Reston, VA (September 11, 2026)— New research has been published ahead-of-print by The Journal of Nuclear Medicine ( JNM ). JNM is published by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, an international scientific and medical organization dedicated to advancing nuclear medicine, molecular imaging, and theranostics—precision medicine that allows diagnosis and treatment to be tailored to individual patients in order to achieve the best possible outcomes.
Summaries of the newly published research articles are provided below.
Imaging Tumor-Associated Macrophages in Head and Neck Cancer
Researchers evaluated a new PET imaging approach targeting CD163, a marker of tumor-associated macrophages in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. In mouse models, 64 Cu-ICT-01 PET tracked the location and changes of these immune cells during tumor progression and after treatment, while human tissue testing demonstrated specific CD163 binding.
Long-Acting Radiopharmaceutical Shows Promise for Advanced Neuroendocrine Tumors
A prospective clinical trial evaluated 177 Lu-LNC1010, a long-acting somatostatin analog, for peptide receptor radionuclide therapy in 22 patients with progressive metastatic neuroendocrine tumors. Patients received up to four treatment cycles. Researchers assessed safety, tumor response, absorbed radiation dose, progression-free survival, and overall survival during follow-up.
Targeted Radiotherapy Shows Promise for CEACAM5-Positive Tumors
Researchers evaluated a radiopharmaceutical therapy targeting CEACAM5, a protein overexpressed in several cancers. In laboratory and mouse studies, the radiolabeled compound selectively bound to CEACAM5-positive cancer cells and showed favorable tumor uptake and reduced kidney accumulation. A single treatment also significantly increased survival in mice with CEACAM5-positive tumors, with mild, temporary toxicity.
PET Imaging Confirms DLL3 as a Target in Neuroblastoma
Researchers investigated DLL3, a potential target for imaging and treatment of neuroblastoma, a pediatric cancer. Analysis of human tumors and preclinical models showed DLL3 was widely expressed and frequently located on the cell surface. DLL3-targeted PET imaging also showed tumor-specific uptake in preclinical models and four patients with relapsed neuroblastoma.
Amyloid PET Reads Show Strong Agreement in Clinical Practice
A study of nearly 1,500 amyloid PET scans examined how closely interpretations by local radiologists and nuclear medicine physicians matched those of expert readers. Across three FDA-approved amyloid PET tracers, local and expert interpretations showed good agreement, with similar results for positive and negative scans. Lower reader confidence was associated with less agreement.
PSMA PET Identifies Thresholds for Prostate Cancer Detection
A multicenter study evaluated quantitative measurements from 18 F-piflufolastat PSMA PET/CT to distinguish malignant prostate cancer from benign tissue. Researchers matched PET findings with histopathology from 305 men. Several PET measures were associated with malignancy, with SUV max -to-blood-pool ratios showing the strongest ability to differentiate cancerous from benign lesions across prostate and metastatic sites.
Biomarkers May Help Predict Response to Combined Prostate Cancer Therapy
Researchers analyzed blood tests and PET imaging from 37 patients receiving 177 Lu-PSMA-617 and pembrolizumab for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Lower baseline circulating tumor DNA and higher PSMA uptake were associated with better treatment responses. Changes in circulating tumor DNA and PSMA PET at 12 weeks also reflected treatment response and durability.
PARP-Targeted PET Imaging Compared With FDG PET in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
A study compared a PARP-targeted PET tracer, 18 F-ATD001, with standard 18 F-FDG PET/CT in 37 women with triple-negative breast cancer. Researchers found no significant differences in lesion detection between the two imaging methods. Although 18 F-ATD001 showed lower uptake overall, uptake moderately correlated with FDG in primary tumors and less strongly at other sites.
CAIX-Targeted PET Shows Promise for Detecting Kidney Cancer
A prospective study evaluated 68 Ga-DPI-4452 PET/CT, which targets carbonic anhydrase IX, in 30 adults with suspected kidney tumors. The imaging method identified clear cell renal cell carcinoma with high sensitivity and detected substantially more metastatic lesions than conventional imaging. Tracer uptake also strongly correlated with CAIX expression in tumor tissue.
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About JNM and the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
The Journal of Nuclear Medicine (JNM) is the world’s leading nuclear medicine, molecular imaging and theranostics journal, accessed more than 90 million times each year by practitioners around the globe, providing them with the information they need to advance this rapidly expanding field. Current and past issues of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine can be found online at http://jnm.snmjournals.org.
JNM is published by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI), an international scientific and medical organization dedicated to advancing nuclear medicine, molecular imaging, and theranostics—precision medicine that allows diagnosis and treatment to be tailored to individual patients in order to achieve the best possible outcomes. For more information, visit www.snmmi.org.
Journal of Nuclear Medicine