It was achieved by patch-based sparse representation (SR), using the training samples with a complete set of MRI, L-PET and S-PET modalities for dictionary construction. However, the number of training samples with complete modalities is often limited. In practice, many samples generally have incomplete modalities (i.e., with one or two missing modalities) that thus cannot be used in the prediction process. In light of this, we develop a semi-supervised tripled dictionary learning (SSTDL) method for S-PET image prediction, which can utilize not only the samples with complete modalities (called complete samples) but also the samples with incomplete modalities (called incomplete samples), to take advantage of the large number of available training samples and thus further improve the prediction performance. Results Validation was done on a real human brain dataset consisting of 18 subjects, and the results show that our method is superior to the SR and other baseline methods. Conclusion This work proposed a new S-PET prediction method, which can significantly improve the PET image quality with low-dose injection. Significance The proposed method is favorable in clinical application since it can decrease the potential radiation risk for patients. PMID:27187939

  13. Somatostatin receptor PET in neuroendocrine tumours: 68Ga-DOTA0,Tyr3-octreotide versus 68Ga-DOTA0-lanreotide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Putzer, Daniel; Kroiss, Alexander; Waitz, Dietmar; Gabriel, Michael; Traub-Weidinger, Tatjana; Uprimny, Christian; von Guggenberg, Elisabeth; Decristoforo, Clemens; Warwitz, Boris; Widmann, Gerlig; Virgolini, Irene Johanna

    2013-02-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of (68)Ga-labelled DOTA(0)-lanreotide ((68)Ga-DOTA-LAN) on the diagnostic assessment of neuroendocrine tumour (NET) patients with low to moderate uptake on planar somatostatin receptor (SSTR) scintigraphy or (68)Ga-labelled DOTA(0),Tyr(3)-octreotide ((68)Ga-DOTA-TOC) positron emission tomography (PET). Fifty-three patients with histologically confirmed NET and clinical signs of progressive disease, who had not qualified for peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) on planar SSTR scintigraphy or (68)Ga-DOTA-TOC PET (n = 38) due to lack of tracer uptake, underwent (68)Ga-DOTA-LAN PET to evaluate a treatment option with (90)Y-labelled lanreotide according to the MAURITIUS trial. The included patients received 150 ± 30 MBq of each radiopharmaceutical intravenously. PET scans were acquired 60-90 min after intravenous bolus injection. Image results from both PET scans were compared head to head, focusing on the intensity of tracer uptake in terms of treatment decision. CT was used for morphologic correlation of tumour lesions. To further evaluate the binding affinities of each tracer, quantitative and qualitative values were calculated for target lesions. (68)Ga-DOTA-LAN and (68)Ga-DOTA-TOC both showed equivalent findings in 24/38 patients when fused PET/CT images were interpreted. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of (68)Ga-DOTA-LAN in comparison to CT were 0.63, 0.5 and 0.62 (n = 53; p < 0.0001) and for (68)Ga-DOTA-TOC in comparison to CT 0.78, 0.5 and 0.76 (n = 38; p < 0.013), respectively. (68)Ga-DOTA-TOC showed a significantly higher maximum standardized uptake value (SUV(max)) regarding the primary tumour in 25 patients (p < 0.003) and regarding the liver in 30 patients (p < 0.009) compared to (68)Ga-DOTA-LAN. Corresponding values of both PET scans for tumour and liver did not show any significant correlation. (68)Ga-DOTA-TOC revealed more tumour sites than (68)Ga

  14. Outline of research on plant physiological functions using Positron Emitting Tracer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kume, Tamikazu

    2000-01-01

    Application of Positron Emitting Tracer Imaging System (Pets) for the plant has been investigated under JAERI-Universities Joint Research Project. Five university groups are studying a dynamic image of plant transport or a static image of the result of tracer movement using 11 C (half-life 20 min), 13 N (10 min), 18 F (110 min), etc. The Pets consisted of two-dimensional block detectors (48 x 50 mm square) which were composed of a Bi 4 Ge 3 O 12 scintillator array coupled to a position sensitive photomultiplier tube. In the system, the plant samples are placed at the mid position between the two opposing detectors and annihilation γ-rays from the samples are detected in coincidence. The positron emitting tracer images are obtained by accumulating these signals. The spatial resolution was 2.4 mm and images with a good S/N ratio can be obtained in real time. Using TIARA AVF cyclotron, 13 NO 3 - , 13 NH 4 + , 18 F-water, 11 C-methionine, etc. were produced and supplied to the plants. The transport of these labeled compounds introduced into plants was followed dynamically by PETIS. The results show that the system is effective in observing the uptake and transport of nutrients in plants and is useful for the study of physiological functions of plants. (author)

  15. Design and evaluation of radiotracers for determination of regional cerebral blood flow with PET

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lambrecht, R.M.; Duncan, C.C.; Shiue, C.Y.

    1982-01-01

    The tracer kinetics of 4-Fluoro( 18 F)-, 4-Bromo( 82 Br)- and 4-Iodo( 125 I)-antipyrine and 15 O-water were compared in a cat or baboon animal model. First-pass cerebral extraction and clearance with alterations in PaCO 2 were measured for whole brain. The Renkin/Crone model was used to evaluate brain capillary permeability-surface area product for 4- 18 FAP in cats. Positron-emission-tomographic measurements required development of an instrument and technique for control of the arterial concentration of the radiotracer as a ramp function, so that tracer concentration changes due to radioactive decay or altered physiological processes could be accurately described with PET. Pharmacokinetic and tissue-distribution studies in cats were used to determine dosimetry for 4- 18 FAP. 4-Bromoantipyrine labeled with 78 Br (t = 6.5 m) is suggested as a tracer for determination of rCBF with PET

  16. PET imaging in patients with Modic changes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Albert, H.B.; Manniche, C.; Petersen, H.; Hoeilund-Carlsen, P.F.

    2009-01-01

    The aim of this study was via PET imaging to reveal if any highly metabolic processes were occurring in Modic changes type 1 and/or in the adjacent discs. Modic changes (MC) are signal changes in the vertebral endplate and body visualised by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MC are strongly associated with low back pain (LBP). MC type 1 appear to be inflammation on MRI, and histological and biochemical findings make it highly likely that an inflammation is present. Though MC is painful no known treatment is available, and it is unknown which entities affect the progress or regress of MC. The changes observed on MRI are slow and take months to develop, but faster changes in the metabolism might provide a platform for monitoring patients. Patients from The Back Centre Funen, with low back pain in the area of L1 to S1, MC type 1 in L1 to L5, and a previous herniated lumbar disc. All patients had a PET scan using FDG ( 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose) as tracer. Included in the study were 11 patients, 4 women and 7 men, mean age 48.1 year (range 20-65). All MC were situated in the vertebrae both above and below the previously herniated disc/discs. Ten patients had MC at 1 level, and 1 had MC at 2 levels. The affected levels were 1 at L2/L3, 6 at L4 /L5, and 5 at L5/S1. All had a previous disc herniation and MC larger than 4 mm in diameter. Technically satisfactory PET scans were obtained. However, PET imaging showed no increases in metabolism in any vertebra or disc of any patient. Modic type 1 changes do not reveal themselves by showing increased metabolism with ordinary FDG PET imaging. PET tracers illuminating inflammation are being developed and hopefully may become more successful. (orig.)

  17. Multiphase CT scanning and different intravenous contrast media concentrations in combined F-18-FDG PET/CT: Effect on quantitative and clinical assessment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rebiere, Marilou, E-mail: Marilou.Rebiere@rwth-aachen.de [Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52057 Aachen (Germany); Verburg, Frederik A., E-mail: fverburg@ukaachen.de [Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52057 Aachen (Germany); Department of Nuclear Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Center, P. Debeylaan 25, 6202 AZ Maastricht (Netherlands); Palmowski, Moritz, E-mail: mpalmowski@ukaachen.de [Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52057 Aachen (Germany); Department of Radiology, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52057 Aachen (Germany); Department of Experimental Molecular Imaging, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52057 Aachen (Germany); Krohn, Thomas, E-mail: tkrohn@ukaachen.de [Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52057 Aachen (Germany); Pietsch, Hubertus, E-mail: hubertus.pietsch@bayer.com [Contrast Media Research, Bayer Pharma AG, Muellerstr. 178, 13353 Berlin (Germany); Kuhl, Christiane K., E-mail: ckuhl@ukaachen.de [Department of Radiology, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52057 Aachen (Germany); Mottaghy, Felix M., E-mail: fmottaghy@ukaachen.de [Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52057 Aachen (Germany); Department of Nuclear Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Center, P. Debeylaan 25, 6202 AZ Maastricht (Netherlands); Behrendt, Florian F., E-mail: fbehrendt@ukaachen.de [Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52057 Aachen (Germany)

    2012-08-15

    Purpose: To evaluate the influence of multiphase CT scanning and different intravenous contrast media on contrast enhancement, attenuation correction and image quality in combined PET/CT. Material and methods: 140 patients were prospectively enrolled for F-18-FDG-PET/CT including a low-dose unenhanced, arterial and venous contrast enhanced CT. The first (second) 70 patients, received contrast medium with 370 (300) mg iodine/ml. The iodine delivery rate (1.3 mg/s) and total iodine load (44.4 g) were identical for both groups. Contrast enhancement and maximum and mean standardized FDG uptake values (SUVmax and SUVmean) were determined for the un-enhanced, arterial and venous PET/CT at multiple anatomic sites and PET reconstructions were visually evaluated. Results: Arterial contrast enhancement was significantly higher for the 300 mg/ml contrast medium compared to 370 mg I/ml at all anatomic sites. Venous enhancement was not different between the two contrast media. SUVmean and SUVmax were significantly higher for the contrast enhanced compared to the non-enhanced PET/CT at all anatomic sites (all P < 0.001). Tracer uptake was significantly higher in the arterial than in the venous PET/CT in the arteries using both contrast media (all P < 0.001). No differences in tracer uptake were found between the contrast media (all P > 0.05). Visual assessment revealed no relevant differences between the different PET reconstructions. Conclusions: There is no relevant qualitative influence on the PET scan from the use of different intravenous contrast media in its various phases in combined multiphase PET/CT. For quantitative analysis of tracer uptake it is required to use an identical PET/CT protocol.

  18. Test-retest reliability of {sup 11}C-ORM-13070 in PET imaging of α{sub 2C}-adrenoceptors in vivo in the human brain

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lehto, Jussi; Peltonen, Juha M.; Volanen, Iina; Scheinin, Mika [University of Turku, Clinical Research Services Turku CRST, Turku (Finland); TYKSLAB, Unit of Clinical Pharmacology, Turku (Finland); Virta, Jere R. [University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku PET Centre, Turku (Finland); Turku University Hospital, Division of Clinical Neurosciences, Turku (Finland); Oikonen, Vesa; Roivainen, Anne; Luoto, Pauliina; Arponen, Eveliina; Helin, Semi; Virtanen, Kirsi [University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku PET Centre, Turku (Finland); Hietamaeki, Johanna; Holopainen, Aila; Rouru, Juha; Sallinen, Jukka [Orion Pharma, Turku (Finland); Kailajaervi, Marita [Turku Imanet, GE Healthcare, Turku (Finland); Rinne, Juha O. [University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku PET Centre, Turku (Finland); Turku University Hospital, Division of Clinical Neurosciences, Turku (Finland); University of Turku, Clinical Research Services Turku CRST, Turku (Finland)

    2015-01-15

    α{sub 2C}-Adrenoceptors share inhibitory presynaptic functions with the more abundant α{sub 2A}-adrenoceptor subtype, but they also have widespread postsynaptic modulatory functions in the brain. Research on the noradrenergic system of the human brain has been hampered by the lack of suitable PET tracers targeted to the α{sub 2}-adrenoceptor subtypes. PET imaging with the specific α{sub 2C}-adrenoceptor antagonist tracer [{sup 11}C]ORM-13070 was performed twice in six healthy male subjects to investigate the test-retest reliability of tracer binding. The bound/free ratio of tracer uptake relative to nonspecific uptake into the cerebellum during the time interval of 5 - 30 min was most prominent in the dorsal striatum: 0.77 in the putamen and 0.58 in the caudate nucleus. Absolute test-retest variability in bound/free ratios of tracer ranged from 4.3 % in the putamen to 29 % in the hippocampus. Variability was also <10 % in the caudate nucleus and thalamus. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) ranged from 0.50 in the hippocampus to 0.89 in the thalamus (ICC >0.70 was also reached in the caudate nucleus, putamen, lateral frontal cortex and parietal cortex). The pattern of [{sup 11}C]ORM-13070 binding, as determined by PET, was in good agreement with receptor density results previously derived from post-mortem autoradiography. PET data analysis results obtained with a compartmental model fit, the simplified reference tissue model and a graphical reference tissue analysis method were convergent with the tissue ratio method. The results of this study support the use of [{sup 11}C]ORM-13070 PET in the quantitative assessment of α{sub 2C}-adrenoceptors in the human brain in vivo. Reliable assessment of specific tracer binding in the dorsal striatum is possible with the help of reference tissue ratios. (orig.)

  19. Preparation and evaluation of {sup 68}Ga-ECC as a PET renal imaging agent

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mizaei, Alireza; Jaililan, Amir Reza; Mazidi, Mohammad; Aghanejad, Ayuob; Yousefnia, Hassan; Shabani, Gholamli; Ardaneh, Khosro [Radiation Application Research School, Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Geramifar, Patham; Beiki, Davood [Research Center for Nuclear Medicine, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2015-09-15

    Development of a gallium-68-labeled renal tracer can be a good substitute for Tc-99m, a known SPECT tracer. In this study, effort was made to develop {sup 68}Ga-ethylenecysteamine cysteine ({sup 68}Ga-ECC). Ga-ECC was prepared using generator-based {sup 68}GaCl3 and ethylenecysteamine cysteine (ECC) at optimized conditions. Stability of the complex was checked in human serum followed by partition coefficient determination of the tracer. The biodistribution of the tracer in rats was studied using tissue counting and PET/CT imaging up to 120 min. Ga-ECC was prepared at optimized conditions in 15 min at 90 °C (radiochemical purity ≈97 ± 0.88 % ITLC, >99 % HPLC, specific activity: 210 ± 5 GBq/mM). {sup 68}Ga-ECC was a water-soluble complex based on partition coefficient data (log P; −1.378) and was stable in the presence of human serum for 2 h at 37 °C. The biodistribution of the tracer demonstrated high kidney excretion of the tracer in 10–20 min. The SUV{sub max} ratios of the liver to left kidney were 0.38 and 0.39 for 30 and 90 min, respectively, indicating high kidney uptake. Initial biodistribution results showed significant kidney and urinary excretion of the tracer comparable to that of the homologous {sup 99m}Tc compound. The complex could be a possible PET kidney imaging agent with a fast imaging time.

  20. Immuno PET/MR imaging allows specific detection of Aspergillus fumigatus lung infection in vivo

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rolle, Anna-Maria; Hasenberg, Mike; Thornton, Christopher R.

    2016-01-01

    -infected mice allowed specific localization of lung infection when combined with PET. Optical imaging with a fluorochrome-labeled version of the mAb showed colocalization with invasive hyphae. The mAb-based newly developed PET tracer [64Cu]DOTA-JF5 distinguishedIPA from bacterial lung infections and...

  1. Additive value of amyloid-PET in routine cases of clinical dementia work-up after FDG-PET

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brendel, Matthias; Schnabel, Jonas; Wagner, Leonie; Brendel, Eva; Meyer-Wilmes, Johanna; Unterrainer, Marcus; Schoenecker, Sonja; Prix, Catharina; Ackl, Nibal; Schildan, Andreas; Patt, Marianne; Barthel, Henryk; Sabri, Osama; Catak, Cihan; Pogarell, Oliver; Levin, Johannes; Danek, Adrian; Buerger, Katharina; Bartenstein, Peter; Rominger, Axel

    2017-01-01

    In recent years, several [ 18 F]-labeled amyloid-PET tracers have been developed and have obtained clinical approval. Despite their widespread scientific use, studies in routine clinical settings are limited. We therefore investigated the impact of [ 18 F]-florbetaben (FBB)-PET on the diagnostic management of patients with suspected dementia that was still unclarified after [ 18 F]-fluordeoxyglucose (FDG)-PET. All subjects were referred in-house with a suspected dementia syndrome due to neurodegenerative disease. After undergoing an FDG-PET exam, the cases were discussed by the interdisciplinary dementia board, where the most likely diagnosis as well as potential differential diagnoses were documented. Because of persistent diagnostic uncertainty, the patients received an additional FBB-PET exam. Results were interpreted visually and classified as amyloid-positive or amyloid-negative, and we then compared the individual clinical diagnoses before and after additional FBB-PET. A total of 107 patients (mean age 69.4 ± 9.7y) were included in the study. The FBB-PET was rated as amyloid-positive in 65/107. In 83% of the formerly unclear cases, a final diagnosis was reached through FBB-PET, and the most likely prior diagnosis was changed in 28% of cases. The highest impact was observed for distinguishing Alzheimer's dementia (AD) from fronto-temporal dementia (FTLD), where FBB-PET altered the most likely diagnosis in 41% of cases. FBB-PET has a high additive value in establishing a final diagnosis in suspected dementia cases when prior investigations such as FDG-PET are inconclusive. The differentiation between AD and FTLD was particularly facilitated by amyloid-PET, predicting a considerable impact on patient management, especially in the light of upcoming disease-modifying therapies. (orig.)

  2. Additive value of amyloid-PET in routine cases of clinical dementia work-up after FDG-PET

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Brendel, Matthias; Schnabel, Jonas; Wagner, Leonie; Brendel, Eva; Meyer-Wilmes, Johanna; Unterrainer, Marcus [University Hospital, LMU Munich, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Munich (Germany); Schoenecker, Sonja; Prix, Catharina; Ackl, Nibal [University Hospital, LMU Munich, Department of Neurology, Munich (Germany); Schildan, Andreas; Patt, Marianne; Barthel, Henryk; Sabri, Osama [University of Leipzig, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Leipzig (Germany); Catak, Cihan [Klinikum der Universitaet Muenchen, Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research, Munich (Germany); Pogarell, Oliver [University Hospital, LMU Munich, Department of Psychiatry, Munich (Germany); Levin, Johannes; Danek, Adrian [University Hospital, LMU Munich, Department of Neurology, Munich (Germany); DZNE - German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Munich (Germany); Buerger, Katharina [Klinikum der Universitaet Muenchen, Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research, Munich (Germany); DZNE - German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Munich (Germany); Bartenstein, Peter; Rominger, Axel [University Hospital, LMU Munich, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Munich (Germany); Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich (Germany)

    2017-12-15

    In recent years, several [{sup 18}F]-labeled amyloid-PET tracers have been developed and have obtained clinical approval. Despite their widespread scientific use, studies in routine clinical settings are limited. We therefore investigated the impact of [{sup 18}F]-florbetaben (FBB)-PET on the diagnostic management of patients with suspected dementia that was still unclarified after [{sup 18}F]-fluordeoxyglucose (FDG)-PET. All subjects were referred in-house with a suspected dementia syndrome due to neurodegenerative disease. After undergoing an FDG-PET exam, the cases were discussed by the interdisciplinary dementia board, where the most likely diagnosis as well as potential differential diagnoses were documented. Because of persistent diagnostic uncertainty, the patients received an additional FBB-PET exam. Results were interpreted visually and classified as amyloid-positive or amyloid-negative, and we then compared the individual clinical diagnoses before and after additional FBB-PET. A total of 107 patients (mean age 69.4 ± 9.7y) were included in the study. The FBB-PET was rated as amyloid-positive in 65/107. In 83% of the formerly unclear cases, a final diagnosis was reached through FBB-PET, and the most likely prior diagnosis was changed in 28% of cases. The highest impact was observed for distinguishing Alzheimer's dementia (AD) from fronto-temporal dementia (FTLD), where FBB-PET altered the most likely diagnosis in 41% of cases. FBB-PET has a high additive value in establishing a final diagnosis in suspected dementia cases when prior investigations such as FDG-PET are inconclusive. The differentiation between AD and FTLD was particularly facilitated by amyloid-PET, predicting a considerable impact on patient management, especially in the light of upcoming disease-modifying therapies. (orig.)

  3. Assessing Glomerular Filtration in Small Animals Using [68Ga]DTPA and [68Ga]EDTA with PET Imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gündel, Daniel; Pohle, Ulrike; Prell, Erik; Odparlik, Andreas; Thews, Oliver

    2018-06-01

    Determining the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is essential for clinical medicine but also for pre-clinical animal studies. Functional imaging using positron emission tomography (PET) allows repetitive almost non-invasive measurements. The aim of the study was the development and evaluation of easily synthesizable PET tracers for GFR measurements in small animals. Diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) were labeled with Ga-68. The binding to blood cells and plasma proteins was tested in vitro. The distribution of the tracers in rats was analyzed by PET imaging and ex vivo measurements. From the time-activity-curve of the blood compartment (heart) and the total tracer mass excreted by the kidney, the GFR was calculated. These values were compared directly with the inulin clearance in the same animals. Both tracers did not bind to blood cells. [ 68 Ga]DPTA but not [ 68 Ga]EDTA showed strong binding to plasma proteins. For this reason, [ 68 Ga]DPTA stayed much longer in the blood and only 30 % of the injected dose was eliminated by the kidney within 60 min whereas the excretion of [ 68 Ga]EDTA was 89 ± 1 %. The calculated GFR using [ 68 Ga]EDTA was comparable to the measured inulin clearance in the same animal. Using [ 68 Ga]-DPTA, the measurements led to values which were 80 % below the normal GFR. The results also revealed that definition of the volume of interest for the blood compartment affects the calculation and may lead to a slight overestimation of the GFR. [ 68 Ga]EDTA is a suitable tracer for GFR calculation from PET imaging in small animals. It is easy to be labeled, and the results are in good accordance with the inulin clearance. [ 68 Ga]DTPA led to a marked underestimation of GFR due to its strong binding to plasma proteins and is therefore not an appropriate tracer for GFR measurements.

  4. Characterization of positron emission tomography hypoxia tracer uptake and tissue oxygenation via electrochemical modeling

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bowen, S.R.; Kogel, A.J. van der; Nordsmark, M.; Bentzen, S.M.; Jeraj, R.

    2011-01-01

    PURPOSE: Unique uptake and retention mechanisms of positron emission tomography (PET) hypoxia tracers make in vivo comparison between them challenging. Differences in imaged uptake of two common hypoxia radiotracers, [(61)Cu]Cu-ATSM and [(18)F]FMISO, were characterized via computational modeling to

  5. Early PET imaging with [68]Ga-PSMA-11 increases the detection rate of local recurrence in prostate cancer patients with biochemical recurrence

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Uprimny, Christian; Kroiss, Alexander Stephan; Decristoforo, Clemens; Kendler, Dorota; Guggenberg, Elisabeth von; Nilica, Bernhard; Maffey-Steffan, Johanna; Di Santo, Gianpaolo; Virgolini, Irene Johanna [Medical University Innsbruck, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Innsbruck (Austria); Fritz, Josef [Medical University Innsbruck, Department of Medical Statistics, Informatics and Health Economics, Innsbruck (Austria); Bektic, Jasmin; Horninger, Wolfgang [Medical University Innsbruck, Department of Urology, Innsbruck (Austria)

    2017-09-15

    PET/CT using {sup 68}Ga-labelled prostate-specific membrane antigen PSMA-11 (HBEDD-CC) has emerged as a promising imaging method in the diagnostic evaluation of prostate cancer (PC) patients with biochemical recurrence. However, assessment of local recurrence (LR) may be limited by intense physiologic tracer accumulation in the urinary bladder on whole-body scans, normally conducted 60 min post-tracer injection (p.i.). It could be shown on early dynamic imaging studies that {sup 68}Ga-PSMA-11 uptake in PC lesions occurs earlier than tracer accumulation in the urinary bladder. This study aims to investigate whether early static PET acquisition increases detection rate of local recurrence on {sup 68}Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT in comparison to PET imaging 60 min p.i. 203 consecutive PC patients with biochemical failure referred to {sup 68}Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT were analysed retrospectively (median prostate specific antigen (PSA) value: 1.44 ng/ml). In addition to whole-body PET/CT scans 60 min p.i., early static imaging of the pelvis was performed, starting at a median time of 283 s p.i. (range: 243-491 s). Assessment was based on visual analysis and calculation of maximum standardized uptake value (SUV{sub max}) of pathologic lesions present in the pelvic area found on early PET imaging and on 60 min-PET scans. 26 patients (12.8%) were judged positive for LR on PET scans 60 min p.i. (median SUV{sub max}: 10.8; range: 4.7-40.9), whereas 50 patients (24.6%) revealed a lesion suggestive of LR on early PET imaging (median SUV{sub max}: 5.9; range: 2.9-17.6), resulting in a significant rise in detection rate (p < 0.001). Equivocal findings on PET scans 60 min p.i. decreased significantly with the help of early imaging (15.8% vs. 4.5% of patients; p < 0.001). Tracer activity in the urinary bladder with a median SUV{sub max} of 8.2 was present in 63 patients on early PET scans (31.0%). However, acquisition starting time of early PET scans differed significantly in the patient groups

  6. Simultaneous PET and MR imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yiping Shao; Cherry, Simon R.; Meadors, Ken; Siegel, Stefan; Silverman, Robert W.; Farahani, Keyvan; Marsden, Paul K.

    1997-01-01

    We have developed a prototype PET detector which is compatible with a clinical MRI system to provide simultaneous PET and MR imaging. This single-slice PET system consists of 48 2x2x10mm 3 LSO crystals in a 38 mm diameter ring configuration that can be placed inside the receiver coil of the MRI system, coupled to three multi-channel photomultipliers housed outside the main magnetic field via 4 m long and 2 mm diameter optical fibres. The PET system exhibits 2 mm spatial resolution, 41% energy resolution at 511 keV and 20 ns timing resolution. Simultaneous PET and MR phantom images were successfully acquired. (author)

  7. TH-E-202-01: Pitfalls and Remedies in PET/CT Imaging for RT Planning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pan, T.

    2016-01-01

    PET/CT is a very important imaging tool in the management of oncology patients. PET/CT has been applied for treatment planning and response evaluation in radiation therapy. This educational session will discuss: Pitfalls and remedies in PET/CT imaging for RT planning The use of hypoxia PET imaging for radiotherapy PET for tumor response evaluation The first presentation will address the issue of mis-registration between the CT and PET images in the thorax and the abdomen. We will discuss the challenges of respiratory gating and introduce an average CT technique to improve the registration for dose calculation and image-guidance in radiation therapy. The second presentation will discuss the use of hypoxia PET Imaging for radiation therapy. We will discuss various hypoxia radiotracers, the choice of clinical acquisition protocol (in particular a single late static acquisition versus a dynamic acquisition), and the compartmental modeling with different transfer rate constants explained. We will demonstrate applications of hypoxia imaging for dose escalation/de-escalation in clinical trials. The last presentation will discuss the use of PET/CT for tumor response evaluation. We will discuss anatomic response assessment vs. metabolic response assessment, visual evaluation and semi-quantitative evaluation, and limitations of current PET/CT assessment. We will summarize clinical trials using PET response in guiding adaptive radiotherapy. Finally, we will summarize recent advancements in PET/CT radiomics and non-FDG PET tracers for response assessment. Learning Objectives: Identify the causes of mis-registration of CT and PET images in PET/CT, and review the strategies to remedy the issue. Understand the basics of PET imaging of tumor hypoxia (radiotracers, how PET measures the hypoxia selective uptake, imaging protocols, applications in chemo-radiation therapy). Understand the basics of dynamic PET imaging, compartmental modeling and parametric images. Understand the

  8. TH-E-202-01: Pitfalls and Remedies in PET/CT Imaging for RT Planning

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pan, T. [UT MD Anderson Cancer Center (United States)

    2016-06-15

    PET/CT is a very important imaging tool in the management of oncology patients. PET/CT has been applied for treatment planning and response evaluation in radiation therapy. This educational session will discuss: Pitfalls and remedies in PET/CT imaging for RT planning The use of hypoxia PET imaging for radiotherapy PET for tumor response evaluation The first presentation will address the issue of mis-registration between the CT and PET images in the thorax and the abdomen. We will discuss the challenges of respiratory gating and introduce an average CT technique to improve the registration for dose calculation and image-guidance in radiation therapy. The second presentation will discuss the use of hypoxia PET Imaging for radiation therapy. We will discuss various hypoxia radiotracers, the choice of clinical acquisition protocol (in particular a single late static acquisition versus a dynamic acquisition), and the compartmental modeling with different transfer rate constants explained. We will demonstrate applications of hypoxia imaging for dose escalation/de-escalation in clinical trials. The last presentation will discuss the use of PET/CT for tumor response evaluation. We will discuss anatomic response assessment vs. metabolic response assessment, visual evaluation and semi-quantitative evaluation, and limitations of current PET/CT assessment. We will summarize clinical trials using PET response in guiding adaptive radiotherapy. Finally, we will summarize recent advancements in PET/CT radiomics and non-FDG PET tracers for response assessment. Learning Objectives: Identify the causes of mis-registration of CT and PET images in PET/CT, and review the strategies to remedy the issue. Understand the basics of PET imaging of tumor hypoxia (radiotracers, how PET measures the hypoxia selective uptake, imaging protocols, applications in chemo-radiation therapy). Understand the basics of dynamic PET imaging, compartmental modeling and parametric images. Understand the

  9. 68Ga-THP-PSMA: A PET Imaging Agent for Prostate Cancer Offering Rapid, Room-Temperature, 1-Step Kit-Based Radiolabeling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Young, Jennifer D; Abbate, Vincenzo; Imberti, Cinzia; Meszaros, Levente K; Ma, Michelle T; Terry, Samantha Y A; Hider, Robert C; Mullen, Greg E; Blower, Philip J

    2017-08-01

    The clinical impact and accessibility of 68 Ga tracers for the prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) and other targets would be greatly enhanced by the availability of a simple, 1-step kit-based labeling process. Radiopharmacy staff are accustomed to such procedures in the daily preparation of 99m Tc radiopharmaceuticals. Currently, chelating agents used in 68 Ga radiopharmaceuticals do not meet this ideal. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate preclinically a 68 Ga radiotracer for imaging PSMA expression that could be radiolabeled simply by addition of 68 Ga generator eluate to a cold kit. Methods: A conjugate of a tris(hydroxypyridinone) (THP) chelator with the established urea-based PSMA inhibitor was synthesized and radiolabeled with 68 Ga by adding generator eluate directly to a vial containing the cold precursors THP-PSMA and sodium bicarbonate, with no further manipulation. It was analyzed after 5 min by instant thin-layer chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography. The product was subjected to in vitro studies to determine PSMA affinity using PSMA-expressing DU145-PSMA cells, with their nonexpressing analog DU145 as a control. In vivo PET imaging and ex vivo biodistribution studies were performed in mice bearing xenografts of the same cell lines, comparing 68 Ga-THP-PSMA with 68 Ga-HBED-CC-PSMA. Results: Radiolabeling was complete (>95%) within 5 min at room temperature, showing a single radioactive species by high-performance liquid chromatography that was stable in human serum for more than 6 h and showed specific binding to PSMA-expressing cells (concentration giving 50% inhibition of 361 ± 60 nM). In vivo PET imaging showed specific uptake in PSMA-expressing tumors, reaching 5.6 ± 1.2 percentage injected dose per cubic centimeter at 40-60 min and rapid clearance from blood to kidney and bladder. The tumor uptake, biodistribution, and pharmacokinetics were not significantly different from those of 68 Ga

  10. A radiometabolite study of the serotonin transporter PET radioligand [11C]MADAM

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gourand, F.; Emond, P.; Bergström, J.P.; Takano, A.; Gulyás, B.; Guilloteau, D.; Barré, L.; Halldin, C.

    2014-01-01

    Introduction: 11 C]MADAM is a radioligand suitable for PET studies of the serotonin transporter (SERT). Metabolite analysis in human and non-human plasma samples using HPLC separation has shown that [ 11 C]MADAM was rapidly metabolized. A possible metabolic pathway is the S-oxidation which could lead to SOMADAM and SO 2 MADAM. In vitro evaluation of these two potential metabolites has shown that SOMADAM exhibited a good affinity for SERT and a good selectivity for SERT over NET and DAT. Methods: Comparative PET imaging studies in non-human primate brain with [ 11 C]MADAM and [ 11 C]SOMADAM were carried out, and plasma samples were analyzed using reverse phase HPLC. We have explored the metabolism of [ 11 C]MADAM in rat brain with a view to understand its possible interference for brain imaging with PET. Results: PET imaging studies in non-human primate brain using [ 11 C]SOMADAM indicated that this tracer does not bind with high amounts to brain regions known to be rich in SERT. The fraction of [ 11 C]SOMADAM in non-human primate plasma was approximately 5% at 4 min and 1% at 15 min after [ 11 C]MADAM injection. HPLC analysis of brain sample after [ 11 C]MADAM injection to rats demonstrated that [ 11 C]SOMADAM was not detected in the brain. Conclusions: 11 C]SOMADAM is not superior over [ 11 C]MADAM as a SERT PET radioligand. Nevertheless, [ 11 C]SOMADAM has been identified as a minor labeled metabolite of [ 11 C]MADAM measured in monkey plasma. [ 11 C]SOMADAM was not detected in rat brain

  11. Multi-Tracer Approach for Shelf Water Mixing Studies in Brazilian Regions under Different Climates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lacerda, L. D.; Marins, R. V.; Dias, F. J.S. [Instituto de Ciencias do Mar, Universidate Federal do Ceara, Fortaleza, CE (Brazil); Godoy, M. L.D.P. [Instituto de Radioprotecao e Dosimetria, Comissao Nacional de Energia Nuclear, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Godoy, J. M.; Souza, T. A. [Departamento de Quimica, Pontificia Universidade Catolica, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Rezende, C. E. [Centro de Biociencias e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense, Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ (Brazil)

    2013-07-15

    Fresh water and sediment supply at estuary and plume regions has dramatically changed due to land use changes, mostly damming, in river basins. The resulting impact, however, may vary significantly depending on climate and hydrology. The seasonal differences in shelf, plume, estuarine and river waters of two watersheds located under contrasting climates in the Brazilian coast are reported using a multi-tracer approach (salinity, barium, silica, uranium, deuterium and {sup 18}O) to characterize the mixing processes. At the Paraiba do Sul River, SE Brazil, in a wet tropical coast, all results showed similarity between dry and wet seasons; at the Jaguaribe river under semi arid climate in NE Brazil, the results showed a moving freshwater plume depending on season, with freshwater at the estuary in the rainy season and shelf water intrusion upstream in the estuary in the dry season. Most tracers used were able to consistently characterize water masses even in the wide range of latitudes studied, confirming their importance as a tool for modelling mixing processes at the continent-ocean boundary. Barium, however, still needs better studies on its seashore chemistry, since in the semi arid site, Ba distribution could not be directly related to conservative mixing behaviour, at least during the rainy season. (author)

  12. Application of the multi-rate diffusion approach in tracer test studies at Aespoe HRL. Final report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haggerty, R.

    1999-11-01

    This report summarizes an investigation into heterogeneous diffusivity and associated parameters within granitic rocks at the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL). Our tasks for this investigation were: (1) to assess the potential for either anomalous or multi-rate diffusion within Aespoe rocks; (2) to evaluate existing data relating to anomalous and multi-rate diffusion within Aespoe rocks; (3) to perform scoping calculations in support of a Long Term Diffusion Experiment (LTDE) design; and (4) to begin developing a mathematical and computer model for solute advection in the presence of anomalous matrix diffusion. In addition to carrying out these tasks, we also report on (5) the late-time behavior of breakthrough curves. First, in regard to the potential for anomalous and multi-rate diffusion and analyses of existing data, we find that (1) in a literature review of 100 column experiments in various types of rock and sediment, rate coefficients decrease with experimental observation time. This is precisely what would be expected of both multi-rate and anomalous diffusion. (2) Three sets of through-diffusion experiments in Fenno-Scandian granitic rock found decreasing effective diffusivity, D e , with sample length, while one set did not. (3) Based on diffusivity and sorption data, and speculation on matrix block size variability, the total variability of D a /a 2 may reasonably be expected to exceed 4 orders of magnitude. (4) Analyses of two-well tracer data completed to date are ambiguous with respect to multi-rate diffusion. Analyses of TRUE data are currently underway and may support multi-rate diffusion. Second, in regard to the potential consequences of multi-rate and anomalous diffusion on nuclear waste disposal, we found the following key points: (1) No single value of diffusivity can represent the diffusion process at all time- or length-scales if diffusion is truly anomalous, while a single value of diffusivity will represent diffusion adequately for some

  13. Application of the multi-rate diffusion approach in tracer test studies at Aespoe HRL. Final report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Haggerty, R. [Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, OR (United States). Dept. of Geosciences

    1999-11-01

    This report summarizes an investigation into heterogeneous diffusivity and associated parameters within granitic rocks at the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL). Our tasks for this investigation were: (1) to assess the potential for either anomalous or multi-rate diffusion within Aespoe rocks; (2) to evaluate existing data relating to anomalous and multi-rate diffusion within Aespoe rocks; (3) to perform scoping calculations in support of a Long Term Diffusion Experiment (LTDE) design; and (4) to begin developing a mathematical and computer model for solute advection in the presence of anomalous matrix diffusion. In addition to carrying out these tasks, we also report on (5) the late-time behavior of breakthrough curves. First, in regard to the potential for anomalous and multi-rate diffusion and analyses of existing data, we find that (1) in a literature review of 100 column experiments in various types of rock and sediment, rate coefficients decrease with experimental observation time. This is precisely what would be expected of both multi-rate and anomalous diffusion. (2) Three sets of through-diffusion experiments in Fenno-Scandian granitic rock found decreasing effective diffusivity, D{sub e}, with sample length, while one set did not. (3) Based on diffusivity and sorption data, and speculation on matrix block size variability, the total variability of D{sub a}/a{sup 2} may reasonably be expected to exceed 4 orders of magnitude. (4) Analyses of two-well tracer data completed to date are ambiguous with respect to multi-rate diffusion. Analyses of TRUE data are currently underway and may support multi-rate diffusion. Second, in regard to the potential consequences of multi-rate and anomalous diffusion on nuclear waste disposal, we found the following key points: (1) No single value of diffusivity can represent the diffusion process at all time- or length-scales if diffusion is truly anomalous, while a single value of diffusivity will represent diffusion

  14. Carbon-11 labeled papaverine as a PET tracer for imaging PDE10A: radiosynthesis, in vitro and in vivo evaluation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tu Zhude [Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110 (United States)], E-mail: tuz@mir.wustl.edu; Xu Jinbin; Jones, Lynne A.; Li Shihong; Mach, Robert H. [Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110 (United States)

    2010-05-15

    Papaverine, 1-(3,4-dimethoxybenzyl)-6,7-dimethoxyisoquinoline, a specific inhibitor of phosphodiesterase (PDE) 10A with IC{sub 50} values of 36 nM for PDE10A, 1,300 nM for PDE3A and 320 nM for PDE4D, has served as a useful pharmaceutical tool to study the physiological role of PDE10A. Here, we report the radiosynthesis of [{sup 11}C]papaverine and the in vitro and in vivo evaluation of [{sup 11}C]papaverine as a potential positron emission tomography (PET) radiotracer for imaging PDE10A in the central nervous system (CNS). The radiosynthesis of papaverine with {sup 11}C was achieved by O-methylation of the corresponding des-methyl precursor with [{sup 11}C]methyl iodide. [{sup 11}C]papaverine was obtained with {approx}70% radiochemical yield and a specific activity >10 Ci/{mu}mol. In vitro autoradiography studies of rat and monkey brain sections revealed selective binding of [{sup 11}C]papaverine to PDE10A enriched regions: the striatum of rat brain and the caudate and putamen of rhesus monkey brain. The biodistribution of [{sup 11}C]papaverine in rats at 5 min demonstrated an initially higher accumulation in striatum than in other brain regions, however the washout was rapid. MicroPET imaging studies in rhesus macaques similarly displayed initial specific uptake in the striatum with very rapid clearance of [{sup 11}C]papaverine from brain. Our initial evaluation suggests that despite papaverine's utility for in vitro studies and as a pharmaceutical tool, [{sup 11}C]papaverine is not an ideal radioligand for clinical imaging of PDE10A in the CNS. Analogs of papaverine having a higher potency for inhibiting PDE10A and improved pharmacokinetic properties will be necessary for imaging this enzyme with PET.

  15. Comparison of MET-PET and FDG-PET for differentiation between benign lesions and lung cancer in pneumoconiosis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kanegae, Kakuko; Kuge, Yuji; Shiga, Tohru; Zhao, Songji; Okamoto, Shouzo; Tamaki, Nagara; Nakano, Ikuo; Kimura, Kiyonobu; Kaji, Hiroshi

    2007-01-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the ability of C-11-methionine (MET) and F-18 fluoro-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) to diagnose lung cancer in patients with pneumoconiosis. Twenty-six subjects underwent both wholebody MET-PET and FDG-PET on the same day. The first group was a lung cancer group, which consisted of 15 patients, and included those with pneumoconiosis with increased nodules (13 cases), hemoptysis (1 case), and positive sputum cytology (1 case). The second group was a no-malignancy control group, consisting of 11 patients with pneumoconiosis. Significant correlations between nodule size and the maximum standardized uptake value (SUV max ) of the two PET tracers were observed in the control group. The larger the nodule size, the greater were the amounts of these tracers accumulated (MET: r=0.771, P max of MET was significantly lower than that of FDG in the pneumoconiotic nodules (P max of MET was significantly higher in the lung cancer than in the pneumoconiotic nodules, with 3.48±1.18 (mean ± SE) for the lung cancer and 1.48±0.08 for the pneumoconiotic nodules (P max of FDG, with 7.12±2.36 and 2.85±0.24 (P<0.05), respectively. On the basis of the criteria for the control group, FDG and MET identified lung cancer with sensitivities of 60% and 80%, specificities of 100% and 93%, accuracies of 90% and 90%, positive predictive values of 100% and 80%, and negative predictive values of 88% and 93%, respectively. Our results indicate that nodules with an intense uptake of MET and FDG relative to their size should be carefully observed because of a high risk for lung cancer. (author)

  16. Motion compensation for fully 4D PET reconstruction using PET superset data

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Verhaeghe, J; Gravel, P; Mio, R; Fukasawa, R; Rosa-Neto, P; Soucy, J-P; Thompson, C J; Reader, A J, E-mail: jeroen.verhaeghe@mcgill.c [Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal (Canada)

    2010-07-21

    Fully 4D PET image reconstruction is receiving increasing research interest due to its ability to significantly reduce spatiotemporal noise in dynamic PET imaging. However, thus far in the literature, the important issue of correcting for subject head motion has not been considered. Specifically, as a direct consequence of using temporally extensive basis functions, a single instance of movement propagates to impair the reconstruction of multiple time frames, even if no further movement occurs in those frames. Existing 3D motion compensation strategies have not yet been adapted to 4D reconstruction, and as such the benefits of 4D algorithms have not yet been reaped in a clinical setting where head movement undoubtedly occurs. This work addresses this need, developing a motion compensation method suitable for fully 4D reconstruction methods which exploits an optical tracking system to measure the head motion along with PET superset data to store the motion compensated data. List-mode events are histogrammed as PET superset data according to the measured motion, and a specially devised normalization scheme for motion compensated reconstruction from the superset data is required. This work proceeds to propose the corresponding time-dependent normalization modifications which are required for a major class of fully 4D image reconstruction algorithms (those which use linear combinations of temporal basis functions). Using realistically simulated as well as real high-resolution PET data from the HRRT, we demonstrate both the detrimental impact of subject head motion in fully 4D PET reconstruction and the efficacy of our proposed modifications to 4D algorithms. Benefits are shown both for the individual PET image frames as well as for parametric images of tracer uptake and volume of distribution for {sup 18}F-FDG obtained from Patlak analysis.

  17. Clinical PET/MR Imaging in Dementia and Neuro-Oncology

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Henriksen, Otto M.; Marner, Lisbeth; Law, Ian

    2016-01-01

    The introduction of hybrid PET/MRI systems allows simultaneous multimodality image acquisition of high technical quality. This technique is well suited for the brain, and particularly in dementia and neuro-oncology. In routine use combinations of well-established MRI sequences and PET tracers....../MRI using [18F]-fluoro-ethyl-tyrosine (FET) also abide to the expectations of the adaptive and versatile diagnostic tool necessary in neuro-oncology covering both simple 20 min protocols for routine treatment surveillance and complicated 90 min brain and spinal cord protocols in pediatric neuro...

  18. Preclinical Evaluation of 18F-RO6958948, 11C-RO6931643, and 11C-RO6924963 as Novel PET Radiotracers for Imaging Tau Aggregates in Alzheimer Disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Honer, Michael; Gobbi, Luca; Knust, Henner; Kuwabara, Hiroto; Muri, Dieter; Koerner, Matthias; Valentine, Heather; Dannals, Robert F; Wong, Dean F; Borroni, Edilio

    2018-04-01

    baboons, PET scans indicated good brain entry, rapid washout, and a favorable metabolism pattern. Conclusion: 18 F-RO6958948, 11 C-RO6931643, and 11 C-RO6924963 are promising PET tracers for visualization of tau aggregates in AD. Head-to-head comparison and validation of these tracer candidates in AD patients and healthy controls will be reported in due course. © 2018 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.

  19. Predicting standard-dose PET image from low-dose PET and multimodal MR images using mapping-based sparse representation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Yan; Zhou, Jiliu; Zhang, Pei; An, Le; Ma, Guangkai; Kang, Jiayin; Shi, Feng; Shen, Dinggang; Wu, Xi; Lalush, David S; Lin, Weili

    2016-01-01

    Positron emission tomography (PET) has been widely used in clinical diagnosis for diseases and disorders. To obtain high-quality PET images requires a standard-dose radionuclide (tracer) injection into the human body, which inevitably increases risk of radiation exposure. One possible solution to this problem is to predict the standard-dose PET image from its low-dose counterpart and its corresponding multimodal magnetic resonance (MR) images. Inspired by the success of patch-based sparse representation (SR) in super-resolution image reconstruction, we propose a mapping-based SR (m-SR) framework for standard-dose PET image prediction. Compared with the conventional patch-based SR, our method uses a mapping strategy to ensure that the sparse coefficients, estimated from the multimodal MR images and low-dose PET image, can be applied directly to the prediction of standard-dose PET image. As the mapping between multimodal MR images (or low-dose PET image) and standard-dose PET images can be particularly complex, one step of mapping is often insufficient. To this end, an incremental refinement framework is therefore proposed. Specifically, the predicted standard-dose PET image is further mapped to the target standard-dose PET image, and then the SR is performed again to predict a new standard-dose PET image. This procedure can be repeated for prediction refinement of the iterations. Also, a patch selection based dictionary construction method is further used to speed up the prediction process. The proposed method is validated on a human brain dataset. The experimental results show that our method can outperform benchmark methods in both qualitative and quantitative measures. (paper)

  20. Rapid evaluation of the cost-effectiveness o FDG-PET in recurrent colorectal cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miles, K.A.; Keith, C.J.; Wong, D.C.; Griffiths, M.R.

    2002-01-01

    Full text: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of FDG-PET in recurrent colorectal cancer using Australian data whilst avoiding the time delays, costs and ethical difficulties associated with intensive patient follow-up. A decision tree sensitivity analysis was used. The study population comprised patients with recurrent colorectal under consideration for resection of apparently isolated hepatic metastasis in whom demonstration of extra-hepatic tumour would preclude surgery.The results of FDG-PET in a consecutive series of 75 such patients referred to the Wesley PET centre were used to determine the range of possible values for disease prevalence and specificity, assuming the value for PET sensitivity as reported in the federal government's PET review. These values, along with the diagnostic accuracy of CT and Australian costs for procedures (PET = $1200), were entered into decision trees modelling a diagnostic strategy comprising CT only and an alternative strategy where patients without extrahepatic tumour on CT also undergo FDG-PET. The cost per patient, accuracy and Incremental Cost-Accuracy Ratio (ICAR) were determined for each strategy. The PET strategy is cheaper for all possible values of disease prevalence and PET specificity ($306-328 / patient) and is more cost-effective for values of disease prevalence above 0.18 or PET specificity above 0.86. At a typical disease prevalence of 0.3 (PET specificity 0.92), the ICAR for the PET strategy is $9700 versus $11,200 for CT. PET remains cost saving even if the best reported values for sensitivity of CT and worse values for PET are used. FDG-PET for recurrent colorectal cancer in Australia would be cost saving and most probably cost-effective. Copyright (2002) Blackwell Science Pty Ltd

  1. Study of multi-pixel Geiger-mode avalanche photodiodes as a read-out for PET

    CERN Document Server

    Musienko, Yuri; Lecoq, Paul; Reucroft, Stephen; Swain, John; Trummer, Julia

    2007-01-01

    We have studied the performance of two multi-pixel Geiger-mode APDs (recently developed by the Centre of Perspective Technologies and Apparatus (CPTA) in Moscow) with 1×1 mm2 and 3×3 mm2 sensitive area as a readout for LSO and LYSO scintillator crystals. Energy and timing spectra were measured using a 22Na γ-source. The results of this study allow us to conclude that this photodetector is a very promising candidate for PET applications.

  2. Clinical utility of FDG PET/CT in acute complicated pyelonephritis - results from an observational study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wan, Chih-Hsing [Mackay Memorial Hospital at Taipei, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Taipei (China); Tseng, Jing-Ren; Yen, Tzu-Chen [Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Department of Nuclear Medicine and Center for Advanced Molecular Imaging and Translation, Taoyuan (China); Chang Gung University, Department of Medical Imaging and Radiological Science, College of Medicine, Taoyuan (China); Lee, Ming-Hsun [Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Taoyuan (China); Yang, Lan-Yan [Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Biostatistics Unit, Clinical Trial Center, Taoyuan (China)

    2018-03-15

    Acute complicated pyelonephritis (ACP) is an upper urinary tract infection associated with coexisting urinary tract abnormalities or medical conditions that could predispose to serious outcomes or treatment failures. Although CT and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are frequently used in patients with ACP, the clinical value of {sup 18}F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography and computed tomography (FDG PET/CT) has not been systematically investigated. This single-center retrospective study was designed to evaluate the potential usefulness of FDG PET/CT in patients with ACP. Thirty-one adult patients with ACP who underwent FDG PET/CT were examined. FDG PET/CT imaging characteristics, including tracer uptake patterns, kidney volumes, and extrarenal imaging findings, were reviewed in combination with clinical data and conventional imaging results. Of the 31 patients, 19 (61%) showed focal FDG uptake. The remaining 12 study participants showed a diffuse FDG uptake pattern. After volumetric approximation, the affected kidneys were found to be significantly enlarged. Patients who showed a focal uptake pattern had a higher frequency of abscess formation requiring drainage. ACP patients showing diffuse tracer uptake patterns had a more benign clinical course. Seven patients had suspected extrarenal coinfections, and FDG PET/CT successfully confirmed the clinical suspicion in five cases. FDG PET/CT was as sensitive as CT in identifying the six patients (19%) who developed abscesses. Notably, FDG PET/CT findings caused a modification to the initial antibiotic regimen in nine patients (29%). FDG PET/CT may be clinically useful in the assessment of patients with ACP who have a progressive disease course. (orig.)

  3. Development of Cu-64 labeled EGF for In Vivo PET Imaging of EGFR Expression

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Backer, Joseph M.

    2009-07-12

    In this project we proposed to establish feasibility of the development of targeted tracers for radionuclide imaging of epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFR) in cancer patients. The significance and impact of the proposed radiotracers are determined by the crucial role that EGFR plays in many cancers and by the rapid entrance of EGFR-inhibiting drugs into clinic. Clinical experience, however, revealed that only 10-25% of patients that are defined as EGFR-positive by immunohistochemical analysis respond to EGFR-directed therapeutics and there is poor correlation between EGFR immunohistochemistry and treatment. Therefore, for more efficacious use of EGFR-targeting therapeutics, there is a need for information about EGFR activity in patients. We hypothesized that radionuclide imaging of functionally active EGFR will provide such information and would allow for 1) rational patient stratification, 2) rapid monitoring of responses to therapy, and 3) development of personalized treatment regimens. We hypothesized that tracers based epidermal growth factor (EGF), a natural EGFR ligand, as a targeting vector would be particularly advantageous. First, only functionally active and therefore critical for disease progression EGFRs will bind and internalize an EGF-based tracer. Second, continuous internalization of EGF-based tracers by recyclable EGFR would lead to intracellular accumulation of radionuclide and improved signal-to-background ratio. Third, small size of EGF relative to antibodies would facilitate tumor penetration with vastly better non-specific soft tissue and blood clearance rates. Fourth, as a human protein, EGF is not expected to be immunogenic. Finally, at the beginning of this project, we have already engineered and expressed functionally active EGF with an N-terminal Cys-tag for site-specific conjugation of various payloads, including radionuclide chelators. In the Phase I of this project, in collaboration with Dr. Blankenberg’s group at Stanford

  4. Development of Cu-64 labeled EGF for In Vivo PET Imaging of EGFR Expression

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Backer, Joseph M.

    2009-01-01

    In this project we proposed to establish feasibility of the development of targeted tracers for radionuclide imaging of epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFR) in cancer patients. The significance and impact of the proposed radiotracers are determined by the crucial role that EGFR plays in many cancers and by the rapid entrance of EGFR-inhibiting drugs into clinic. Clinical experience, however, revealed that only 10-25% of patients that are defined as EGFR-positive by immunohistochemical analysis respond to EGFR-directed therapeutics and there is poor correlation between EGFR immunohistochemistry and treatment. Therefore, for more efficacious use of EGFR-targeting therapeutics, there is a need for information about EGFR activity in patients. We hypothesized that radionuclide imaging of functionally active EGFR will provide such information and would allow for (1) rational patient stratification, (2) rapid monitoring of responses to therapy, and (3) development of personalized treatment regimens. We hypothesized that tracers based epidermal growth factor (EGF), a natural EGFR ligand, as a targeting vector would be particularly advantageous. First, only functionally active and therefore critical for disease progression EGFRs will bind and internalize an EGF-based tracer. Second, continuous internalization of EGF-based tracers by recyclable EGFR would lead to intracellular accumulation of radionuclide and improved signal-to-background ratio. Third, small size of EGF relative to antibodies would facilitate tumor penetration with vastly better non-specific soft tissue and blood clearance rates. Fourth, as a human protein, EGF is not expected to be immunogenic. Finally, at the beginning of this project, we have already engineered and expressed functionally active EGF with an N-terminal Cys-tag for site-specific conjugation of various payloads, including radionuclide chelators. In the Phase I of this project, in collaboration with Dr. Blankenberg's group at Stanford

  5. The motivations and methodology for high-throughput PET imaging of small animals in cancer research

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Aide, Nicolas [Francois Baclesse Cancer Centre, Nuclear Medicine Department, Caen Cedex (France); Caen University, BioTICLA team, EA 4656, IFR 146, Caen (France); Visser, Eric P. [Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Nuclear Medicine Department, Nijmegen (Netherlands); Lheureux, Stephanie [Caen University, BioTICLA team, EA 4656, IFR 146, Caen (France); Francois Baclesse Cancer Centre, Clinical Research Unit, Caen (France); Heutte, Natacha [Francois Baclesse Cancer Centre, Clinical Research Unit, Caen (France); Szanda, Istvan [King' s College London, Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, London (United Kingdom); Hicks, Rodney J. [Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Centre for Molecular Imaging, East Melbourne (Australia)

    2012-09-15

    Over the last decade, small-animal PET imaging has become a vital platform technology in cancer research. With the development of molecularly targeted therapies and drug combinations requiring evaluation of different schedules, the number of animals to be imaged within a PET experiment has increased. This paper describes experimental design requirements to reach statistical significance, based on the expected change in tracer uptake in treated animals as compared to the control group, the number of groups that will be imaged, and the expected intra-animal variability for a given tracer. We also review how high-throughput studies can be performed in dedicated small-animal PET, high-resolution clinical PET systems and planar positron imaging systems by imaging more than one animal simultaneously. Customized beds designed to image more than one animal in large-bore small-animal PET scanners are described. Physics issues related to the presence of several rodents within the field of view (i.e. deterioration of spatial resolution and sensitivity as the radial and the axial offsets increase, respectively, as well as a larger effect of attenuation and the number of scatter events), which can be assessed by using the NEMA NU 4 image quality phantom, are detailed. (orig.)

  6. Revolutionary impact of PET and PET-CT on the day-to-day practice of medicine and its great potential for improving future health care

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Basu, S.; Alavi, A.

    2009-01-01

    In this communication, we present an overview of the impact and advantages of PET and PET-CT fusion imaging in the practice of medicine. We also discuss the evolution of this promising molecular imaging technique since its inception and the future prospects of the combined structure-function approach. Superior contrast resolution, accurate quantification and above all optimal image quality aid in improved diagnosis of many serious disorders including cancer. We speculate that this powerful imaging approach will almost completely replace most other conventional methods in the future. Currently, 18[F]-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) is the main radiopharmaceutical employed for PET studies around the globe. With the availability of high quality PET images on a routine basis in most centres around the world and the likelihood that several other useful PET tracers will be approved in the near future for routine clinical applications, this technique will likely become essential in almost any medical disorder. (authors)

  7. Determination of Intermediate Resonance Parameter with RMET21 for nTRACER

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sohail, Muhammad; Kim, Myung Hyun

    2012-01-01

    Ray Tracing based code nTRACER is being developed in Seoul National University that has the capability of 3-dimensional whole core neutron transport calculation. As a part of development of multi-group neutron cross section library for nTRACER, the current work is intended to accurately determine intermediate resonance parameters. Beside the systematic calculation of subgroup parameters for resonance self shielding calculation, intermediate resonance parameters itself can be as important as the multi-group neutron cross section in the library and its overall accuracy. In this paper lambda factors were computed using RMET21 from ENDF/B-VII.1 for nTRACER to investigate its dependence on temperature and background cross section and replaced with lambda factors from HELIOS multi-group library. The procedure used for determining the intermediate resonance parameter for the isotope under study is introduced in the next section. Oxygen being one of the primary nuclide in PWR fuel has been selected for intermediate resonance parameters calculation

  8. Evaluation of therapeutic effectiveness of neural transplantation using PET imaging technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Inaji, Motoki

    2004-01-01

    Neural transplantation is expected as an eradicative treatment of intractable central neural disease. In addition to behavioral observations, the recent development of the in vivo imaging technique also enabled to assess functions of neural graft in living subjects. Then we performed the PET scans using the unilateral 6-OHDA-lesioned rats in order to assess the pre- and post-synaptic functions in the striatum after transplantation of fetal dopaminergic neurons. As a result of PET scan, the images of [11C]PE2I, tracer of dopamine transporter, showed increased accumulation in the region which corresponded to the transplanted site after the graft. Because dopamine transporter exists on the cytoplasma membrane of axonal terminal, the accumulation of [11C]PE2I was regarded as a market of survival and maturation of transplanted cells. Also the images of [11C]raclopride, tracer of dopamine D2 receptor, revealed that up-regulation of D2 receptors normalized 4 weeks after transplantation. [11C]Raclopride was considered a marker of change of secondary dopaminergic environment. We believed that assessments with PET bring us much information, and it will increasingly contribute to a development of the regenerative medicine. (author)

  9. A multi-atlas based method for automated anatomical Macaca fascicularis brain MRI segmentation and PET kinetic extraction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ballanger, Bénédicte; Tremblay, Léon; Sgambato-Faure, Véronique; Beaudoin-Gobert, Maude; Lavenne, Franck; Le Bars, Didier; Costes, Nicolas

    2013-08-15

    MRI templates and digital atlases are needed for automated and reproducible quantitative analysis of non-human primate PET studies. Segmenting brain images via multiple atlases outperforms single-atlas labelling in humans. We present a set of atlases manually delineated on brain MRI scans of the monkey Macaca fascicularis. We use this multi-atlas dataset to evaluate two automated methods in terms of accuracy, robustness and reliability in segmenting brain structures on MRI and extracting regional PET measures. Twelve individual Macaca fascicularis high-resolution 3DT1 MR images were acquired. Four individual atlases were created by manually drawing 42 anatomical structures, including cortical and sub-cortical structures, white matter regions, and ventricles. To create the MRI template, we first chose one MRI to define a reference space, and then performed a two-step iterative procedure: affine registration of individual MRIs to the reference MRI, followed by averaging of the twelve resampled MRIs. Automated segmentation in native space was obtained in two ways: 1) Maximum probability atlases were created by decision fusion of two to four individual atlases in the reference space, and transformation back into the individual native space (MAXPROB)(.) 2) One to four individual atlases were registered directly to the individual native space, and combined by decision fusion (PROPAG). Accuracy was evaluated by computing the Dice similarity index and the volume difference. The robustness and reproducibility of PET regional measurements obtained via automated segmentation was evaluated on four co-registered MRI/PET datasets, which included test-retest data. Dice indices were always over 0.7 and reached maximal values of 0.9 for PROPAG with all four individual atlases. There was no significant mean volume bias. The standard deviation of the bias decreased significantly when increasing the number of individual atlases. MAXPROB performed better when increasing the number of

  10. Looking forward to a PET scanner designed for non-human primates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tanaka, Keiji

    1992-01-01

    The cerebral cortex of non-human primates has been divided, mainly by anatomical techniques, into an enormous number of areas. We are looking forward to a PET scanner designed for non-human primates, with a hope to determine active brain regions when the animal does various cognitive tasks. This measurement with PET can be combined with single cell recordings and anatomical tracer studies in non-human primates. Another big hope is to detect a change of active regions as the learning advances. (author)

  11. Clinical Significance of F 18 FP CIT Dual Time Point PET Imaging in Idiopathic Parkinson's Disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oh, Jin Kyoung; Yoo, Ik Dong; Seo, Ye Young; Chung, Youg An; Yoo, Ie Ryung; Kim, Sung Hoon; Song, In Uk

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the diagnostic value of dual time point F 18 FP CIT PET imaging in idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD). Twenty four patients with PD (mean age 69.6) and 18 healthy people (mean age 70.26) underwent two sequential PET/CT scans (dual time point imaging) at 90 and 210 min after F 18 FP CIT injection. Tracer activity of region of interest was measured in the caudate, putamen and a reference region in the brain from both time points. The outcome parameter was the striatooccipital ratio (SOR). Normal SOR values were obtained in the control group. The percent change in tracer activity between 90 and 210 min images was calculated. The SOR values and the percent change in tracer activity were compared between the patients and healthy control group. The SOR values for the caudate, anterior and posterior putamen at both 90 and 210 min images were significantly reduced in the patients with PD. The lowest P value was obtained for the anterior and posterior putamen (p<0.001) at both time points. There were significant differences of the percent change in tracer activity for the anterior and posterior putamen in the two groups (p=0.01) F 18 FP CIT PET scans at 90 and 210 min after injection are both able to diagnose PD. Therefore, the 90 min image by itself in sufficient for diagnosing PD.

  12. Matching the Decay Half-Life with the Biological Half-Life: ImmunoPET Imaging with 44Sc-Labeled Cetuximab Fab Fragment

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-01-01

    Scandium-44 (t1/2 = 3.9 h) is a relatively new radioisotope of potential interest for use in clinical positron emission tomography (PET). Herein, we report, for the first time, the room-temperature radiolabeling of proteins with 44Sc for in vivo PET imaging. For this purpose, the Fab fragment of Cetuximab, a monoclonal antibody that binds with high affinity to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), was generated and conjugated with N-[(R)-2-amino-3-(para-isothiocyanato-phenyl)propyl]-trans-(S,S)-cyclohexane-1,2-diamine-N,N,N′,N″,N″-pentaacetic acid (CHX-A″-DTPA). The high purity of Cetuximab-Fab was confirmed by SDS-PAGE and mass spectrometry. The potential of the bioconjugate for PET imaging of EGFR expression in human glioblastoma (U87MG) tumor-bearing mice was investigated after 44Sc labeling. PET imaging revealed rapid tumor uptake (maximum uptake of ∼12% ID/g at 4 h postinjection) of 44Sc–CHX-A″-DTPA–Cetuximab-Fab with excellent tumor-to-background ratio, which might allow for same day PET imaging in future clinical studies. Immunofluorescence staining was conducted to correlate tracer uptake in the tumor and normal tissues with EGFR expression. This successful strategy for immunoPET imaging of EGFR expression using 44Sc–CHX-A″-DTPA–Cetuximab-Fab can make clinically translatable advances to select the right population of patients for EGFR-targeted therapy and also to monitor the therapeutic efficacy of anti-EGFR treatments. PMID:25389697

  13. Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology working group and European Association for Neuro-Oncology recommendations for the clinical use of PET imaging in gliomas

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Albert, Nathalie L.; Weller, Michael; Suchorska, Bogdana

    2016-01-01

    This guideline provides recommendations for the use of PET imaging in gliomas. The review examines established clinical benefit in glioma patients of PET using glucose (18F-FDG) and amino acid tracers (11C-MET, 18F-FET, and 18F-FDOPA). An increasing number of studies have been published on PET im...

  14. SU-G-IeP4-13: PET Image Noise Variability and Its Consequences for Quantifying Tumor Hypoxia

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kueng, R [Division of Medical Radiation Physics and Department of Radiation Oncology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, and University of Bern (Switzerland); Radiation Medicine Program, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario (Canada); Manser, P; Fix, M K [Division of Medical Radiation Physics and Department of Radiation Oncology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, and University of Bern (Switzerland); Driscoll, B; Keller, H [Radiation Medicine Program, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario (Canada); Stampanoni, M F M [Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University of Zurich and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) (Switzerland)

    2016-06-15

    Purpose: The values in a PET image which represent activity concentrations of a radioactive tracer are influenced by a large number of parameters including patient conditions as well as image acquisition and reconstruction. This work investigates noise characteristics in PET images for various image acquisition and image reconstruction parameters. Methods: Different phantoms with homogeneous activity distributions were scanned using several acquisition parameters and reconstructed with numerous sets of reconstruction parameters. Images from six PET scanners from different vendors were analyzed and compared with respect to quantitative noise characteristics. Local noise metrics, which give rise to a threshold value defining the metric of hypoxic fraction, as well as global noise measures in terms of noise power spectra (NPS) were computed. In addition to variability due to different reconstruction parameters, spatial variability of activity distribution and its noise metrics were investigated. Patient data from clinical trials were mapped onto phantom scans to explore the impact of the scanner’s intrinsic noise variability on quantitative clinical analysis. Results: Local noise metrics showed substantial variability up to an order of magnitude for different reconstruction parameters. Investigations of corresponding NPS revealed reconstruction dependent structural noise characteristics. For the acquisition parameters, noise metrics were guided by Poisson statistics. Large spatial non-uniformity of the noise was observed in both axial and radial direction of a PET image. In addition, activity concentrations in PET images of homogeneous phantom scans showed intriguing spatial fluctuations for most scanners. The clinical metric of the hypoxic fraction was shown to be considerably influenced by the PET scanner’s spatial noise characteristics. Conclusion: We showed that a hypoxic fraction metric based on noise characteristics requires careful consideration of the

  15. Imaging opiate receptors by positron tomography (PET): Evaluation by displacement of 3-Acetyl-6-Deoxy-6-Beta-/sup 18/F-flouronaltrexone with active and inactive naloxone

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Larson, S.M.; Channing, M.A.; Rice, K.R.; Pert, C.B.; Eckelman, W.C.; Burke, T.R.; Bennett, J.M.; Carson, R.E.; Di Chiro, G.

    1985-01-01

    We recently reported the development of a new radiopharmaceutical for in vivo PET imaging of opiate receptors, 3-acetyl-6-deoxy-6-Beta-/sup 18/F-fluoronaltrexone: 3-acetylcyclofoxy, or /sup 18/F-ACF. These studies involved displacement of /sup 18/F-ACF from sites of uptake in the baboon sub-cortical gray matter, and provided strong proof of the opiate receptor specificity of the tracer. We now report on the anatomic localization of /sup 18/F-ACF in the sub-cortical grapy matter of baboon, and the kinetics of uptake and displacement of the tracer. /sup 18/F-ACF was prepared from the known 3-acetyl-6-alpha-naltrexol via the triflate, using /sup 18/F produced by neutron bombardment of /sup 6/Li/sub 2/CO/sub 3/. Anesthetized baboons were imaged after injection of /sup 18/F-ACF (sp.ac.=20Ci/mmol), using the NIH NEUROPET, a high resolution PET scanner. After bolus injection, the initial distribution to brain was rapid with peak uptake at 6 minutes post-injection. Clearance from opiate receptor rich regions of thalamus and basal ganglia was gradual, but after injection of active (but not after inactive), naloxone, clearance from these regions more than doubled. In non-opiate rich regions, (e.g. cerebellum), the predominant component of clearance was equally rapid with or without the active naloxone. Displacement studies of positron labelled ligands provide a powerful tool for non-invasive study of opiate receptor in living primates

  16. Clinical PET/CT Atlas: A Casebook of Imaging in Oncology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2015-01-01

    Integrated positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) has evolved since its introduction into the commercial market more than a decade ago. It is now a key procedure, particularly in oncological imaging. Over the last years in routine clinical service, PET/CT has had a significant impact on diagnosis, treatment planning, staging, therapy, and monitoring of treatment response and has therefore played an important role in the care of cancer patients. The high sensitivity from the PET component and the specificity of the CT component give this hybrid imaging modality the unique characteristics that make PET/CT, even after over 10 years of clinical use, one of the fastest growing imaging modalities worldwide. This publication combines over 90 comprehensive cases covering all major indications of fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG)-PET/CT as well as some cases of clinically relevant special tracers. The cases provide an overview of what the specific disease can look like in PET/CT, the typical pattern of the disease’s spread as well as likely pitfalls and teaching points. This PET/CT Atlas will allow professionals interested in PET/CT imaging to embrace the variety of oncological imaging by providing clinically relevant teaching files on the effectiveness and diagnostic quality of FDG-PET/CT imaging in routine applications

  17. Quantification of the whole-body distribution of PET radiopharmaceuticals, applied to 3-N-([18F]fluoroethyl)spiperone

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Herzog, H.; Kuwert, T.; Langen, K.J.; Feinendegen, L.E.; Coenen, H.H.

    1990-01-01

    Using a multi slice whole body PET scanner PC4096-15WB, diagnostic measurements of the cerebral distribution of the D 2 receptor ligand 3-N-([ 18 F]fluoroethyl)spiperone were extended to quantify the biodistribution of this PET radiopharmaceutical. As a rotating line source was used for measured attenuation correction, transmission scans could be combined with emission scans even after injection of the tracer. Only 1% of the total administered dose (TAD) was found in the whole brain at 180 min, but the striatum and pituitary were still excellently delineated. Urinary bladder, gall bladder, and liver were the organs with the highest TAD ranging from 6% to 25%. The gall bladder is the critical organ with an absorbed dose of about 200 mGy/kBq followed by the urinary bladder and liver with 83 and 66 mGy/kBq, respectively. In the rest of the body radioactivity was evenly distributed. The total body dose was found to be 11.9 mGy/kBq. (orig.)

  18. Evaluation of two novel {sup 64}Cu-labeled RGD peptide radiotracers for enhanced PET imaging of tumor integrin α{sub v}β{sub 3}

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hernandez, Reinier; Graves, Stephen A.; Nickles, Robert J. [University of Wisconsin, Department of Medical Physics, Madison, WI (United States); Czerwinski, Andrzej; Valenzuela, Francisco [Peptides International, Inc., Louisville, KY (United States); Chakravarty, Rubel; Yang, Yunan; England, Christopher G. [University of Wisconsin, Department of Radiology, Madison, WI (United States); Cai, Weibo [University of Wisconsin, Department of Medical Physics, Madison, WI (United States); University of Wisconsin, Department of Radiology, Madison, WI (United States); University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, Madison, WI (United States)

    2015-11-15

    Our goal was to demonstrate that suitably derivatized monomeric RGD peptide-based PET tracers, targeting integrin α{sub v}β{sub 3}, may offer advantages in image contrast, time for imaging, and low uptake in nontarget tissues. Two cyclic RGDfK derivatives, (PEG){sub 2}-c(RGDfK) and PEG{sub 4}-SAA{sub 4}-c(RGDfK), were constructed and conjugated to NOTA for {sup 64}Cu labeling. Their integrin α{sub v}β{sub 3}-binding properties were determined via a competitive cell binding assay. Mice bearing U87MG tumors were intravenously injected with each of the {sup 64}Cu-labeled peptides, and PET scans were acquired during the first 30 min, and 2 and 4 h after injection. Blocking and ex vivo biodistribution studies were carried out to validate the PET data and confirm the specificity of the tracers. The IC{sub 50} values of NOTA-(PEG){sub 2}-c(RGDfK) and NOTA-PEG{sub 4}-SAA{sub 4}-c(RGDfK) were 444 ± 41 nM and 288 ± 66 nM, respectively. Dynamic PET data of {sup 64}Cu-NOTA-(PEG){sub 2}-c(RGDfK) and {sup 64}Cu-NOTA-PEG{sub 4}-SAA{sub 4}-c(RGDfK) showed similar circulation t{sub 1/2} and peak tumor uptake of about 4 %ID/g for both tracers. Due to its marked hydrophilicity, {sup 64}Cu-NOTA-PEG{sub 4}-SAA{sub 4}-c(RGDfK) provided faster clearance from tumor and normal tissues yet maintained excellent tumor-to-background ratios. Static PET scans at later time-points corroborated the enhanced excretion of the tracer, especially from abdominal organs. Ex vivo biodistribution and receptor blocking studies confirmed the accuracy of the PET data and the integrin α{sub v}β{sub 3}-specificity of the peptides. Our two novel RGD-based radiotracers with optimized pharmacokinetic properties allowed fast, high-contrast PET imaging of tumor-associated integrin α{sub v}β{sub 3}. These tracers may facilitate the imaging of abdominal malignancies, normally precluded by high background uptake. (orig.)

  19. Characterization of 3D PET systems for accurate quantification of myocardial blood flow

    OpenAIRE

    Renaud, Jennifer M.; Yip, Kathy; Guimond, Jean; Trottier, Mikaël; Pibarot, Philippe; Turcotte, Éric; Maguire, Conor; Lalonde, Lucille; Gulenchyn, Karen; Farncombe, Troy; Wisenberg, Gerald; Moody, Jonathan; Lee, Benjamin; Port, Steven C.; Turkington, Timothy G

    2016-01-01

    Three-dimensional (3D) mode imaging is the current standard for positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) systems. Dynamic imaging for quantification of myocardial blood flow (MBF) with short-lived tracers, such as Rb-82- chloride (Rb-82), requires accuracy to be maintained over a wide range of isotope activities and scanner count-rates. We propose new performance standard measurements to characterize the dynamic range of PET systems for accurate quantitative...

  20. Determination of residual Kryptofix 2.2.2 levels in [18F]-labeled radiopharmaceuticals for human use

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Scott, Peter J.H.; Kilbourn, Michael R.

    2007-01-01

    4,7,13,16,21,24-Hexaoxa-1,10-diazabicyclo[8.8.8]hexacosane (Kryptofix 2.2.2) is used in the routine preparation of [ 18 F]-labeled tracers employed in positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. Confirming the absence of Kryptofix in radiopharmaceuticals is a quality control criterion required before they can be released for human use. Analysis of Kryptofix levels using the iodoplatinate spot-test can be complicated by false-positive results due to nitrogen containing tracers and/or false-negative results caused by added stabilizers. To overcome this issue, we have developed a universal TLC method for the rapid and reliable determination of Kryptofix levels in the wide range of fluorine-18 radiopharmaceuticals we prepare, including complex multi-component formulations

  1. Quantitation of the critically ischemic zone at risk during acute coronary occlusion using PET

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Merhige, M.; Garza, D.; Sease, D.; Rowe, R.W.; Tewson, T.; Emran, A.; Bolomey, L.; Gould, K.L.

    1991-01-01

    Critical myocardial ischemia has been defined experimentally during acute coronary occlusion as flow reduction of 50% or more since cellular ATP depletion begins to occur beyond this flow reduction threshold, placing tissue at risk of cellular injury. To test the hypothesis that critically ischemic fractional left ventricular mass can be measured noninvasively with PET, nine dogs were imaged in a multi-slice positron camera using the perfusion tracer 13N-ammonia, while radiolabeled microspheres were injected into the left atrium during acute coronary occlusion. Images were processed using a 50% threshold and the size of the resulting perfusion defect was expressed as a fraction of total left ventricular image volume. The critically ischemic left ventricular fraction determined in vitro from the microsphere perfusion data, ranged from 5% to 30% of the total left ventricular weight and correlated closely with that determined noninvasively by PET with r = 0.94 (y = 1.05X - 2.0%). The authors conclude that the fraction of left ventricular myocardium rendered critically ischemic during acute coronary occlusion can be measured accurately and noninvasively in vivo using perfusion imaging with positron emission tomography

  2. Synthesis and preliminary evaluation of [18F]FEtP4A, a promising PET tracer for mapping acetylcholinesterase in vivo

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Mingrong; Tsuchiyama, Akio; Haradahira, Terushi; Furutsuka, Kenji; Yoshida, Yuichiro; Junko Noguchi, Takayo Kida; Irie, Toshiaki; Suzuki, Kazutoshi

    2002-01-01

    N-[ 18 F]Fluoroethyl-4-piperidyl acetate ([ 18 F]FEtP4A), an analog of [ 11 C]MP4A for mapping brain acetylcholineseterase (AchE) activity, was prepared by reacting 4-piperidyl acetate (P4A) with [ 18 F]fluoroethyl bromide ([ 18 F]FEtBr) using a newly developed automated system. Preliminary evaluation showed that the initial uptake of [ 18 F]FEtP4A in the mouse brain was > 8% injected dose/g tissue. The distribution pattern of [ 18 F]FEtP4A in the brain was striatum>cerebral cortex>cerebellum within 10-120 min post-injection, which reflected the distribution rank pattern of AchE activity in the brain. Moreover, chemical analysis of in vivo radioactive metabolites in the mouse brain indicated that 83% of [ 18 F]FEtP4A was hydrolyzed to N-[ 18 F]fluoroethyl-4-piperidinol ([ 18 F]FEtP4OH) after 1 min intravenous injection. From these results, [ 18 F]FEtP4A may become a promising PET tracer for mapping the AchE in vivo

  3. Binary classification of ¹⁸F-flutemetamol PET using machine learning

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vandenberghe, Rik; Nelissen, Natalie; Salmon, Eric

    2013-01-01

    (18)F-flutemetamol is a positron emission tomography (PET) tracer for in vivo amyloid imaging. The ability to classify amyloid scans in a binary manner as 'normal' versus 'Alzheimer-like', is of high clinical relevance. We evaluated whether a supervised machine learning technique, support vector ...

  4. Lung tumor segmentation in PET images using graph cuts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ballangan, Cherry; Wang, Xiuying; Fulham, Michael; Eberl, Stefan; Feng, David Dagan

    2013-03-01

    The aim of segmentation of tumor regions in positron emission tomography (PET) is to provide more accurate measurements of tumor size and extension into adjacent structures, than is possible with visual assessment alone and hence improve patient management decisions. We propose a segmentation energy function for the graph cuts technique to improve lung tumor segmentation with PET. Our segmentation energy is based on an analysis of the tumor voxels in PET images combined with a standardized uptake value (SUV) cost function and a monotonic downhill SUV feature. The monotonic downhill feature avoids segmentation leakage into surrounding tissues with similar or higher PET tracer uptake than the tumor and the SUV cost function improves the boundary definition and also addresses situations where the lung tumor is heterogeneous. We evaluated the method in 42 clinical PET volumes from patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Our method improves segmentation and performs better than region growing approaches, the watershed technique, fuzzy-c-means, region-based active contour and tumor customized downhill. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. A primary study on meridian-stretching of injected FDG using PET MPItool

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    He Yijie; Tian Jiahe; Chen Yingmao; Yin Dayi; Zhang Jinming; Zhang Shuwen; Shao Mingzhe; Yao Shulin; Ding Weimin; Liu Zilai

    2002-01-01

    Objective: To show the images of tracer-stretching along the acupuncture meridian by use of PET with multipurpose imaging tool (MPItool's) fusion function. Methods: On 5 healthy volunteers, the authors measured the classical acupuncture points accurately with the biophysical measuring method. 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) was injected into the selected points, the others points along the same meridian were labelled with 18 F-FDG applied on the correspondent skin area of 2 . With the same body position, the transmission image and emission image was acquired respectively and fused with MPItool and its 3D display system. Results: The authors clearly showed not only the meridian-stretching images of the tracer, but also figured out the depth of the study points. The depth at SHANGJUXU point was about 3.8 cm and at ZUSANLI point was about 5,0 cm. The depths basically fit the classically documented ones of the correspondent acupuncture points. Conclusions: Using PET MPItool the authors preliminarily demonstrated that the tracer injected at the acupuncture point stretches along the correspondent meridian, and the depths of the meridian and the points (SHANGJUXU, ZUSANLI) detected are almost accordant with the classically documented ones

  6. Tracer tests Wairakei

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McCabe, W.J.; Manning, M.R.; Barry, B.J.

    1980-07-01

    The report summarises the radioactive tracer tests, using iodine-131 and bromine-82, made in the Wairakei geothermal field over the period 1978-80. Injection of tracer into three wells with strong cool water downflows at about 300-400m below ground level, produced strong rapid responses from the only deep wells feeding from about 800-1000m and lying in the south-westerly direction from the injection wells, i.e. parallel to the fault planes. Shallower wells, even though in some cases much closer to the injection well, reacted much more slowly. Velocities, as measured by peak arrival times, as high as 22m/h over 200m and 11m/h over 650m, were found. The flow patterns for the cool water feeds to the production area are discussed

  7. Somatostatin receptor PET in neuroendocrine tumours: {sup 68}Ga-DOTA{sup 0},Tyr{sup 3}-octreotide versus {sup 68}Ga-DOTA{sup 0}-lanreotide

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Putzer, Daniel; Kroiss, Alexander; Waitz, Dietmar; Gabriel, Michael; Uprimny, Christian; Guggenberg, Elisabeth von; Decristoforo, Clemens; Warwitz, Boris; Virgolini, Irene Johanna [Innsbruck Medical University, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Innsbruck (Austria); Traub-Weidinger, Tatjana [Vienna Medical University, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Vienna (Austria); Widmann, Gerlig [Innsbruck Medical University, Department of Radiology, Innsbruck (Austria)

    2013-03-15

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of {sup 68}Ga-labelled DOTA{sup 0}-lanreotide ({sup 68}Ga-DOTA-LAN) on the diagnostic assessment of neuroendocrine tumour (NET) patients with low to moderate uptake on planar somatostatin receptor (SSTR) scintigraphy or {sup 68}Ga-labelled DOTA{sup 0},Tyr{sup 3}-octreotide ({sup 68}Ga-DOTA-TOC) positron emission tomography (PET). Fifty-three patients with histologically confirmed NET and clinical signs of progressive disease, who had not qualified for peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) on planar SSTR scintigraphy or {sup 68}Ga-DOTA-TOC PET (n = 38) due to lack of tracer uptake, underwent {sup 68}Ga-DOTA-LAN PET to evaluate a treatment option with {sup 90}Y-labelled lanreotide according to the MAURITIUS trial. The included patients received 150 {+-} 30 MBq of each radiopharmaceutical intravenously. PET scans were acquired 60-90 min after intravenous bolus injection. Image results from both PET scans were compared head to head, focusing on the intensity of tracer uptake in terms of treatment decision. CT was used for morphologic correlation of tumour lesions. To further evaluate the binding affinities of each tracer, quantitative and qualitative values were calculated for target lesions. {sup 68}Ga-DOTA-LAN and {sup 68}Ga-DOTA-TOC both showed equivalent findings in 24/38 patients when fused PET/CT images were interpreted. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of {sup 68}Ga-DOTA-LAN in comparison to CT were 0.63, 0.5 and 0.62 (n = 53; p < 0.0001) and for {sup 68}Ga-DOTA-TOC in comparison to CT 0.78, 0.5 and 0.76 (n = 38; p < 0.013), respectively. {sup 68}Ga-DOTA-TOC showed a significantly higher maximum standardized uptake value (SUV{sub max}) regarding the primary tumour in 25 patients (p < 0.003) and regarding the liver in 30 patients (p < 0.009) compared to {sup 68}Ga-DOTA-LAN. Corresponding values of both PET scans for tumour and liver did not show any significant correlation. {sup 68}Ga

  8. Recommendations for the use of PET and PET-CT for radiotherapy planning in research projects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Somer, E J; Pike, L C; Marsden, P K

    2012-08-01

    With the increasing use of positron emission tomography (PET) for disease staging, follow-up and therapy monitoring in a number of oncological indications there is growing interest in the use of PET and PET-CT for radiation treatment planning. In order to create a strong clinical evidence base for this, it is important to ensure that research data are clinically relevant and of a high quality. Therefore the National Cancer Research Institute PET Research Network make these recommendations to assist investigators in the development of radiotherapy clinical trials involving the use of PET and PET-CT. These recommendations provide an overview of the current literature in this rapidly evolving field, including standards for PET in clinical trials, disease staging, volume delineation, intensity modulated radiotherapy and PET-augmented planning techniques, and are targeted at a general audience. We conclude with specific recommendations for the use of PET in radiotherapy planning in research projects.

  9. Event-by-Event Continuous Respiratory Motion Correction for Dynamic PET Imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Yunhan; Chan, Chung; Ma, Tianyu; Liu, Yaqiang; Gallezot, Jean-Dominique; Naganawa, Mika; Kelada, Olivia J; Germino, Mary; Sinusas, Albert J; Carson, Richard E; Liu, Chi

    2016-07-01

    Existing respiratory motion-correction methods are applied only to static PET imaging. We have previously developed an event-by-event respiratory motion-correction method with correlations between internal organ motion and external respiratory signals (INTEX). This method is uniquely appropriate for dynamic imaging because it corrects motion for each time point. In this study, we applied INTEX to human dynamic PET studies with various tracers and investigated the impact on kinetic parameter estimation. The use of 3 tracers-a myocardial perfusion tracer, (82)Rb (n = 7); a pancreatic β-cell tracer, (18)F-FP(+)DTBZ (n = 4); and a tumor hypoxia tracer, (18)F-fluoromisonidazole ((18)F-FMISO) (n = 1)-was investigated in a study of 12 human subjects. Both rest and stress studies were performed for (82)Rb. The Anzai belt system was used to record respiratory motion. Three-dimensional internal organ motion in high temporal resolution was calculated by INTEX to guide event-by-event respiratory motion correction of target organs in each dynamic frame. Time-activity curves of regions of interest drawn based on end-expiration PET images were obtained. For (82)Rb studies, K1 was obtained with a 1-tissue model using a left-ventricle input function. Rest-stress myocardial blood flow (MBF) and coronary flow reserve (CFR) were determined. For (18)F-FP(+)DTBZ studies, the total volume of distribution was estimated with arterial input functions using the multilinear analysis 1 method. For the (18)F-FMISO study, the net uptake rate Ki was obtained with a 2-tissue irreversible model using a left-ventricle input function. All parameters were compared with the values derived without motion correction. With INTEX, K1 and MBF increased by 10% ± 12% and 15% ± 19%, respectively, for (82)Rb stress studies. CFR increased by 19% ± 21%. For studies with motion amplitudes greater than 8 mm (n = 3), K1, MBF, and CFR increased by 20% ± 12%, 30% ± 20%, and 34% ± 23%, respectively. For (82)Rb

  10. 64Cu-PSMA-617 PET/CT Imaging of Prostate Adenocarcinoma: First In-Human Studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grubmüller, Bernhard; Baum, Richard P; Capasso, Enza; Singh, Aviral; Ahmadi, Yasaman; Knoll, Peter; Floth, Andreas; Righi, Sergio; Zandieh, Shahin; Meleddu, Carlo; Shariat, Shahrokh F; Klingler, Hans Christoph; Mirzaei, Siroos

    2016-10-07

    The prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is a cell surface protein, which is overexpressed in nearly all cases of prostate cancer (PCa). PET imaging with 68 Ga-PSMA-HBED-CC has recently found widespread application in the diagnosis of recurrent PCa. In this study, the diagnostic potential of 64 Cu-labeled PSMA ligand (PSMA-617) PET in patients with PCa has been investigated. The study was conducted simultaneously at two nuclear medicine centers, Austria (Vienna, Center 1) and Germany (Bad Berka, Center 2). The patients (n = 29) included in this study were referred for PET (Center 1, 21 patients) or PET/CT (Center 2, 8 patients) imaging with either a high suspicion of recurrent disease or for possible surgical or PSMA radioligand therapy planning. PET images of the whole body were performed at 1 hour p.i. and additional images of the pelvis at 2 hours p.i. In 23 of 29 patients, at least one focus of pathological tracer uptake suspicious for primary disease in the prostate lobe or recurrent disease was detected. Among healthy organs, the salivary glands, kidneys, and liver showed the highest radiotracer uptake. Lesions suspicious for PCa were detected with excellent contrast as early as 1 hour p.i. with high detection rates even at low prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels. The preliminary results of this study demonstrate the high potential of 64 Cu-PSMA ligand PET/CT imaging in patients with recurrent disease and in the primary staging of selected patients with progressive local disease. The acquired PET images showed an excellent resolution of the detected lesions with very high lesion-to- background contrast. Furthermore, the long half-life of 64 Cu allows distribution of the tracer to clinical PET centers that lack radiochemistry facilities for the preparation of 68 Ga-PSMA ligand (satellite concept).

  11. 18F-FDOPA PET/MRI fusion in patients with primary/recurrent gliomas: Initial experience

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ledezma, Carlos J.; Chen, Wei; Sai, Victor; Freitas, Bonnie; Cloughesy, Tim; Czernin, Johannes; Pope, Whitney

    2009-01-01

    Background and purpose: 18 F-FDOPA PET demonstrates higher sensitivity and specificity for gliomas than traditional [ 18 F] FDG PET imaging. However, PET provides limited anatomic localization. The purpose of this study was to determine whether 18 F-FDOPA PET/MRI fusion can provide precise anatomic localization of abnormal tracer uptake and how this activity corresponds to MR signal abnormality. Methods: Two groups of patients were analyzed. Group I consisted of 21 patients who underwent 18 F-FDOPA PET and MRI followed by craniotomy for tumor resection. Group II consisted of 70 patients with a pathological diagnosis of glioma that had 18 F-FDOPA PET and MRI but lacked additional pathologic follow-up. Fused 18 F-FDOPA PET and MRI images were analyzed for concordance and correlated with histopathologic data. Results: Fusion technology facilitated precise anatomical localization of 18 F-FDOPA activity. In group I, all 21 cases showed pathology-confirmed tumor. Of these, 18 F-FDOPA scans were positive in 9/10 (90%) previously unresected tumors, and 11/11 (100%) of recurrent tumors. Of the 70 patients in group II, concordance between MRI and 18 F-FDOPA was found in 49/54 (90.1%) of patients with sufficient follow-up; in the remaining 16 patients concordance could not be determined due to lack of follow-up. 18 F-FDOPA labeling was comparable in both high- and low-grade gliomas and identified both enhancing and non-enhancing tumor equally well. In some cases, 18 F-FDOPA activity preceded tumor detection on MRI. Conclusion: 18 F-FDOPA PET/MRI fusion provides precise anatomic localization of tracer uptake and labels enhancing and non-enhancing tumor well. In a small minority of cases, 18 F-FDOPA activity may identify tumor not visible on MRI.

  12. PET/CT using 18-fluoro dihydroxyphenylalanine in neuroendocrine tumours according to their types

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Balogova, S.; Noskovicova, L.

    2016-01-01

    Amino acid analogue 18-fluoro dihydroxyphenylalanine (FDOPA) is a tracer of catecholamine metabolic pathway for functional imaging with positron emission tomography (PET). Diagnostic target for functional imaging of NET is a pathologically increased catecholamine or glucose metabolism or pathologically increased expression of somatostatin receptors, variably present according to type of NET. Due to heterogeneity of origin and biological properties of NET, there is no universal radiopharmaceutical permitting sufficient diagnostic accuracy of functional imaging NET of all types and of all grades of differentiation. However, the accurate staging is essential for optimal therapeutic management of NET. Diagnostic accuracy of functional nuclear medicine imaging relies upon the expression of diagnostic target by NET lesions, upon optimal choice of the tracer of diagnostic target and upon the technical performance of imaging. Commonly available comparators of FDOPA in NET are labelled somatostatin analogues for conventional scintigraphy and for PET, tracer of catecholamine synthesis and storage into secretory granules for conventional scintigraphy (123I-metaiodobenzylguanidine) and marker of glucose metabolism for PET (18-flu deoxyglucose). FDOPA shows better performances than comparators in medullary thyroid cancer, in well-differentiated catecholamine producing NETs, in well differentiated NET of mid-gut origin and in case of congenital hyperinsulinism in infants. Article summarises the documented indications of FDOPA according to type of NET and for each of them proposes currently the most performing sequence of functional imaging permitting the most accurate staging. (author)

  13. Molecular PET imaging for biology-guided adaptive radiotherapy of head and neck cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoeben, Bianca A W; Bussink, Johan; Troost, Esther G C; Oyen, Wim J G; Kaanders, Johannes H A M

    2013-10-01

    Integration of molecular imaging PET techniques into therapy selection strategies and radiation treatment planning for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) can serve several purposes. First, pre-treatment assessments can steer decisions about radiotherapy modifications or combinations with other modalities. Second, biology-based objective functions can be introduced to the radiation treatment planning process by co-registration of molecular imaging with planning computed tomography (CT) scans. Thus, customized heterogeneous dose distributions can be generated with escalated doses to tumor areas where radiotherapy resistance mechanisms are most prevalent. Third, monitoring of temporal and spatial variations in these radiotherapy resistance mechanisms early during the course of treatment can discriminate responders from non-responders. With such information available shortly after the start of treatment, modifications can be implemented or the radiation treatment plan can be adapted tailing the biological response pattern. Currently, these strategies are in various phases of clinical testing, mostly in single-center studies. Further validation in multicenter set-up is needed. Ultimately, this should result in availability for routine clinical practice requiring stable production and accessibility of tracers, reproducibility and standardization of imaging and analysis methods, as well as general availability of knowledge and expertise. Small studies employing adaptive radiotherapy based on functional dynamics and early response mechanisms demonstrate promising results. In this context, we focus this review on the widely used PET tracer (18)F-FDG and PET tracers depicting hypoxia and proliferation; two well-known radiation resistance mechanisms.

  14. A new integrated dual time-point amyloid PET/MRI data analysis method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cecchin, Diego; Zucchetta, Pietro; Turco, Paolo; Bui, Franco; Barthel, Henryk; Tiepolt, Solveig; Sabri, Osama; Poggiali, Davide; Cagnin, Annachiara; Gallo, Paolo; Frigo, Anna Chiara

    2017-01-01

    In the initial evaluation of patients with suspected dementia and Alzheimer's disease, there is no consensus on how to perform semiquantification of amyloid in such a way that it: (1) facilitates visual qualitative interpretation, (2) takes the kinetic behaviour of the tracer into consideration particularly with regard to at least partially correcting for blood flow dependence, (3) analyses the amyloid load based on accurate parcellation of cortical and subcortical areas, (4) includes partial volume effect correction (PVEC), (5) includes MRI-derived topographical indexes, (6) enables application to PET/MRI images and PET/CT images with separately acquired MR images, and (7) allows automation. A method with all of these characteristics was retrospectively tested in 86 subjects who underwent amyloid ( 18 F-florbetaben) PET/MRI in a clinical setting (using images acquired 90-110 min after injection, 53 were classified visually as amyloid-negative and 33 as amyloid-positive). Early images after tracer administration were acquired between 0 and 10 min after injection, and later images were acquired between 90 and 110 min after injection. PVEC of the PET data was carried out using the geometric transfer matrix method. Parametric images and some regional output parameters, including two innovative ''dual time-point'' indexes, were obtained. Subjects classified visually as amyloid-positive showed a sparse tracer uptake in the primary sensory, motor and visual areas in accordance with the isocortical stage of the topographic distribution of the amyloid plaque (Braak stages V/VI). In patients classified visually as amyloid-negative, the method revealed detectable levels of tracer uptake in the basal portions of the frontal and temporal lobes, areas that are known to be sites of early deposition of amyloid plaques that probably represented early accumulation (Braak stage A) that is typical of normal ageing. There was a strong correlation between age

  15. A new integrated dual time-point amyloid PET/MRI data analysis method

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cecchin, Diego; Zucchetta, Pietro; Turco, Paolo; Bui, Franco [University Hospital of Padua, Nuclear Medicine Unit, Department of Medicine - DIMED, Padua (Italy); Barthel, Henryk; Tiepolt, Solveig; Sabri, Osama [Leipzig University, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Leipzig (Germany); Poggiali, Davide; Cagnin, Annachiara; Gallo, Paolo [University Hospital of Padua, Neurology, Department of Neurosciences (DNS), Padua (Italy); Frigo, Anna Chiara [University Hospital of Padua, Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Public Health Unit, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Sciences, Padua (Italy)

    2017-11-15

    In the initial evaluation of patients with suspected dementia and Alzheimer's disease, there is no consensus on how to perform semiquantification of amyloid in such a way that it: (1) facilitates visual qualitative interpretation, (2) takes the kinetic behaviour of the tracer into consideration particularly with regard to at least partially correcting for blood flow dependence, (3) analyses the amyloid load based on accurate parcellation of cortical and subcortical areas, (4) includes partial volume effect correction (PVEC), (5) includes MRI-derived topographical indexes, (6) enables application to PET/MRI images and PET/CT images with separately acquired MR images, and (7) allows automation. A method with all of these characteristics was retrospectively tested in 86 subjects who underwent amyloid ({sup 18}F-florbetaben) PET/MRI in a clinical setting (using images acquired 90-110 min after injection, 53 were classified visually as amyloid-negative and 33 as amyloid-positive). Early images after tracer administration were acquired between 0 and 10 min after injection, and later images were acquired between 90 and 110 min after injection. PVEC of the PET data was carried out using the geometric transfer matrix method. Parametric images and some regional output parameters, including two innovative ''dual time-point'' indexes, were obtained. Subjects classified visually as amyloid-positive showed a sparse tracer uptake in the primary sensory, motor and visual areas in accordance with the isocortical stage of the topographic distribution of the amyloid plaque (Braak stages V/VI). In patients classified visually as amyloid-negative, the method revealed detectable levels of tracer uptake in the basal portions of the frontal and temporal lobes, areas that are known to be sites of early deposition of amyloid plaques that probably represented early accumulation (Braak stage A) that is typical of normal ageing. There was a strong correlation between

  16. Adding 11C-acetate to 18F-FDG at PET Examination Has an Incremental Value in the Diagnosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Patricia Larsson

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available Objective: The sensitivity of FDG at PET examination of Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC is restricted. In a few studies, all done in Oriental patients, PET-examination with 11C-acetate has shown a higher accuracy than with FDG. In the current study, the uptake of 11C-acetate has been compared with the uptake of FDG in the primary HCC in a cohort of Occidental patients. Material and Methods: 44 patients underwent PET-examination with both tracers with a mean of 9 days between the examinations. 26 patients had a microscopical diagnosis and 18 were diagnosed with multimodal radiological methods. At least one relevant radiological examination was available for comparison. Results: At visual evaluation, 13 of the HCC’s were positive at PET-examination using FDG and 34 were positive using 11C-acetate (p<0.001. Median tumor SUVmean of 11C-acetate was 4.7 and of FDG was 1.9 (p<0.001. There was also a higher uptake of 11C-acetate by the surrounding liver tissue than of FDG. Median liver SUVmean of 11C-acetate was 3.2 and of FDG it was 1.7 (p<0.001. This corresponded to a median tumour/liver tissue ratio for 11C-acetate of 1.4 and for FDG of 1.0 (p<0.05. Previous reports of a negative correlation between the uptake of the tracers were weakly supported. In 4 large tumors some portions being hot using one of the tracers were cold using the other tracer and vice versa. Conclusion: Adding registration with 11C-acetate to registration with FDG at PET-examination has an incremental value in the diagnosis of HCC. A higher tumor uptake of 11C-acetate cannot be taken full advantage of because of a higher uptake also by the surrounding liver tissue. (MIRT 2012;21:6-12

  17. Design, synthesis and validation of integrin α2β1-targeted probe for microPET imaging of prostate cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, Chiun-Wei; Li, Zibo; Cai, Hancheng; Chen, Kai; Shahinian, Tony; Conti, Peter S.

    2011-01-01

    The ability of PET to aid in the diagnosis and management of recurrent and/or disseminated metastatic prostate cancer may be enhanced by the development of novel prognostic imaging probes. Accumulating experimental evidence indicates that overexpression of integrin α 2 β 1 may correlate with progression in human prostate cancer. In this study, 64 Cu-labeled integrin α 2 β 1 -targeted PET probes were designed and evaluated for the imaging of prostate cancer. DGEA peptides conjugated with a bifunctional chelator (BFC) were developed to image integrin α 2 β 1 expression with PET in a subcutaneous PC-3 xenograft model. The microPET images were reconstructed by a two-dimensional ordered subsets expectation maximum algorithm. The average radioactivity accumulation within a tumor or an organ was quantified from the multiple region of interest volumes. The PET tracer demonstrated prominent tumor uptake in the PC-3 xenograft (integrin α 2 β 1 -positive). The receptor specificity was confirmed in a blocking experiment. Moreover, the low tracer uptake in a CWR-22 tumor model (negative control) further confirmed the receptor specificity. The sarcophagine-conjugated DGEA peptide allows noninvasive imaging of tumor-associated α 2 β 1 expression, which may be a useful PET probe for evaluating the metastatic potential of prostate cancer. (orig.)

  18. PET imaging in breast cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bombardieri, E.; Crippa, F.

    2001-01-01

    The basis of tumour imaging with PET is a specific uptake mechanism of positron emitting radiopharmaceuticals. Among the potential tracers for breast cancer (fluorodeoxyglucose, methionine, tyrosine, fluoro-estradiol, nor-progesterone), 2-deoxy-2-fluoro-D-glucose labelled with fluorine (FDG) is the most widely used radiopharmaceutical because breast cancer is particularly avid of FDG and 18 F has the advantages of the a relatively long physical half-life. Mammography is the first choice examination in studying breast masses, due to its very good performances, an excellent compliance and the best value regarding the cost/effectiveness aspects. The FDG uptake in tissue correlates with the histological grade and potential aggressiveness of breast cancer and this may have prognostic consequences. Besides the evaluation of breast lesions, FDG-PET shows a great efficacy in staging lymph node involvement prior surgery and this could have a great value in loco-regional staging. Whole body PET provides also information with regard to metastasis localizations both in soft tissue and bone, and plays an important clinical role mainly in detecting recurrent metastatic disease. In fact for its metabolic characteristics PET visualizes regions of enhanced metabolic activity and can complete other imaging modalities based on structural anatomic changes. Even though CT and MRI show superior resolution characteristics, it has been demonstrated that PET provides more accurate information in discriminating between viable tumour, fibrotic scar or necrosis. These statements are coming from the examination of more than 2000 breast cancer detection

  19. Combined use of (18)F-FDG and (18)F-FMISO in unresectable non-small cell lung cancer patients planned for radiotherapy: a dynamic PET/CT study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sachpekidis, Christos; Thieke, Christian; Askoxylakis, Vasileios; Nicolay, Nils H; Huber, Peter E; Thomas, Michael; Dimitrakopoulou, Georgia; Debus, Juergen; Haberkorn, Uwe; Dimitrakopoulou-Strauss, Antonia

    2015-01-01

    Aim of this study was to evaluate and compare, by means of dynamic and static PET/CT, the distribution patterns and pharmacokinetics of fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose ((18)F-FDG) and of fluorine-18-fluoromisonidazole ((18)F-FMISO) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients scheduled for intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). Thirteen patients suffering from inoperable stage III NSCLC underwent PET/CTs with (18)F-FDG and (18)F-FMISO for tumor metabolism and hypoxia assessment accordingly. Evaluation of PET/CT studies was based on visual analysis, semi-quantitative (SUV) calculations and absolute quantitative estimations, after application of a two-tissue compartment model and a non-compartmental approach. (18)F-FDG PET/CT revealed all thirteen primary lung tumors as sites of increased (18)F-FDG uptake. Six patients demonstrated also in total 43 (18)F-FDG avid metastases; these patients were excluded from radiotherapy. (18)F-MISO PET/CT demonstrated 12/13 primary lung tumors with faint tracer uptake. Only one tumor was clearly (18)F-FMISO avid, (SUVaverage = 3.4, SUVmax = 5.0). Mean values for (18)F-FDG, as derived from dPET/CT data, were SUVaverage = 8.9, SUVmax = 15.1, K1 = 0.23, k2 = 0.53, k3 = 0.17, k4 = 0.02, influx = 0.05 and fractal dimension (FD) = 1.25 for the primary tumors. The respective values for (18)F-FMISO were SUVaverage = 1.4, SUVmax = 2.2, K1 = 0.26, k2 = 0.56, k3 = 0.06, k4 = 0.06, influx = 0.02 and FD = 1.14. No statistically significant correlation was observed between the two tracers. (18)F-FDG PET/CT changed therapy management in six patients, by excluding them from planned IMRT. (18)F-FMISO PET/CT revealed absence of significant tracer uptake in the majority of the (18)F-FDG avid NSCLCs. Lack of correlation between the two tracers' kinetics indicates that they reflect different molecular mechanisms and implies the discordance between increased glycolysis and hypoxia in the malignancy.

  20. Positron emission tomography: Physics, instrumentation, and image analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Porenta, G.

    1994-01-01

    Positron emission tomography (PET) is a noninvasive diagnostic technique that permits reconstruction of cross-sectional images of the human body which depict the biodistribution of PET tracer substances. A large variety of physiological PET tracers, mostly based on isotopes of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and fluorine is available and allows the in vivo investigation of organ perfusion, metabolic pathways and biomolecular processes in normal and diseased states. PET cameras utilize the physical characteristics of positron decay to derive quantitative measurements of tracer concentrations, a capability that has so far been elusive for conventional SPECT (single photon emission computed tomography) imaging techniques. Due to the short half lives of most PET isotopes, an on-site cyclotron and a radiochemistry unit are necessary to provide an adequate supply of PET tracers. While operating a PET center in the past was a complex procedure restricted to few academic centers with ample resources. PET technology has rapidly advanced in recent years and has entered the commercial nuclear medicine market. To date, the availability of compact cyclotrons with remote computer control, automated synthesis units for PET radiochemistry, high-performance PET cameras, and userfriendly analysis workstations permits installation of a clinical PET center within most nuclear medicine facilities. This review provides simple descriptions of important aspects concerning physics, instrumentation, and image analysis in PET imaging which should be understood by medical personnel involved in the clinical operation of a PET imaging center. (author)

  1. PET/CT with 18F-choline: Physiological whole bio-distribution in male and female subjects and diagnostic pitfalls on 1000 prostate cancer patients: 18F-choline PET/CT bio-distribution and pitfalls. A southern Italian experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Calabria, Ferdinando; Chiaravalloti, Agostino; Cicciò, Carmelo; Gangemi, Vincenzo; Gullà, Domenico; Rocca, Federico; Gallo, Gianpasquale; Cascini, Giuseppe Lucio; Schillaci, Orazio

    2017-08-01

    The 11 C/ 18 F-choline is a PET/CT radiopharmaceutical useful in detecting tumors with high lipogenesis. 11 C/ 18 F-choline uptake can occur in physiological conditions or tumors. The knowledge of its bio-distribution is essential to recognize physiologic variants or diagnostic pitfalls. Moreover, few information are available on the bio-distribution of this tracer in female patients. Our aim was to discuss some documented 18 F-choline PET/CT pitfalls in prostate cancer patients. Our secondary aim was to describe the 18 F-choline bio-distribution in the female body. We collected diagnostic pitfalls in three PET centers examining 1000 prostate cancer by 18 F-choline PET/CT. All pitfalls were ensured by follow-up, imaging and/or histology. We also performed whole body 18 F-choline PET/CT in 5 female patients. 169/1000 (16.9%) patients showed pitfalls not owing to prostate cancer. These findings were due to inflammation, benign tumors while, in 1% of examined patients, a concomitant neoplasm was found. In the female body, the breast showed low physiological uptake. The accurate knowledge of 18 F-choline PET/CT bio-distribution and diagnostic pitfalls is essential. Correlative imaging and histological exam are often necessary to depict pitfalls. In women, the uptake in the breast is due to the physiological gradient of 18 F-choline uptake in the exocrine glands. Our results confirm the possibility of 18 F-choline uptake in several diseases other than prostate cancer. However, our experience was acquired on a large population and shows that a conspicuous amount of 18 F-choline diagnostic pitfalls are easily recognizable and attributable to inflammation. A new advance in knowledge is the minimal difference in terms of physiological tracer bio-distribution between male and female patients. The knowledge of the physiological bio-distribution and of the potential pitfalls linked of a tracer could help physicians to choose the best diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for a

  2. The heritage of radiotracers for PET

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fowler, J.S.; Wolf, A.P.

    1988-01-01

    The history of PET research clearly demonstrates that it is advances in chemistry coupled with a detailed examination of the biochemistry of new radiotracers which has allowed the PET method to be applied to new areas of biology and medicine. Radiotracers whose regional distribution reflects glucose metabolism, neutrotransmitter activity and enzyme activity have all required the development of rapid synthetic methods for the radiotracers themselves and the characterization of their biochemical behavior. This article traces some of the advances in the production of labeled precursors and in radiotracer synthesis and evaluation which have shaped the rapidly expanding application of PET to problems in the neurosciences, in cardiology and in oncology. 54 refs

  3. The use of radioactive tracers in medicine. Part 2. The development of devices for imaging radionuclides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bailey, D.L.

    1996-01-01

    Tracer techniques have been used in medical research for more that two centuries. The history of the measurement of radiotracer in vivo is presented starting with non-imaging, quantitative measurements, and continuing with gamma cameras through to PET scanners. The latest represent the state-of-the-art due to the combination of in-vivo use of tracers with medical tomographic imaging. Its ability to correct accurately for attenuation makes it potentially quantifiable in radioactivity concentration terms and from this follows the ability to determine biological parameters non-invasively. 8 refs., 1 tab. 3 figs

  4. Approaches using molecular imaging technology - use of PET in clinical microdose studies§

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wagner, Claudia C; Langer, Oliver

    2013-01-01

    Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging uses minute amounts of radiolabeled drug tracers and thereby meets the criteria for clinical microdose studies. The advantage of PET, when compared to other analytical methods used in microdose studies, is that the pharmacokinetics (PK) of a drug can be determined in the tissue targeted for drug treatment. PET microdosing already offers interesting applications in clinical oncology and in the development of central nervous system pharmaceuticals and is extending its range of application to many other fields of pharmaceutical medicine. Although requirements for preclinical safety testing for microdose studies have been cut down by regulatory authorities, radiopharmaceuticals increasingly need to be produced under good manufacturing practice (GMP) conditions, which increases the costs of PET microdosing studies. Further challenges in PET microdosing include combining PET with other ultrasensitive analytical methods, such as accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS), to gain plasma PK data of drugs, beyond the short PET examination periods. Finally, conducting clinical PET studies with radiolabeled drugs both at micro- and therapeutic doses is encouraged to answer the question of dose linearity in clinical microdosing. PMID:20887762

  5. 4-D PET-MR with Volumetric Navigators and Compressed Sensing

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedemonte, Stefano; Catana, Ciprian; Van Leemput, Koen

    2015-01-01

    Hybrid PET-MR scanners acquire multi-modal signals simultaneously, eliminating the requirement of software alignment between the MR and PET imaging data. However, the acquisition of high-resolution MR and PET images requires long scanning times, therefore movement of the subject during the acquis...

  6. Rapid detection of Salmonella in pet food: design and evaluation of integrated methods based on real-time PCR detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balachandran, Priya; Friberg, Maria; Vanlandingham, V; Kozak, K; Manolis, Amanda; Brevnov, Maxim; Crowley, Erin; Bird, Patrick; Goins, David; Furtado, Manohar R; Petrauskene, Olga V; Tebbs, Robert S; Charbonneau, Duane

    2012-02-01

    Reducing the risk of Salmonella contamination in pet food is critical for both companion animals and humans, and its importance is reflected by the substantial increase in the demand for pathogen testing. Accurate and rapid detection of foodborne pathogens improves food safety, protects the public health, and benefits food producers by assuring product quality while facilitating product release in a timely manner. Traditional culture-based methods for Salmonella screening are laborious and can take 5 to 7 days to obtain definitive results. In this study, we developed two methods for the detection of low levels of Salmonella in pet food using real-time PCR: (i) detection of Salmonella in 25 g of dried pet food in less than 14 h with an automated magnetic bead-based nucleic acid extraction method and (ii) detection of Salmonella in 375 g of composite dry pet food matrix in less than 24 h with a manual centrifugation-based nucleic acid preparation method. Both methods included a preclarification step using a novel protocol that removes food matrix-associated debris and PCR inhibitors and improves the sensitivity of detection. Validation studies revealed no significant differences between the two real-time PCR methods and the standard U.S. Food and Drug Administration Bacteriological Analytical Manual (chapter 5) culture confirmation method.

  7. One registration multi-atlas-based pseudo-CT generation for attenuation correction in PET/MRI

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arabi, Hossein; Zaidi, Habib

    2016-01-01

    The outcome of a detailed assessment of various strategies for atlas-based whole-body bone segmentation from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was exploited to select the optimal parameters and setting, with the aim of proposing a novel one-registration multi-atlas (ORMA) pseudo-CT generation approach. The proposed approach consists of only one online registration between the target and reference images, regardless of the number of atlas images (N), while for the remaining atlas images, the pre-computed transformation matrices to the reference image are used to align them to the target image. The performance characteristics of the proposed method were evaluated and compared with conventional atlas-based attenuation map generation strategies (direct registration of the entire atlas images followed by voxel-wise weighting (VWW) and arithmetic averaging atlas fusion). To this end, four different positron emission tomography (PET) attenuation maps were generated via arithmetic averaging and VWW scheme using both direct registration and ORMA approaches as well as the 3-class attenuation map obtained from the Philips Ingenuity TF PET/MRI scanner commonly used in the clinical setting. The evaluation was performed based on the accuracy of extracted whole-body bones by the different attenuation maps and by quantitative analysis of resulting PET images compared to CT-based attenuation-corrected PET images serving as reference. The comparison of validation metrics regarding the accuracy of extracted bone using the different techniques demonstrated the superiority of the VWW atlas fusion algorithm achieving a Dice similarity measure of 0.82 ± 0.04 compared to arithmetic averaging atlas fusion (0.60 ± 0.02), which uses conventional direct registration. Application of the ORMA approach modestly compromised the accuracy, yielding a Dice similarity measure of 0.76 ± 0.05 for ORMA-VWW and 0.55 ± 0.03 for ORMA-averaging. The results of quantitative PET analysis followed the same

  8. One registration multi-atlas-based pseudo-CT generation for attenuation correction in PET/MRI

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Arabi, Hossein [Geneva University Hospital, Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Geneva 4 (Switzerland); Zaidi, Habib [Geneva University Hospital, Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Geneva 4 (Switzerland); Geneva University, Geneva Neuroscience Center, Geneva (Switzerland); University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Groningen (Netherlands); University of Southern Denmark, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Odense (Denmark)

    2016-10-15

    The outcome of a detailed assessment of various strategies for atlas-based whole-body bone segmentation from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was exploited to select the optimal parameters and setting, with the aim of proposing a novel one-registration multi-atlas (ORMA) pseudo-CT generation approach. The proposed approach consists of only one online registration between the target and reference images, regardless of the number of atlas images (N), while for the remaining atlas images, the pre-computed transformation matrices to the reference image are used to align them to the target image. The performance characteristics of the proposed method were evaluated and compared with conventional atlas-based attenuation map generation strategies (direct registration of the entire atlas images followed by voxel-wise weighting (VWW) and arithmetic averaging atlas fusion). To this end, four different positron emission tomography (PET) attenuation maps were generated via arithmetic averaging and VWW scheme using both direct registration and ORMA approaches as well as the 3-class attenuation map obtained from the Philips Ingenuity TF PET/MRI scanner commonly used in the clinical setting. The evaluation was performed based on the accuracy of extracted whole-body bones by the different attenuation maps and by quantitative analysis of resulting PET images compared to CT-based attenuation-corrected PET images serving as reference. The comparison of validation metrics regarding the accuracy of extracted bone using the different techniques demonstrated the superiority of the VWW atlas fusion algorithm achieving a Dice similarity measure of 0.82 ± 0.04 compared to arithmetic averaging atlas fusion (0.60 ± 0.02), which uses conventional direct registration. Application of the ORMA approach modestly compromised the accuracy, yielding a Dice similarity measure of 0.76 ± 0.05 for ORMA-VWW and 0.55 ± 0.03 for ORMA-averaging. The results of quantitative PET analysis followed the same

  9. Preclinical dynamic 18F-FDG PET - tumor characterization and radiotherapy response assessment by kinetic compartment analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roee, Kathrine; Aleksandersen, Thomas B.; Nilsen, Line B.; Hong Qu; Ree, Anne H.; Malinen, Eirik; Kristian, Alexandr; Seierstad, Therese; Olsen, Dag R.

    2010-01-01

    Background. Non-invasive visualization of tumor biological and molecular processes of importance to diagnosis and treatment response is likely to be critical in individualized cancer therapy. Since conventional static 18 F-FDG PET with calculation of the semi-quantitative parameter standardized uptake value (SUV) may be subject to many sources of variability, we here present an approach of quantifying the 18 F-FDG uptake by analytic two-tissue compartment modeling, extracting kinetic tumor parameters from dynamic 18 F-FDG PET. Further, we evaluate the potential of such parameters in radiotherapy response assessment. Material and methods. Male, athymic mice with prostate carcinoma xenografts were subjected to dynamic PET either untreated (n=8) or 24 h post-irradiation (7.5 Gy single dose, n=8). After 10 h of fasting, intravenous bolus injections of 10-15 MBq 18 F-FDG were administered and a 1 h dynamic PET scan was performed. 4D emission data were reconstructed using OSEM-MAP, before remote post-processing. Individual arterial input functions were extracted from the image series. Subsequently, tumor 18 F-FDG uptake was fitted voxel-by-voxel to a compartment model, producing kinetic parameter maps. Results. The kinetic model separated the 18 F-FDG uptake into free and bound tracer and quantified three parameters; forward tracer diffusion (k1), backward tracer diffusion (k2), and rate of 18 F-FDG phosphorylation, i.e. the glucose metabolism (k3). The fitted kinetic model gave a goodness of fit (r2) to the observed data ranging from 0.91 to 0.99, and produced parametrical images of all tumors included in the study. Untreated tumors showed homogeneous intra-group median values of all three parameters (k1, k2 and k3), whereas the parameters significantly increased in the tumors irradiated 24 h prior to 18 F-FDG PET. Conclusions. This study demonstrates the feasibility of a two-tissue compartment kinetic analysis of dynamic 18 F-FDG PET images. If validated, extracted

  10. [18F] FDG PET in gastric non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rodriguez, M.; Ahlstroem, H.; Sundin, A.; Rehn, S.; Hagberg, H.; Glimelius, B.; Sundstroem, C.

    1997-01-01

    The possibility of using [ 18 F] FDG PET for assessment of tumor extension in primary gastric non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) was studied in 8 patients (6 high-grade and 2 low-grade, one of the MALT type) and in a control group of 7 patients (5 patients with NHL without clinical signs of gastric involvement, 1 patient with NHL and benign gastric ulcer and 1 patient with adenocarcinoma of the stomach). All patients with gastric NHL and the two with benign gastric ulcer and adenocarcinoma, respectively, underwent endoscopy including multiple biopsies for histopathological diagnosis. All patients with high-grade and one of the two with low-grade NHL and the patient with adenocarcinoma displayed high gastric uptake of [ 18 F] FDG corresponding to the pathological findings at endoscopy and/or CT. No pathological tracer uptake was seen in the patient with low-grade gastric NHL of the MALT type. In 6/8 patients with gastric NHL, [ 18 F] FDG PET demonstrated larger tumor extension in the stomach than was found at endoscopy, and there was high tracer uptake in the stomach in two patients who were evaluated as normal on CT. [ 18 F] FDG PET correctly excluded gastric NHL in the patient with a benign gastric ulcer and in the patients with NHL without clinical signs of gastric involvement. Although the experience is as yet limited, [ 18 F] FDG PET affords a novel possibility for evaluation of gastric NHL and would seem valuable as a complement to endoscopy and CT in selected patients, where the technique can yield additional information decisive for the choice of therapy. (orig.)

  11. Tracers and Tracer Testing: Design, Implementation, Tracer Selection, and Interpretation Methods

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    G. Michael Shook; Shannon L.; Allan Wylie

    2004-01-01

    Conducting a successful tracer test requires adhering to a set of steps. The steps include identifying appropriate and achievable test goals, identifying tracers with the appropriate properties, and implementing the test as designed. When these steps are taken correctly, a host of tracer test analysis methods are available to the practitioner. This report discusses the individual steps required for a successful tracer test and presents methods for analysis. The report is an overview of tracer technology; the Suggested Reading section offers references to the specifics of test design and interpretation.

  12. 11C-meta-hydroxyephedrine PET/CT imaging allows in vivo study of adaptive thermogenesis and white-to-brown fat conversion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quarta, Carmelo; Lodi, Filippo; Mazza, Roberta; Giannone, Ferdinando; Boschi, Laura; Nanni, Cristina; Nisoli, Enzo; Boschi, Stefano; Pasquali, Renato; Fanti, Stefano; Iozzo, Patricia; Pagotto, Uberto

    2013-01-01

    Several lines of evidence suggest that novel pharmacological approaches aimed at converting white adipose tissue (WAT) into brown adipose tissue (BAT) may represent an effective therapeutic strategy for obesity and related disorders. (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) is the only positron emission tomography (PET) tracer commonly used to study BAT function, and so far no functional tools have been described to investigate in vivo white-to-brown fat conversion. In this report, we show that the PET tracer 11C-meta-hydroxyephedrine (11C-MHED, a norepinephrine analogue) is a useful tool to investigate the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity in BAT of lean and dietary obese mice. Moreover, we demonstrate that 11C-MHED is a specific marker of the SNS-mediated thermogenesis in typical BAT depots, and that this tracer can detect in vivo WAT to BAT conversion. PMID:24049730

  13. Quantification of myocardial blood flow using dynamic 320-row multi-detector CT as compared with 15O-H2O PET

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kikuchi, Yasuka; Oyama-Manabe, Noriko; Kudo, Kohsuke; Naya, Masanao; Manabe, Osamu; Tomiyama, Yuuki; Tamaki, Nagara; Sasaki, Tsukasa; Katoh, Chietsugu; Shirato, Hiroki

    2014-01-01

    This study introduces a method to calculate myocardium blood flow (MBF) and coronary flow reserve (CFR) using the relatively low-dose dynamic 320-row multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT), validates the method against 15 O-H 2 O positron-emission tomography (PET) and assesses the CFRs of coronary artery disease (CAD) patients. Thirty-two subjects underwent both dynamic CT perfusion (CTP) and PET perfusion imaging at rest and during pharmacological stress. In 12 normal subjects (pilot group), the calculation method for MBF and CFR was established. In the other 13 normal subjects (validation group), MBF and CFR obtained by dynamic CTP and PET were compared. Finally, the CFRs obtained by dynamic CTP and PET were compared between the validation group and CAD patients (n = 7). Correlation between MBF of MDCT and PET was strong (r = 0.95, P CT in the CAD group (2.3 ± 0.8) was significantly lower than that in the validation group (5.2 ± 1.8) (P = 0.0011). We established a method for measuring MBF and CFR with the relatively low-dose dynamic MDCT. Lower CFR was well demonstrated in CAD patients by dynamic CTP. (orig.)

  14. Single well surfactant test to evaluate surfactant floods using multi tracer method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sheely, Clyde Q.

    1979-01-01

    Data useful for evaluating the effectiveness of or designing an enhanced recovery process said process involving mobilizing and moving hydrocarbons through a hydrocarbon bearing subterranean formation from an injection well to a production well by injecting a mobilizing fluid into the injection well, comprising (a) determining hydrocarbon saturation in a volume in the formation near a well bore penetrating formation, (b) injecting sufficient mobilizing fluid to mobilize and move hydrocarbons from a volume in the formation near the well bore, and (c) determining the hydrocarbon saturation in a volume including at least a part of the volume of (b) by an improved single well surfactant method comprising injecting 2 or more slugs of water containing the primary tracer separated by water slugs containing no primary tracer. Alternatively, the plurality of ester tracers can be injected in a single slug said tracers penetrating varying distances into the formation wherein the esters have different partition coefficients and essentially equal reaction times. The single well tracer method employed is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,623,842. This method designated the single well surfactant test (SWST) is useful for evaluating the effect of surfactant floods, polymer floods, carbon dioxide floods, micellar floods, caustic floods and the like in subterranean formations in much less time and at much reduced cost compared to conventional multiwell pilot tests.

  15. Pet measurements of presynaptic sympathetic nerve terminals in the heart

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schwaiger, M.; Hutchins, G.D.; Wieland, D.M.

    1991-01-01

    [ 18 F]Metaraminol (FMR) and [ 11 C]hydroxyephedrine (HED) are catecholamine analogues that have been developed at the University of Michigan for the noninvasive characterization of the sympathetic nervous system of the heart using positron emission tomography (PET). Pharmacological studies employing neurotoxins and uptake inhibitors have demonstrated that both FMR and HED specifically trace the uptake and storage of catecholamines in sympathetic nerve terminals with little nonspecific tracer accumulation. These compounds exhibit excellent qualitative imaging characteristics with heart-to-blood ratios exceeding 6:1 as early as 15 min after intravenous injection in both animals (HED and FMR) and humans (HED). Tracer kinetic modeling techniques have been employed for the quantitative assessment of neuronal catecholamine uptake and storage. Indices of neuronal function, such as the volume of tracer distribution derived from the kinetic models, have been employed in preliminary human studies. Comparison of the tissue distribution volume of HED between normal (control subjects) and denervated (recent transplant patients) cardiac tissue demonstrates a dynamic range of approximately 5:1. This distribution volume is reduced by 60% from normal in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy, indicating dysfunction of the sympathetic system. These results show that HED used in combination with PET provides a sophisticated quantitative approach for studying the sympathetic nervous system of the normal and diseased human heart

  16. The value of 18F-DOPA PET-CT in patients with medullary thyroid carcinoma: comparison with 18F-FDG PET-CT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beheshti, Mohsen; Poecher, Sigrid; Vali, Reza; Nader, Michael; Langsteger, Werner; Waldenberger, Peter; Broinger, Gabriele; Kohlfuerst, Susanne; Pirich, Christian; Dralle, Henning

    2009-01-01

    The purpose of this prospective study was to compare the value of DOPA PET-CT with FDG PET-CT in the detection of malignant lesions in patients with medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). Twenty-six consecutive patients (10 men, 16 women, mean age 59 ± 14 years) with elevated calcitonin levels were evaluated in this prospective study. DOPA and FDG PET-CT modalities were performed within a maximum of 4 weeks (median 7 days) in all patients. The data were evaluated on a patient- and lesion-based analysis. The final diagnosis of positive PET lesions was based on histopathological findings and/or imaging follow-up studies (i.e., DOPA and/or FDG PET-CT) for at least 6 months (range 6-24 months). In 21 (21/26) patients at least one malignant lesion was detected by DOPA PET, while only 15 (15/26) patients showed abnormal FDG uptake. DOPA PET provided important additional information in the follow-up assessment in seven (27%) patients which changed the therapeutic management. The patient-based analysis of our data demonstrated a sensitivity of 81% for DOPA PET versus 58% for FDG PET, respectively. In four (4/26) postoperative patients DOPA and FDG PET-CT studies were negative in spite of elevated serum calcitonin and CEA levels as well as abnormal pentagastrin tests. Overall 59 pathological lesions with abnormal tracer uptake were seen on DOPA and/or FDG PET studies. In the final diagnosis 53 lesions proved to be malignant. DOPA PET correctly detected 94% (50/53) of malignant lesions, whereas only 62% (33/53) of malignant lesions were detected with FDG PET. DOPA PET-CT showed superior results to FDG PET-CT in the preoperative and follow-up assessment of MTC patients. Therefore, we recommend DOPA PET-CT as a one-stop diagnostic procedure to provide both functional and morphological data in order to select those patients who may benefit from (re-)operation with curative intent as well as guiding further surgical procedures. (orig.)

  17. Approaches using molecular imaging technology -- use of PET in clinical microdose studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wagner, Claudia C; Langer, Oliver

    2011-06-19

    Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging uses minute amounts of radiolabeled drug tracers and thereby meets the criteria for clinical microdose studies. The advantage of PET, when compared to other analytical methods used in microdose studies, is that the pharmacokinetics (PK) of a drug can be determined in the tissue targeted for drug treatment. PET microdosing already offers interesting applications in clinical oncology and in the development of central nervous system pharmaceuticals and is extending its range of application to many other fields of pharmaceutical medicine. Although requirements for preclinical safety testing for microdose studies have been cut down by regulatory authorities, radiopharmaceuticals increasingly need to be produced under good manufacturing practice (GMP) conditions, which increases the costs of PET microdosing studies. Further challenges in PET microdosing include combining PET with other ultrasensitive analytical methods, such as accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS), to gain plasma PK data of drugs, beyond the short PET examination periods. Finally, conducting clinical PET studies with radiolabeled drugs both at micro- and therapeutic doses is encouraged to answer the question of dose linearity in clinical microdosing. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Cerebrospinal Fluid Clearance in Alzheimer Disease Measured with Dynamic PET.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Leon, Mony J; Li, Yi; Okamura, Nobuyuki; Tsui, Wai H; Saint-Louis, Les A; Glodzik, Lidia; Osorio, Ricardo S; Fortea, Juan; Butler, Tracy; Pirraglia, Elizabeth; Fossati, Silvia; Kim, Hee-Jin; Carare, Roxana O; Nedergaard, Maiken; Benveniste, Helene; Rusinek, Henry

    2017-09-01

    Evidence supporting the hypothesis that reduced cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) clearance is involved in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer disease (AD) comes primarily from rodent models. However, unlike rodents, in which predominant extracranial CSF egress is via olfactory nerves traversing the cribriform plate, human CSF clearance pathways are not well characterized. Dynamic PET with 18 F-THK5117, a tracer for tau pathology, was used to estimate the ventricular CSF time-activity as a biomarker for CSF clearance. We tested 3 hypotheses: extracranial CSF is detected at the superior turbinates; CSF clearance is reduced in AD; and CSF clearance is inversely associated with amyloid deposition. Methods: Fifteen subjects, 8 with AD and 7 normal control volunteers, were examined with 18 F-THK5117. Ten subjects additionally underwent 11 C-Pittsburgh compound B ( 11 C-PiB) PET scanning, and 8 were 11 C-PiB-positive. Ventricular time-activity curves of 18 F-THK5117 were used to identify highly correlated time-activity curves from extracranial voxels. Results: For all subjects, the greatest density of CSF-positive extracranial voxels was in the nasal turbinates. Tracer concentration analyses validated the superior nasal turbinate CSF signal intensity. AD patients showed ventricular tracer clearance reduced by 23% and 66% fewer superior turbinate CSF egress sites. Ventricular CSF clearance was inversely associated with amyloid deposition. Conclusion: The human nasal turbinate is part of the CSF clearance system. Lateral ventricle and superior nasal turbinate CSF clearance abnormalities are found in AD. Ventricular CSF clearance reductions are associated with increased brain amyloid depositions. These data suggest that PET-measured CSF clearance is a biomarker of potential interest in AD and other neurodegenerative diseases. © 2017 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.

  19. Characteristics and parameters of bed-load movement for multi-bar near-shore zone on the base of tracer field experiments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wierzchnicki, R.

    1997-01-01

    The radiotracer method for field investigation of marine bed sediments in Baltic Sea near-shore zone has been elaborated and successfully used. The artificial sand made of special glass containing Ir-192 and quartz like density has been used as a tracer. The field experiments have been carried out at Coastal Station of the Institute of Hydroengineering in Lubiatowo. The tracer movement has been observed at different weather and wave conditions. On the base of obtained data the next characteristics and parameters of sand transport have been defined and discussed: critical velocities of sand grains; sediment velocities versus the long shore current; thickness of the layer transported; intensity of the transport. For the purpose of coastal engineering practice the global transport intensity in the multi bar-coastal zone conditions has been determined as a function of main parameters describing breaking waves (height and propagation angle)

  20. Impact of PET/CT system, reconstruction protocol, data analysis method, and repositioning on PET/CT precision: An experimental evaluation using an oncology and brain phantom.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mansor, Syahir; Pfaehler, Elisabeth; Heijtel, Dennis; Lodge, Martin A; Boellaard, Ronald; Yaqub, Maqsood

    2017-12-01

    In longitudinal oncological and brain PET/CT studies, it is important to understand the repeatability of quantitative PET metrics in order to assess change in tracer uptake. The present studies were performed in order to assess precision as function of PET/CT system, reconstruction protocol, analysis method, scan duration (or image noise), and repositioning in the field of view. Multiple (repeated) scans have been performed using a NEMA image quality (IQ) phantom and a 3D Hoffman brain phantom filled with 18 F solutions on two systems. Studies were performed with and without randomly (PET/CT, especially in the case of smaller spheres (PET metrics depends on the combination of reconstruction protocol, data analysis methods and scan duration (scan statistics). Moreover, precision was also affected by phantom repositioning but its impact depended on the data analysis method in combination with the reconstructed voxel size (tissue fraction effect). This study suggests that for oncological PET studies the use of SUV peak may be preferred over SUV max because SUV peak is less sensitive to patient repositioning/tumor sampling. © 2017 The Authors. Medical Physics published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

  1. Multimodal 18F-Fluciclovine PET/MRI and Ultrasound-Guided Neurosurgery of an Anaplastic Oligodendroglioma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karlberg, Anna; Berntsen, Erik Magnus; Johansen, Håkon; Myrthue, Mariane; Skjulsvik, Anne Jarstein; Reinertsen, Ingerid; Esmaeili, Morteza; Dai, Hong Yan; Xiao, Yiming; Rivaz, Hassan; Borghammer, Per; Solheim, Ole; Eikenes, Live

    2017-12-01

    Structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and histopathologic tissue sampling are routinely performed as part of the diagnostic workup for patients with glioma. Because of the heterogeneous nature of gliomas, there is a risk of undergrading caused by histopathologic sampling errors. MRI has limitations in identifying tumor grade and type, detecting diffuse invasive growth, and separating recurrences from treatment induced changes. Positron emission tomography (PET) can provide quantitative information of cellular activity and metabolism, and may therefore complement MRI. In this report, we present the first patient with brain glioma examined with simultaneous PET/MRI using the amino acid tracer 18 F-fluciclovine ( 18 F-FACBC) for intraoperative image-guided surgery. A previously healthy 60-year old woman was admitted to the emergency care with speech difficulties and a mild left-sided hemiparesis. MRI revealed a tumor that was suggestive of glioma. Before surgery, the patient underwent a simultaneous PET/MRI examination. Fused PET/MRI, T1, FLAIR, and intraoperative three-dimensional ultrasound images were used to guide histopathologic tissue sampling and surgical resection. Navigated, image-guided histopathologic samples were compared with PET/MRI image data to assess the additional value of the PET acquisition. Histopathologic analysis showed anaplastic oligodendroglioma in the most malignant parts of the tumor, while several regions were World Health Organization (WHO) grade II. 18 F-Fluciclovine uptake was found in parts of the tumor where regional WHO grade, cell proliferation, and cell densities were highest. This finding suggests that PET/MRI with this tracer could be used to improve accuracy in histopathologic tissue sampling and grading, and possibly for guiding treatments targeting the most malignant part of extensive and eloquent gliomas. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. SmartPET: Applying HPGe and pulse shape analysis to small-animal PET

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cooper, R.J. [Department of Physics, University of Liverpool (United Kingdom)], E-mail: rjc@ns.ph.liv.ac.uk; Boston, A.J.; Boston, H.C.; Cresswell, J.R.; Grint, A.N.; Mather, A.R.; Nolan, P.J.; Scraggs, D.P.; Turk, G. [Department of Physics, University of Liverpool (United Kingdom); Hall, C.J.; Lazarus, I. [CCLRC Daresbury Laboratory, Warrington, Cheshire (United Kingdom); Berry, A.; Beveridge, T.; Gillam, J.; Lewis, R.A. [School of Physics and Materials Engineering, Monash University, Melbourne (Australia)

    2007-08-21

    The SmartPET project is the development of a prototype small-animal imaging system based on the use of Hyperpure Germanium (HPGe) detectors. The use of digital electronics and application of Pulse Shape Analysis (PSA) techniques provide fine spatial resolution, while the excellent intrinsic energy resolution of HPGe detectors makes the system ideal for multi-nuclide imaging. As a result, the SmartPET system has the potential to function as a dual modality imager, operating as a dual-head Positron Emission Tomography (PET) camera or in a Compton Camera configuration for Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) imaging. In this paper, we discuss how the use of simple PSA techniques greatly improves the position sensitivity of the detector yielding improved spatial resolution in reconstructed images. The PSA methods presented have been validated by comparison to data from high-precision scanning of the detectors. Results from this analysis are presented along with initial images from the SmartPET system, which demonstrates the impact of these techniques on PET images.

  3. A technique for a rapid imaging of regional CBF and partition coefficient using dynamic SPECT and N-isopropyl-p-[123I]iodoamphetamine (123I-IMP)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Itoh, Hiroshi; Iida, Hidehiro; Murakami, Matsutaro

    1993-01-01

    IMP (iodoamphetamine) is a flow tracer due to a large first pass extraction fraction and high affinity in the brain, but significant clearance from the brain causes change of distribution when the beginning time of scan is delayed. The purpose of the present study was to develop a new method to rapidly calculate a quantitative cerebral blood flow (CBF) image by taking clearance effects into account. A dynamic SPECT scan was performed on 5 subjects (4 patients with cerebral infarction and one normal volunteer) following slow intravenous infusion of 123 I-IMP. The arterial input function was obtained by frequent blood sampling and by measuring an octanol extraction ratio for each sample. Firstly, non-linear least square fitting (NLS) was performed to investigate the tracer kinetics of 123 I-IMP. The 3 compartment model analysis yielded negligibly small k 3 (retaining rate constant) (0.0056±0.0128 (ml/ml/min)), and consistent k 1 (transport rate constant) with those determined by 2 compartment model (2CM) analysis (r=0.96, p 1 was consistent with CBF measured by 15 O water PET technique. These observations suggested the validity of using 2CM for describing the IMP tracer kinetics. Secondly, a weighted integration (WI) technique has been implemented to calculate rapidly images of CBF and partition coefficient (V d ). The WI technique yielded values of CBF (k 1 ) and V d (k 1 /k 2 ). They were confirmed to be consistent with those determined by NLS technique (CBF; r=0.99, p d ; r=0.99, p 1 agreed well with PET CBF (r=0.91, p d in infarcted patients. This supports an importance for calculating V d image. V d image will provide additional clinical information because 123 I-IMP binding mechanism may be related to cell viability. (author)

  4. Whole body imaging in the abdominal cancer patient: pitfalls of PET-CT.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    McDermott, Shaunagh

    2012-02-01

    Proper interpretation of PET-CT images requires knowledge of the normal physiological distribution of the tracer, frequently encountered physiological variants, and benign pathological causes of FDG uptake that can be confused with a malignant neoplasm. In addition, not all malignant processes are associated with avid tracer uptake. A basic knowledge of the technique of image acquisition is also required to avoid pitfalls such as misregistration of anatomical and scintigraphic data. This article reviews these potential pitfalls as they apply to the abdomen and pelvis of patients with cancer.

  5. Experience in qualitative and quantitative FDG PET in follow-up of patients with suspected recurrence from head and neck cancer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lapela, M; Eigtved, A; Jyrkkiö, S

    2000-01-01

    We evaluated positron emission tomography (PET) with 2-[fluorine-18]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) in the detection of recurrent head and neck cancer, and compared visual and quantitative interpretation of PET images for their accuracy in the identification of tumour recurrence. Sixty-two FDG PET...... studies were performed in 56 patients having a total of 81 lesions, which were clinically suspected for recurrent carcinoma of the head and neck. The PET images were interpreted visually, and tracer uptake was quantitated as the standardised uptake value adjusted to body weight (SUV). Sensitivity...

  6. Ultra-low Dose CT for Attenuation Correction of 82Rb Cardiac PET

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sørensen, Maria Balshøj; Bouchelouche, Kirsten; Tolbod, Lars Poulsen

    Aim: Myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) using cardiac PET with tracers like 82Rb and 15O-water is substantially lower in radiation dose than classic MIBI-based SPECT. However, for cardiac PET, the dose contribution of CT for attenuation correction (CTAC) is typically 20-30% of the total dose....... To reduce the total radiation dose of cardiac PET further, we set out to examine if the use of ultra-low dose CTAC (UL-CTAC) would affect the accuracy of the quantitative parameters related to MPI. Furthermore, we examined whether the low quality of the UL-CTAC would affect the technologist’s ability...... to perform manual adjustment for misalignment between PET and CTAC. The CT reconstruction algorithm Q.AC was used to improve quality and consistency of the CTAC. Method: 23 consecutive clinical patients (BMI: 26.9 [range: 15.4-38.8]) referred for 82Rb PET rest and stress imaging were included in the study...

  7. PET/CT Atlas on Quality Control and Image Artefacts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2014-01-01

    Combined positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) imaging has become a routine procedure in diagnostic radiology and nuclear medicine. The clinical review of both PET and PET/CT images requires a thorough understanding of the basics of image formation as well as an appreciation of variations of inter-patient and intra-patient image appearance. Such variations may be caused by variations in tracer accumulation and metabolism, and, perhaps more importantly, by image artefacts related to methodological pitfalls of the two modalities. This atlas on quality control (QC) and PET/CT artefacts provides guidance on typical image distortions in clinical PET/CT usage scenarios. A number of cases are presented to provide nuclear medicine and radiology professionals with an assortment of examples of possible image distortions and errors in order to support the correct interpretation of images. About 70 typical PET and PET/CT cases, comprised of image sets and cases, have been collected in this book, and all have been catalogued and have explanations as to the causes of and solutions to each individual image problem. This atlas is intended to be used as a guide on how to take proper QC measures, on performing situation and problem analysis, and on problem prevention. This book will be especially useful to medical physicists, physicians, technologists and service engineers in the clinical field

  8. Optimized MLAA for quantitative non-TOF PET/MR of the brain

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Benoit, Didier; Ladefoged, Claes N.; Rezaei, Ahmadreza

    2016-01-01

    For quantitative tracer distribution in positron emission tomography, attenuation correction is essential. In a hybrid PET/CT system the CT images serve as a basis for generation of the attenuation map, but in PET/MR, the MR images do not have a similarly simple relationship with the attenuation...... map. Hence attenuation correction in PET/MR systems is more challenging. Typically either of two MR sequences are used: the Dixon or the ultra-short time echo (UTE) techniques. However these sequences have some well-known limitations. In this study, a reconstruction technique based on a modified...... and optimized non-TOF MLAA is proposed for PET/MR brain imaging. The idea is to tune the parameters of the MLTR applying some information from an attenuation image computed from the UTE sequences and a T1w MR image. In this MLTR algorithm, an [Formula: see text] parameter is introduced and optimized in order...

  9. Comparison of volumetric and functional parameters in simultaneous cardiac PET/MR: feasibility of volumetric assessment with residual activity from prior PET/CT

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Luecke, C.; Brenneis, B.; Grothoff, M.; Gutberlet, M. [University Leipzig - Heart Center, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Leipzig (Germany); Oppolzer, B.; Werner, P.; Jochimsen, T.; Sattler, B.; Barthel, H.; Sabri, O. [University Hospital Leipzig, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Leipzig (Germany); Foldyna, B. [University Leipzig - Heart Center, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Leipzig (Germany); Massachusetts General Hospital - Harvard Medical School, Cardiac MR PET CT Program, Boston, MA (United States); Lurz, P. [University Leipzig - Heart Center, Clinic for Internal Medicine/Cardiology, Leipzig (Germany); Lehmkuhl, L. [Herz- und Gefaess-Klinik GmbH, Radiologische Klinik, Bad Neustadt (Germany)

    2017-12-15

    To compare cardiac left ventricular (LV) parameters in simultaneously acquired hybrid fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose ([18F] FDG) positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI) in patients with residual tracer activity of upstream PET/CT. Twenty-nine patients (23 men, age 58±17 years) underwent cardiac PET/MRI either directly after a non-cardiac PET/CT with homogenous cardiac [18F] FDG uptake (n=20) or for viability assessment (n=9). Gated cardiac [18F] FDG PET and cine MR sequences were acquired simultaneously and evaluated blinded to the cross-imaging results. Image quality (IQ), end-diastolic (LVEDV), end-systolic volume (LVESV), ejection fraction (LVEF) and myocardial mass (LVMM) were measured. Pearson correlation and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), regression and a Bland-Altman analysis were assessed. Except LVMM, volumetric and functional LV parameters demonstrated high correlations (LVESV: r=0.97, LVEDV: r=0.95, LVEF: r=0.91, LVMM: r=0.87, each p<0.05), but wide limits of agreement (LOA) for LVEDV (-25.3-82.5ml); LVESV (-33.1-72.7ml); LVEF (-18.9-14.8%) and LVMM (-78.2-43.2g). Intra- and interobserver reliability were very high (ICC≥0.95) for all parameters, except for MR-LVEF (ICC=0.87). PET-IQ (0-3) was high (mean: 2.2±0.9) with significant influence on LVMM calculations only. In simultaneously acquired cardiac PET/MRI data, LVEDV, LVESV and LVEF show good agreement. However, the agreement seems to be limited if cardiac PET/MRI follows PET/CT and only the residual activity is used. (orig.)

  10. Uptake of [N-methyl-{sup 11}C]{alpha}-methylaminoisobutyric acid in untreated head and neck cancer studied by PET

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sutinen, Eija; Jyrkkioe, Sirkku; Minn, Heikki [Department of Oncology and Radiotherapy, Turku University Central Hospital, PO Box 52, 20521 Turku (Finland); Turku PET Centre, Turku University Central Hospital, Turku (Finland); Alanen, Kalle [Department of Pathology, Turku University Central Hospital, Turku (Finland); Naagren, Kjell [Turku PET Centre, Turku University Central Hospital, Turku (Finland)

    2003-01-01

    Amino acid transport system A is expressed strongly in neoplastic cells. [N-methyl-{sup 11}C]{alpha}-Methylaminoisobutyric acid ({sup 11}C-MeAIB) is a recently developed tracer for PET studies on system A amino acid transport. {sup 11}C-MeAIB is a metabolically stable amino acid analogue which is transported from plasma into the tissue by system A. This study evaluated the kinetics of {sup 11}C-MeAIB uptake from plasma into tumour tissue and normal tissues in 13 patients with untreated head and neck cancer. {sup 11}C-MeAIB uptake in tumour was compared with histological grade and proliferative activity. Tracer uptake was quantitated by calculating the standardised uptake values (SUVs) and the kinetic influx constants (K{sub i}) using graphical analysis. All tumours accumulated {sup 11}C-MeAIB and were visualised clearly. In the graphical analysis, linear plots were achieved; the mean K{sub i} value of tumour was 0.056{+-}0.026 min{sup -1}, and the mean SUV was 6.1{+-}2.7. A close correlation between graphically obtained K{sub i} and semi-quantitative SUV in tumours was found (r=0.887, P=0.00005). We could not demonstrate a correlation between the uptake of {sup 11}C-MeAIB and the grade of malignancy or the proliferative index, as assessed using Ki-67 immunohistochemical assay. Head and neck cancer can be effectively imaged with {sup 11}C-MeAIB PET. {sup 11}C-MeAIB showed active and rapid transport into tumour tissue and salivary glands. Further studies on the applicability of {sup 11}C-MeAIB PET for radiation treatment planning in the head and neck region and the regulation of system A amino acid transport under different metabolic states are warranted. (orig.)

  11. 68Ga-labeling and in vivo evaluation of a uPAR binding DOTA- and NODAGA-conjugated peptide for PET imaging of invasive cancers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Persson, Morten; Madsen, Jacob; Østergaard, Søren

    2012-01-01

    , uPAR binding affinity and cell uptake were determined. To characterize the in vivo properties, dynamic microPET imaging was carried out in nude mice bearing human glioma U87MG tumor xenograft. RESULTS: In vitro experiments revealed uPAR binding affinities in the lower nM range for both conjugated......-AE105-NH(2) was observed. Good stability in phosphate-buffered saline and mouse plasma was observed. High cell uptake was found for both tracers in U87MG tumor cells. Dynamic microPET imaging demonstrated good tumor-to-background ratio for both tracers. Tumor uptake was 2.1% ID/g and 1.3% ID/g 30 min...... positron emission tomography (PET) in human cancer xenograft mice models. Here we introduce (68)Ga-DOTA-AE105-NH(2) and (68)Ga-NODAGA-AE105-NH(2) and evaluate their imaging properties using small-animal PET. METHODS: Synthesis of DOTA-AE105-NH(2) and NODAGA-AE105-NH(2) was based on solid-phase peptide...

  12. A robust state-space kinetics-guided framework for dynamic PET image reconstruction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tong, S; Alessio, A M; Kinahan, P E; Liu, H; Shi, P

    2011-01-01

    Dynamic PET image reconstruction is a challenging issue due to the low SNR and the large quantity of spatio-temporal data. We propose a robust state-space image reconstruction (SSIR) framework for activity reconstruction in dynamic PET. Unlike statistically-based frame-by-frame methods, tracer kinetic modeling is incorporated to provide physiological guidance for the reconstruction, harnessing the temporal information of the dynamic data. Dynamic reconstruction is formulated in a state-space representation, where a compartmental model describes the kinetic processes in a continuous-time system equation, and the imaging data are expressed in a discrete measurement equation. Tracer activity concentrations are treated as the state variables, and are estimated from the dynamic data. Sampled-data H ∞ filtering is adopted for robust estimation. H ∞ filtering makes no assumptions on the system and measurement statistics, and guarantees bounded estimation error for finite-energy disturbances, leading to robust performance for dynamic data with low SNR and/or errors. This alternative reconstruction approach could help us to deal with unpredictable situations in imaging (e.g. data corruption from failed detector blocks) or inaccurate noise models. Experiments on synthetic phantom and patient PET data are performed to demonstrate feasibility of the SSIR framework, and to explore its potential advantages over frame-by-frame statistical reconstruction approaches.

  13. SPECT og PET i neurobiologien

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Paulson, O.B.; Lassen, N.A.

    1997-01-01

    PET (positron emission tomography) and SPECT (single photon emission computed tomography) are isotopic methods in which the distribution is registered of radiolabelled tracers given in such small amounts that they are without effect on the organism or the organism's disposal of them. Thus, a series...... of important biological processes in the intact organism can be studied. The methods have been used in many disciplines but in particular for neurobiological research on the brain--e.g., the brain's regional blood circulation and mapping of the brain's functional structure. The methods have also been used...

  14. 11C-ORM-13070, a novel PET ligand for brain α2C-adrenoceptors: radiometabolism, plasma pharmacokinetics, whole-body distribution and radiation dosimetry in healthy men

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Luoto, Pauliina; Oikonen, Vesa; Arponen, Eveliina; Helin, Semi; Virta, Jere; Virtanen, Kirsi; Roivainen, Anne; Suilamo, Sami; Herttuainen, Jukka; Hietamaeki, Johanna; Holopainen, Aila; Rouru, Juha; Sallinen, Jukka; Kailajaervi, Marita; Peltonen, Juha M.; Scheinin, Mika; Volanen, Iina; Rinne, Juha O.

    2014-01-01

    11 C-labelled 1-[(S)-1-(2,3-dihydrobenzo[1,2]dioxin-2-yl)methyl] -4-(3-methoxy-methylpyridin-2- yl)-piperazine ( 11 C-ORM-13070) is a novel PET tracer for imaging of α 2C -adrenoceptors in the human brain. Brain α 2C -adrenoceptors may be therapeutic targets in several neuropsychiatric disorders, including depression, schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease. To validate the use of 11 C-ORM-13070 in humans, we investigated its radiometabolism, pharmacokinetics, whole-body distribution and radiation dose. Radiometabolism was studied in a test-retest setting in six healthy men. After intravenous injection of 11 C-ORM-13070, blood samples were drawn over 60 min. Plasma samples were analysed by radio-HPLC for intact tracer and its radioactive metabolites. Metabolite-corrected plasma time-activity curves were used for calculation of pharmacokinetics. In a separate group of 12 healthy men, the whole-body distribution of 11 C-ORM-13070 and radiation exposure were investigated by dynamic PET/CT imaging without blood sampling. Two radioactive metabolites of 11 C-ORM-13070 were detected in human arterial plasma. The proportion of unchanged 11 C-ORM-13070 decreased from 81 ± 4 % of total radioactivity at 4 min after tracer injection to 23 ± 4 % at 60 min. At least one of the radioactive metabolites penetrated into red blood cells, while the parent tracer remained in plasma. The apparent elimination rate constant and corresponding half-life of unchanged 11 C-ORM-13070 in arterial plasma were 0.0117 ± 0.0056 min -1 and 73.6 ± 35.8 min, respectively. The organs with the highest absorbed doses were the liver (12 μSv/MBq), gallbladder wall (12 μSv/MBq) and pancreas (9.1 μSv/MBq). The mean effective dose was 3.9 μSv/MBq, with a range of 3.6 - 4.2 μSv/MBq. 11 C-ORM-13070 was rapidly metabolized in human subjects after intravenous injection. The effective radiation dose of 11 C-ORM-13070 was in the same range as that of other 11 C-labelled brain receptor tracers. An injection

  15. Model-based image reconstruction for four-dimensional PET

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Tianfang; Thorndyke, Brian; Schreibmann, Eduard; Yang Yong; Xing Lei

    2006-01-01

    Positron emission tonography (PET) is useful in diagnosis and radiation treatment planning for a variety of cancers. For patients with cancers in thoracic or upper abdominal region, the respiratory motion produces large distortions in the tumor shape and size, affecting the accuracy in both diagnosis and treatment. Four-dimensional (4D) (gated) PET aims to reduce the motion artifacts and to provide accurate measurement of the tumor volume and the tracer concentration. A major issue in 4D PET is the lack of statistics. Since the collected photons are divided into several frames in the 4D PET scan, the quality of each reconstructed frame degrades as the number of frames increases. The increased noise in each frame heavily degrades the quantitative accuracy of the PET imaging. In this work, we propose a method to enhance the performance of 4D PET by developing a new technique of 4D PET reconstruction with incorporation of an organ motion model derived from 4D-CT images. The method is based on the well-known maximum-likelihood expectation-maximization (ML-EM) algorithm. During the processes of forward- and backward-projection in the ML-EM iterations, all projection data acquired at different phases are combined together to update the emission map with the aid of deformable model, the statistics is therefore greatly improved. The proposed algorithm was first evaluated with computer simulations using a mathematical dynamic phantom. Experiment with a moving physical phantom was then carried out to demonstrate the accuracy of the proposed method and the increase of signal-to-noise ratio over three-dimensional PET. Finally, the 4D PET reconstruction was applied to a patient case

  16. Fluorine-18 radiopharmaceuticals beyond [F-18]FDG for use in oncology and neurosciences

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Coenen, H. H.; Elsinga, P. H.; Iwata, R.; Kilbourn, M. R.; Pillai, M. R. A.; Rajan, M. G. R.; Wagner, H. N.; Zaknun, J. J.

    2010-01-01

    Positron emission tomography (PET) is a rapidly expanding clinical modality worldwide thanks to the availability of compact medical cyclotrons and automated chemistry for the production of radiopharmaceuticals. There is an armamentarium of fluorine-18 (F-18) tracers that can be used for PET studies

  17. Chemical and Isotopic Tracers of Groundwater Sustainability: an Overview of New Science Directions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bullen, T.

    2002-12-01

    Groundwater sustainability is an emerging concept that is rapidly gaining attention from both scientists and water resource managers, particularly with regard to contamination and degradation of water quality in strategic aquifers. The sustainability of a groundwater resource is a complex function of its susceptibility to factors such as intrusion of poor-quality water from diverse sources, lack of sufficient recharge and reorganization of groundwater flowpaths in response to excessive abstraction. In theory the critical limit occurs when degradation becomes irreversible, such that remediative efforts may be fruitless on a reasonable human time scale. Chemical and isotopic tracers are proving to be especially useful tools for assessment of groundwater sustainability issues such as characterization of recharge, identification of potential sources, pathways and impacts of contaminants and prediction of how hydrology will change in response to excessive abstraction. A variety of relatively cost-efficient tracers are now available with which to assess the susceptibility of groundwater reserves to contamination from both natural and anthropogenic sources, and may provide valuable monitoring and regulatory tools for water resource managers. In this overview, the results of several ongoing groundwater studies by the U.S. Geological Survey will be discussed from the perspective of implications for new science directions for groundwater sustainability research that can benefit water policy development. A fundamental concept is that chemical and isotopic tracers used individually often provide ambiguous information, and are most effective when used in a rigorous "multi-tracer" context that considers the complex linkages between the hydrology, geology and biology of groundwater systems.

  18. Improving Marine Ecosystem Models with Biochemical Tracers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pethybridge, Heidi R.; Choy, C. Anela; Polovina, Jeffrey J.; Fulton, Elizabeth A.

    2018-01-01

    Empirical data on food web dynamics and predator-prey interactions underpin ecosystem models, which are increasingly used to support strategic management of marine resources. These data have traditionally derived from stomach content analysis, but new and complementary forms of ecological data are increasingly available from biochemical tracer techniques. Extensive opportunities exist to improve the empirical robustness of ecosystem models through the incorporation of biochemical tracer data and derived indices, an area that is rapidly expanding because of advances in analytical developments and sophisticated statistical techniques. Here, we explore the trophic information required by ecosystem model frameworks (species, individual, and size based) and match them to the most commonly used biochemical tracers (bulk tissue and compound-specific stable isotopes, fatty acids, and trace elements). Key quantitative parameters derived from biochemical tracers include estimates of diet composition, niche width, and trophic position. Biochemical tracers also provide powerful insight into the spatial and temporal variability of food web structure and the characterization of dominant basal and microbial food web groups. A major challenge in incorporating biochemical tracer data into ecosystem models is scale and data type mismatches, which can be overcome with greater knowledge exchange and numerical approaches that transform, integrate, and visualize data.

  19. Oncologic PET/CT: current status and controversies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Siegel, B.A.; Dehdashti, F.

    2005-01-01

    The introduction of integrated PET/CT has dramatically increased the worldwide rate of growth for PET, predominantly for oncologic imaging with the glucose analog 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG). A rapidly expanding body of literature demonstrates that the use FDG-PET/CT and the resultant ability to interpret coregistered and fused PET and CT images lead to improved observer confidence and improved diagnostic performance by comparison with PET alone, CT alone, and visually correlated PET and CT. The value of PET/CT is likely to be even greater with new PET radiopharmaceuticals under development, many of which produce PET images with even fewer anatomical landmarks than FDG images. PET/CT is also likely to lead to the resurrection of 18 F-fluoride as a principal agent for radionuclide bone imaging. There are a number of controversies related to PET/CT, including minimum training and experience requirements for interpreting physicians and defining new models for technical and professional reimbursement. (orig.)

  20. Evaluation of PET performance and MR compatibility of a preclinical PET/MR insert with digital silicon photomultiplier technology

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hallen, Patrick; Schug, David; Wehner, Jakob [Department of Physics of Molecular Imaging Systems, RWTH Aachen University (Germany); Weissler, Bjorn [Department of Chemical Application Research, Philips Research (Germany); Gebhardt, Pierre [Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King’s College London (United Kingdom); Goldschmidt, Benjamin [Department of Physics of Molecular Imaging Systems, RWTH Aachen University (Germany); Salomon, Andre [Department of Oncology Solutions, Philips Research (Germany); Duppenbecker, Peter [Department of Physics of Molecular Imaging Systems, RWTH Aachen University (Germany); Kiessling, Fabian [Institute for Experimental Molecular Imaging, RWTH Aachen University (Germany); Schultz, Volkmar [Department of Physics of Molecular Imaging Systems, RWTH Aachen University (Germany)

    2015-05-18

    In this work we present detailed characterizations of our preclinical high resolution PET/MR insert based on the Hyperion-IID platform. The PET/MR insert consists of a ring of 10 singles detection modules, each comprising 2x3 scintillation detector stacks. Each detector stack features a 30x30 pixelated LYSO crystal array with a height of 12 mm and a pitch of 1 mm, coupled via a slit 2 mm light guide to a digital SiPM tile. The PET performance is stable under a wide range of operating points. The spatial resolution is below 1Ä,mm and the CRT reaches 260 or 450 ps depending on trigger settings. The energy resolution is 12.6% FWHM. The characterization of the MR compatibility showed no relevant degradation in PET performance during MRI operation. On the MRI side, we observe a degradation in B0 homogeneity from a VRMS of 0.03 ppm to 0.08 ppm with active shimming, while observing only minor degradations in the B0 field. The noise floor is slightly increased by 2-15% without any observable dependence on the activity. The Z gradients induces an observable eddy current inside the PET inserts which can lead to ghosting artifacts for EPI sequences. However, we don't observe any visible image degradation for widely used anatomical imaging sequences such as gradient echo and turbo spin echo sequences. To prove the viability of our PET/MR insert for in vivo small animal studies, we successfully performed a longitudinal mouse study with subcutaneously injected tumor model cells. The simultaneously acquired PET/MR images provide a high level of anatomical information and soft tissue contrast in the MR layer together with a high resolution image of the FDG tracer distribution in the PET layer.

  1. Usefulness of standardized uptake values for distinguishing adrenal glands with pheochromocytoma from normal adrenal glands by use of 6-18F-fluorodopamine PET.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Timmers, H.J.L.M.; Carrasquillo, J.A.; Whatley, M.A.; Eisenhofer, G.; Chen, C.C.; Ling, A.; Linehan, W.M.; Pinto, P.A.; Adams, K.T.; Pacak, K.

    2007-01-01

    6-(18)F-Fluorodopamine ((18)F-FDA) PET is a highly sensitive tool for the localization of pheochromocytoma (PHEO). The aim of this study was to establish cutoff values for pathologic and physiologic adrenal gland tracer uptake. METHODS: (18)F-FDA PET with CT coregistration was performed in 14

  2. Uterine cervical melanoma presenting with rapid progression detected by PET/CT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsai, Ya-Ju; Shueng, Pei-Wei; Chan, Sheng-Chien; Chuang, Wen-Yu; Shiau, Yu-Chien; Hsu, Chung-Huei

    2012-01-01

    Malignant melanoma of the uterine cervix is a rare extracutaneous melanoma which develops aggressively and is associated with a bleak prognosis. To our knowledge, no prior published reports have discussed the role of 18F-FDG positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in managing this disease. Our case study involved a 66-year-old woman with a malignant melanoma of the uterine cervix. The patient received PET/CT that identified metastases and lesions which had not been detected from her MRI. Serial PET/CT elucidated that the disease was initially limited to the pelvis, but then metastasized to the abdominal para-aortic lymph nodes, followed by extensive metastases to the brain, lungs, breast, supraclavicular, neck, and other abdominal lymph nodes, as observed at 6-month follow-up. PET/CT was used to complement conventional anatomic imaging modalities, and provided a novel modality for whole body screening. Visualization of the metabolic activity of indeterminate lesions may help in staging, re-staging, treatment planning, and prognostic prediction for patients with this rare disease

  3. Response assessment with the CXCR4-directed positron emission tomography tracer [68Ga]Pentixafor in a patient with extranodal marginal zone lymphoma of the orbital cavities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herhaus, Peter; Habringer, Stefan; Vag, Tibor; Steiger, Katja; Slotta-Huspenina, Julia; Gerngroß, Carlos; Wiestler, Benedikt; Wester, Hans-Jürgen; Schwaiger, Markus; Keller, Ulrich

    2017-12-01

    CXCR4 belongs to the family of chemokine receptors. Together with its sole known ligand CXCL12 (SDF-1alpha), it has a pivotal role during organogenesis and for homing of hematopoietic stem cells. CXCR4 is overexpressed in various malignancies, and this is often associated with poor prognosis. Therefore, molecular imaging of CXCR4 bears a great potential for diagnostics and selecting patients for CXCR4-directed therapies. The CXCR4-directed positron emission tomography (PET) tracer [ 68 Ga]Pentixafor has been shown to visualize CXCR4 expression in various malignancies in vivo. Whereas this tracer has limitations compared to 18 F-Fluorodeoxyglucose ([ 18 F]FDG) in diagnostic PET imaging in peripheral tumour lesions, it might add valuable information in routine diagnostics and response assessment of tumours in close proximity to the central nervous system (CNS) and malignancies within this organ. As a proof-of-concept, we performed [ 68 Ga]Pentixafor PET imaging in a patient with extranodal marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) of the orbital cavities at diagnosis and for post-therapy response assessment. Compared to routinely conducted [ 18 F]FDG PET, the lymphoma lesions determined by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed high tracer accumulation at diagnosis, which decreased upon treatment. We therefore propose that imaging of CXCR4 with [ 68 Ga]Pentixafor is a potential diagnostic tool for tumours close to or within the CNS and suggest this being studied in clinical trials.

  4. A comparative study of FDG PET/CT and enhanced multi-detector CT for detecting liver metastasis according to the size and location.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Jung Mi; Kim, Il Young; Kim, Sang Won; Lee, Sang Mi; Kim, Hyun Gi; Kim, Shin Young; Shin, Hyung Chul

    2013-04-01

    The aim of this study was to compare the diagnosability between (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/CT and enhanced multi-detector CT (MDCT) for the detection of liver metastasis (LM) according to the size and location in liver and to evaluate standard maximum standardized uptake values (SUVmax) of all liver metastatic lesions. One hundred two consecutive patients with malignancy who underwent both FDG PET/CT and MDCT for LM evaluation were retrospectively reviewed. Among them, 56 patients with LM were enrolled in this study. LM was confirmed by follow-up imaging studies after at least 6 months or by histopathology. FDG PET/CT and MDCT images were visually analyzed using three-point scale by the consensus of two radiologists and two nuclear medicine physicians. The size and location (central vs. sub-capsular) of the all liver lesions were evaluated using MDCT images. Furthermore, SUVmax of all liver lesions on FDG PET/CT images were calculated. A total of 146 liver lesions were detected by FDG PET/CT and MDCT and 142 of the lesions were diagnosed as LM. The detection rates of MDCT and FDG PET/CT for LM by visual analysis were 77 and 78%, respectively. There was no significant difference of detection rate according to the overall location and size of the lesions. However, FDG PET/CT was more sensitive than MDCT for detecting small and sub-capsular LM. The detection rate of FDG PET/CT for LM was 68% by the cutoff SUVmax of 2.7. Although the diagnosabilities of MDCT and FDG PET/CT for detecting LM were comparable, FDG PET/CT is superior to MDCT for detecting small LM located in the sub-capsular portion of liver.

  5. Effect of motion-induced PET-CT misalignment on cardiac function and myocardial blood flow measured using dynamic 15O-water PET

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lubberink, Mark; Ebrahimi, M; Harms, Hans

    -CT misalignment on MBF, transmural MBF (MBFt), perfusable tissue fraction (PTF), cardiac output (CO), stroke volume (SV) and left-ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) based on dynamic 15O-water scans. Methods: 10 patients underwent 6 min PET scans after injection of 400 MBq 15O-water at rest and during adenosine......Aim: Motion-induced PET-CT misalignment artifacts are common in myocardial blood flow (MBF) measurements with 82Rb and 13N-ammonia. For 15O-water, MBF is based on the clearance rate rather than uptake of the tracer. The clearance rate is determined by the shape of the time-activity curve, not its...... amplitude, and is thus not affected by attenuation correction errors. Hence, misalignment is hypothesized not to affect 15O-water-based MBF to any large extent, but it may affect cardiac function measures derived from 15O-water scans. The aim of the present work was to assess the effect of PET...

  6. Quantitative PET of EGFR expression in xenograft-bearing mice using 64Cu-labeled cetuximab, a chimeric anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cai, Weibo; Chen, Kai; He, Lina; Cao, Qizhen; Chen, Xiaoyuan; Koong, Albert

    2007-01-01

    Cetuximab, a chimeric monoclonal antibody targeting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) on the surface of cancer cells, was approved by the FDA to treat patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. It is currently also in advanced-stage development for the treatment of several other solid tumors. Here we report for the first time the quantitative positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of EGFR expression in xenograft-bearing mice using 64 Cu-labeled cetuximab. We conjugated cetuximab with macrocyclic chelating agent 1,4,7,10-tetraazadodecane-N,N',N'',N'''-tetraacetic acid (DOTA), labeled with 64 Cu, and tested the resulting 64 Cu-DOTA-cetuximab in seven xenograft tumor models. The tracer uptake measured by PET was correlated with the EGFR expression quantified by western blotting. The estimated human dosimetry based on the PET data in Sprague-Dawley rats was also calculated. MicroPET imaging showed that 64 Cu-DOTA-cetuximab had increasing tumor activity accumulation over time in EGFR-positive tumors but relatively low uptake in EGFR-negative tumors at all times examined ( 2 0.80) between the tracer uptake (measured by PET) and the EGFR expression level (measured by western blotting). Human dosimetry estimation indicated that the tracer may be safely administered to human patients for tumor diagnosis, with the dose-limiting organ being the liver. The success of EGFR-positive tumor imaging using 64 Cu-DOTA-cetuximab can be translated into the clinic to characterize the pharmacokinetics, to select the right population of patients for EGFR-targeted therapy, to monitor the therapeutic efficacy of anti-EGFR treatment, and to optimize the dosage of either cetuximab alone or cetuximab in combination with other therapeutic agents. (orig.)

  7. Usage of Recycled Pet

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Ebru Tayyar

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available The increasing industrialization, urbanization and the technological development have caused to increase depletion of the natural resources and environmental pollution's problem. Especially, for the countries which have not enough space recycling of the waste eliminating waste on regular basis or decreasing the amount and volume of waste have provided the important advantages. There are lots of studies and projects to develop both protect resources and prevent environmental pollution. PET bottles are commonly used in beverage industry and can be reused after physical and chemical recycling processes. Usage areas of recycled PET have been developed rapidly. Although recycled PET is used in plastic industry, composite industry also provides usage alternatives of recycled PET. Textile is a suitable sector for recycling of some plastics made of polymers too. In this study, the recycling technologies and applications of waste PET bottles have been investigated and scientific works in this area have been summarized.

  8. The Effect of the Prosthetic Group on the Pharmacologic Properties of 18F-labeled Rhodamine B, a Potential Myocardial Perfusion Agent for PET

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bartholomä, Mark D.; Gottumukkala, Vijay; Zhang, Shaohui; Baker, Amanda; Dunning, Patricia; Fahey, Frederic H.; Treves, S. Ted; Packard, Alan B.

    2013-01-01

    We recently reported the development of the 2-[18F]fluoroethyl ester of rhodamine B as a potential positron emission tomography (PET) tracer for myocardial perfusion imaging. This compound, which was prepared using a [18F]fluoroethyl prosthetic group, has significant uptake in the myocardium in rats, but also demonstrates relatively high liver uptake and is rapidly hydrolyzed in vivo in mice. We have now prepared 18F-labeled rhodamine B using three additional prosthetic groups (propyl, diethylene glycol, and triethylene glycol) and found that the prosthetic group has a significant effect on the in vitro and in vivo properties of these compounds. Of the esters prepared to date, the diethylene glycol ester is superior in terms of in vitro stability and pharmacokinetics. These observations suggest that the prosthetic group plays a significant role in determining the pharmacological properties of 18F-labeled compounds. They also support the value of continued investigation of 18F-labeled rhodamines as PET radiopharmaceuticals for myocardial perfusion imaging. PMID:23210516

  9. Oral cancer diagnosed using PET/CT: A case report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Young Hee; Yang, Byoung Eun; Cho, Young Min [Hallym Univ. College of Medicine, Anyang (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Seong Gon [Sam Anyang General Hospital, Anyang (Korea, Republic of)

    2006-06-15

    PET/CT is a new imaging technology that combines high-quality Position Emission Tomography (PET) and Computed Tomography (CT). This imaging provides simultaneous anatomical and metabolic information. Therefore PET/CT is useful diagnostic modality for early detection og malignant tumor, accurate at aging, decision on therapeutic plan, monitoring response to therapy and rapid detection of recurrence. We report oral and maxillofacial cancers diagnosed by using PET/CT and the usefulness of PET/CT in the evaluation of postoperative recurrence.

  10. Targeting MT1-MMP as an ImmunoPET-Based Strategy for Imaging Gliomas.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A G de Lucas

    Full Text Available A critical challenge in the management of Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM tumors is the accurate diagnosis and assessment of tumor progression in a noninvasive manner. We have identified Membrane-type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP as an attractive biomarker for GBM imaging since this protein is actively involved in tumor growth and progression, correlates with tumor grade and is closely associated with poor prognosis in GBM patients. Here, we report the development of an immunoPET tracer for effective detection of MT1-MMP in GBM models.An anti-human MT1-MMP monoclonal antibody (mAb, LEM2/15, was conjugated to p-isothiocyanatobenzyl-desferrioxamine (DFO-NCS for 89Zr labeling. Biodistribution and PET imaging studies were performed in xenograft mice bearing human GBM cells (U251 expressing MT1-MMP and non-expressing breast carcinoma cells (MCF-7 as negative control. Two orthotopic brain GBM models, patient-derived neurospheres (TS543 and U251 cells, with different degrees of blood-brain barrier (BBB disruption were also used for PET imaging experiments.89Zr labeling of DFO-LEM2/15 was achieved with high yield (>90% and specific activity (78.5 MBq/mg. Biodistribution experiments indicated that 89Zr-DFO-LEM2/15 showed excellent potential as a radiotracer for detection of MT1-MMP positive GBM tumors. PET imaging also indicated a specific and prominent 89Zr-DFO-LEM2/15 uptake in MT1-MMP+ U251 GBM tumors compared to MT1-MMP- MCF-7 breast tumors. Results obtained in orthotopic brain GBM models revealed a high dependence of a disrupted BBB for tracer penetrance into tumors. 89Zr-DFO-LEM2/15 showed much higher accumulation in TS543 tumors with a highly disrupted BBB than in U251 orthotopic model in which the BBB permeability was only partially increased. Histological analysis confirmed the specificity of the immunoconjugate in all GBM models.A new anti MT1-MMP-mAb tracer, 89Zr-DFO-LEM2/15, was synthesized efficiently. In vivo validation showed high

  11. 11C-NS14492 as a novel PET radioligand for imaging cerebral alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors: in vivo evaluation and drug occupancy measurements

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ettrup, Anders; Mikkelsen, Jens D; Lehel, Szabolcs

    2011-01-01

    Small-molecule α(7) nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α(7)nAChR) agonists are currently validated for use as treatment for cognitive disturbances in schizophrenia and in Alzheimer disease. A suitable radiolabeled α(7)nAChR PET tracer would be important for in vivo quantification of α(7)nAChR bind......Small-molecule α(7) nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α(7)nAChR) agonists are currently validated for use as treatment for cognitive disturbances in schizophrenia and in Alzheimer disease. A suitable radiolabeled α(7)nAChR PET tracer would be important for in vivo quantification of α(7)n...

  12. 11C-NS14492 as a novel PET radioligand for imaging cerebral alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors: in vivo evaluation and drug occupancy measurements

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ettrup, Anders; Mikkelsen, Jens D; Lehel, Szabolcs

    2011-01-01

    Small-molecule a(7) nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (a(7)nAChR) agonists are currently validated for use as treatment for cognitive disturbances in schizophrenia and in Alzheimer disease. A suitable radiolabeled a(7)nAChR PET tracer would be important for in vivo quantification of a(7)nAChR bind......Small-molecule a(7) nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (a(7)nAChR) agonists are currently validated for use as treatment for cognitive disturbances in schizophrenia and in Alzheimer disease. A suitable radiolabeled a(7)nAChR PET tracer would be important for in vivo quantification of a(7)n...

  13. Current status and future role of brain PET/MRI in clinical and research settings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Werner, P.; Barthel, H.; Sabri, O. [University Hospital Leipzig, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Leipzig (Germany); Drzezga, A. [University Hospital Cologne, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Koeln (Germany)

    2015-01-09

    Hybrid PET/MRI systematically offers a complementary combination of two modalities that has often proven itself superior to the single modality approach in the diagnostic work-up of many neurological and psychiatric diseases. Emerging PET tracers, technical advances in multiparametric MRI and obvious workflow advantages may lead to a significant improvement in the diagnosis of dementia disorders, neurooncological diseases, epilepsy and neurovascular diseases using PET/MRI. Moreover, simultaneous PET/MRI is well suited to complex studies of brain function in which fast fluctuations of brain signals (e.g. related to task processing or in response to pharmacological interventions) need to be monitored on multiple levels. Initial simultaneous studies have already demonstrated that these complementary measures of brain function can provide new insights into the functional and structural organization of the brain. (orig.)

  14. Current status and future role of brain PET/MRI in clinical and research settings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Werner, P.; Barthel, H.; Sabri, O.; Drzezga, A.

    2015-01-01

    Hybrid PET/MRI systematically offers a complementary combination of two modalities that has often proven itself superior to the single modality approach in the diagnostic work-up of many neurological and psychiatric diseases. Emerging PET tracers, technical advances in multiparametric MRI and obvious workflow advantages may lead to a significant improvement in the diagnosis of dementia disorders, neurooncological diseases, epilepsy and neurovascular diseases using PET/MRI. Moreover, simultaneous PET/MRI is well suited to complex studies of brain function in which fast fluctuations of brain signals (e.g. related to task processing or in response to pharmacological interventions) need to be monitored on multiple levels. Initial simultaneous studies have already demonstrated that these complementary measures of brain function can provide new insights into the functional and structural organization of the brain. (orig.)

  15. Rapid construction of mechanically- confined multi- cellular structures using dendrimeric intercellular linker.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mo, Xuejun; Li, Qiushi; Yi Lui, Lena Wai; Zheng, Baixue; Kang, Chiang Huen; Nugraha, Bramasta; Yue, Zhilian; Jia, Rui Rui; Fu, Hong Xia; Choudhury, Deepak; Arooz, Talha; Yan, Jie; Lim, Chwee Teck; Shen, Shali; Hong Tan, Choon; Yu, Hanry

    2010-10-01

    Tissue constructs that mimic the in vivo cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions are especially useful for applications involving the cell- dense and matrix- poor internal organs. Rapid and precise arrangement of cells into functional tissue constructs remains a challenge in tissue engineering. We demonstrate rapid assembly of C3A cells into multi- cell structures using a dendrimeric intercellular linker. The linker is composed of oleyl- polyethylene glycol (PEG) derivatives conjugated to a 16 arms- polypropylenimine hexadecaamine (DAB) dendrimer. The positively charged multivalent dendrimer concentrates the linker onto the negatively charged cell surface to facilitate efficient insertion of the hydrophobic oleyl groups into the cellular membrane. Bringing linker- treated cells into close proximity to each other via mechanical means such as centrifugation and micromanipulation enables their rapid assembly into multi- cellular structures within minutes. The cells exhibit high levels of viability, proliferation, three- dimensional (3D) cell morphology and other functions in the constructs. We constructed defined multi- cellular structures such as rings, sheets or branching rods that can serve as potential tissue building blocks to be further assembled into complex 3D tissue constructs for biomedical applications. 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Regional cerebral perfusion measurements: a comparative study of xenon-enhanced CT and C15O2 build-up using dynamic PET

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    St Lawrence, K.S.; Bews, J.; Dunscombe, P.B.

    1992-01-01

    Regional cerebral perfusion can be determined by monitoring the uptake of a diffusable tracer concurrently in cerebral tissue and arterial blood. Two techniques based on this methodology are xenon-enhanced computed tomography (Xe CT) and C 15 O 2 build-up using dynamic positron emission tomography (C 15 O 2 PET). Serial images are used by both Xe CT and C 15 O 2 PET to characterize the uptake of the tracer in cerebral tissue. The noise present in these images will reduce the precision of the perfusion measurements obtained by either technique. Using Monte Carlo type computer simulations, the precision of the two techniques as a function of image noise has been examined. On the basis of their results, they conclude that the precision of the Xe CT technique is comparable to the precision of C 15 O 2 PET when realistic clinical protocols are employed for both. (author)

  17. A novel photoinduced electron transfer (PET) primer technique for rapid real-time PCR detection of Cryptosporidium spp

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jothikumar, N., E-mail: jin2@cdc.gov; Hill, Vincent R.

    2013-06-28

    Highlights: •Uses a single-labeled fluorescent primer for real-time PCR. •The detection sensitivity of PET PCR was comparable to TaqMan PCR. •Melt curve analysis can be performed to confirm target amplicon production. •Conventional PCR primers can be converted to PET PCR primers. -- Abstract: We report the development of a fluorescently labeled oligonucleotide primer that can be used to monitor real-time PCR. The primer has two parts, the 3′-end of the primer is complimentary to the target and a universal 17-mer stem loop at the 5′-end forms a hairpin structure. A fluorescent dye is attached to 5′-end of either the forward or reverse primer. The presence of guanosine residues at the first and second position of the 3′ dangling end effectively quenches the fluorescence due to the photo electron transfer (PET) mechanism. During the synthesis of nucleic acid, the hairpin structure is linearized and the fluorescence of the incorporated primer increases several-fold due to release of the fluorescently labeled tail and the absence of guanosine quenching. As amplicons are synthesized during nucleic acid amplification, the fluorescence increase in the reaction mixture can be measured with commercially available real-time PCR instruments. In addition, a melting procedure can be performed to denature the double-stranded amplicons, thereby generating fluorescence peaks that can differentiate primer dimers and other non-specific amplicons if formed during the reaction. We demonstrated the application of PET-PCR for the rapid detection and quantification of Cryptosporidium parvum DNA. Comparison with a previously published TaqMan® assay demonstrated that the two real-time PCR assays exhibited similar sensitivity for a dynamic range of detection of 6000–0.6 oocysts per reaction. PET PCR primers are simple to design and less-expensive than dual-labeled probe PCR methods, and should be of interest for use by laboratories operating in resource

  18. A novel photoinduced electron transfer (PET) primer technique for rapid real-time PCR detection of Cryptosporidium spp

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jothikumar, N.; Hill, Vincent R.

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: •Uses a single-labeled fluorescent primer for real-time PCR. •The detection sensitivity of PET PCR was comparable to TaqMan PCR. •Melt curve analysis can be performed to confirm target amplicon production. •Conventional PCR primers can be converted to PET PCR primers. -- Abstract: We report the development of a fluorescently labeled oligonucleotide primer that can be used to monitor real-time PCR. The primer has two parts, the 3′-end of the primer is complimentary to the target and a universal 17-mer stem loop at the 5′-end forms a hairpin structure. A fluorescent dye is attached to 5′-end of either the forward or reverse primer. The presence of guanosine residues at the first and second position of the 3′ dangling end effectively quenches the fluorescence due to the photo electron transfer (PET) mechanism. During the synthesis of nucleic acid, the hairpin structure is linearized and the fluorescence of the incorporated primer increases several-fold due to release of the fluorescently labeled tail and the absence of guanosine quenching. As amplicons are synthesized during nucleic acid amplification, the fluorescence increase in the reaction mixture can be measured with commercially available real-time PCR instruments. In addition, a melting procedure can be performed to denature the double-stranded amplicons, thereby generating fluorescence peaks that can differentiate primer dimers and other non-specific amplicons if formed during the reaction. We demonstrated the application of PET-PCR for the rapid detection and quantification of Cryptosporidium parvum DNA. Comparison with a previously published TaqMan® assay demonstrated that the two real-time PCR assays exhibited similar sensitivity for a dynamic range of detection of 6000–0.6 oocysts per reaction. PET PCR primers are simple to design and less-expensive than dual-labeled probe PCR methods, and should be of interest for use by laboratories operating in resource

  19. 2-[18F]fluoro-A-85380, an in vivo tracer for the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Horti, Andrew G.; Scheffel, Ursula; Koren, Andrei O.; Ravert, Hayden T.; Mathews, William B.; Musachio, John L.; Finley, Paige A.; London, Edythe D.; Dannals, Robert F.

    1998-01-01

    The in vivo brain regional distribution of 2-[ 18 F]fluoro-A-85380, a novel tracer for positron emission tomographic (PET) studies, followed the regional densities of brain nAChRs reported in the literature. Evidence of binding to nAChRs and high specificity of the binding in vivo was demonstrated by inhibition with nAChR selective ligands as well as with unlabeled 2-fluoro-A-85380. A preliminary toxicology study of the 2-fluoro-A-85380 showed a relatively low biological effect. 2-[ 18 F]Fluoro-A-85380 holds promise as a useful radiotracer for imaging of nAChRs with PET

  20. Optimized production, quality control, biological evaluation and PET/CT imaging of {sup 68}Ga-PSMA-617 in breast adenocarcinoma model

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sharifi, Mehdi; Yousefnia, Hassan; Bahrami-Samani, Ali; Zolghadri, Samaneh; Alirezapour, Behrouz [Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute (NSTRI), Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Jalilian, Amir Reza; Geramifa, Parham; Beiki, Davood [Tehran Univ. of Medical Sciences (Iran, Islamic Republic of). Research Center for Nuclear Medicine; Maus, Stephan [Univ. Medical Centre Mainz (Germany). Clinic of Nuclear Medicine

    2017-08-01

    Optimized production, quality control and preclinical evaluation of {sup 68}Ga-PSMA-617 as a PET radiotracer for PSMA-positive malignancies as well as successful application in imaging of breast adenocarcinomas are reported. {sup 68}Ga-PSMA-617 radiolabeling and QC optimization, stability, log P, biodistribution in breast adenocarcinomas-bearing mice (direct and blockade studies) and also PET/CT imaging was performed. {sup 68}Ga-PSMA-617 complex was prepared in high radiochemical purity (>96%, ITLC, HPLC) and specific activity of 300-310 GBq/mM at 95 C using 2-4 micrograms of the peptide in 10 min followed by solid phase purification. The tracer was stable in serum and final formulation for at least 120 min. The log P was -1.98. Western blot test on the tumor cell homogenates demonstrated distinct existence of the PSMA on the surface. The biodistribution of the tracer demonstrated specific kidney and tumor significant uptake using blocking study. Significant tumor:blood and tumor:muscle ratio uptake observed at 30 min post-injection (2.69 and 19.1, respectively). A reduction of 40-80% off tumor uptake in the study time period observed using blocking test. {sup 68}Ga-PSMA-617 can be proposing a possible tracer for PET imaging of breast adenocarcinomas and other breast malignancies.