I attended the 51st Society of Nuclear Medicine (SNM) annual meeting in Philadelphia this past June and was, yet again, inspired and excited by all of the incredible breakthroughs happening in this industry.

The first is a new method for tracking Alzheimer’s disease (AD), announced on the heels of former President Ronald Reagan’s death on June 5 after a 10-year battle with AD—an eerie coincidence. Researchers at the Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA developed the technique. The technique makes it possible to detect and measure, in living patients, the levels of both types of brain lesions (neurofibrillary tangles and beta-amyloid plaques) that are the “gold standard” of AD diagnosis. Previously, this process could be done only in an autopsy.

According to SNM, researchers discovered that using the radiotracer 18F-FDDNP, a molecule that binds to the tangles and plaques, along with positron emission tomography (PET) allows them to see how 18F-FDDNP accumulates in various areas of the brain. The results provide valuable information about the status of AD in patients.

“Our findings with 18F-FDDNP and PET facilitate progress toward a better understanding of the disease in living patients,” said UCLA’s Vladimir Kepe, PhD. “We can trace the indicators of disease, determine which areas of the brain are affected already, and, most importantly, determine to what extent these brain regions are affected.”

And with these developments comes the opportunity for earlier diagnosis and further research in the area of AD, including the testing of experimental drugs for preventing and even removing the lesions and plaques. Furthermore, on June 15, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced its intention to expand Medicare coverage of PET to include some Medicare beneficiaries with suspected AD. The final decision on that will be made next month.

Another exciting announcement at the SNM meeting came from both Philips Medical Systems and Siemens Medical Solutions in the form of hybrid SPECT/CT systems. These systems (featured on page 8 in “News Watch”) offer heightened diagnostic capabilities by combining the functional sensitivity of SPECT with the anatomical detail of multislice CT.

“This new technology,” says Michael Reitermann of the Siemens Nuclear Medicine Group, “enables [physicians] to further pinpoint the exact location, size, nature, and extent of disease—anywhere in the body.”

And isn’t that really the goal? To have earlier diagnosis, easier treatment, and a better understanding of how the body works. With imaging, it’s all possible.

Andi Lucas, Editor