Molecular Imaging: PET/CT
Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a cutting-edge, in vivo molecular imaging technology that leverages the emission of high-energy gamma rays to visualize and quantify biological processes within living organisms. This technique allows researchers to track and measure the distribution of drug candidates, cells, or biomarkers that are labeled with a positron-emitting radioisotope (such as 18F or 11C) and injected into a study subject.
PET's exceptional sensitivity enables the acquisition of high-quality images with even very low levels of injected radioactivity. The penetrating power of gamma rays allows for imaging at virtually any depth, providing detailed insights into the subject's internal processes.
The Mediso nanoScan PET/CT 122S is fully compatible with the Mediso nanoScan 3T MRI, enabling seamless multimodal PET/MRI imaging. This integration allows for highly accurate co-registration of PET and MRI images, without the need to move the animal, ensuring consistent and precise alignment between modalities.
Catalog of Radiotracers
Please note that availability and pricing vary depending on the selected radiotracer.
| Isotope | Name | Application examples |
|---|---|---|
| 18F | Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) | Tissue metabolism, cancer monitoring |
| 18F | PBR-111 | Neuroinflammation and glial activation |
| 18F | PSS232 | Metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 5 (mGlu5) (Neurodegenerative diseases, Addiction and substance use disorders, Neuroinflammation and brain injury, Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), Psychiatric disorders) |
| 18F | Flutemetamol | Amyloid plaques ( Alzheimer's disease) |
| 18F | DOPA | Dopamine metabolism (Neurodegenerative diseases, Addiction and substance use disorders, Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), Psychiatric disorders) |
| 18F | MISO | Hypoxia |
| 18F | Sodium Fluoride (NaF) | Bone imaging, detection of bone metastases |
| 18F | Choline | Prostate cancer and evaluation of tissue metabolism |
| 68Ga | Gallium-PSMA (Ga-PSMA) | Prostate cancer imaging targeting PSMA (Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen) |
| 68Ga | DOTATATE | Somatostatin receptors type 2 in neuroendocrine tumors |
| 68Ga | NETSPOT | Somatostatin receptors in neuroendocrine tumors |
| 124I | Iodine-124 | Thyroid cancer |
| 82Rb | Rubidium-82 | Cardiac PET imaging, myocardial perfusion |
| 13N | Ammonium (N-13) | Cardiac PET imaging, myocardial perfusion and metabolism |
In addition to standard applications, our section can perform radiolabeling of ligands (e.g. with Ga-68), enabling the development of specialized radioligands for imaging purposes. This capability allows the creation of radiotracers targeting specific molecular processes, providing valuable insights into disease mechanisms, receptor interactions, and tumor detection. Such advancements contribute to the development of more precise imaging agents for both preclinical research and clinical applications.
