Sex-related differences in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: A 2-[F]FDG-PET study.

Purpose: We investigated sex-related brain metabolic differences in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and healthy controls (HC).

Methods: We collected two equal-sized groups of male (m-ALS) and female ALS (f-ALS) patients (n = 130 each), who underwent 2-[F]FDG-PET at diagnosis, matched for site of onset, cognitive status and King's stage. We included 168 age-matched healthy controls, half female (f-HC) and half male (m-HC).

[Reactive Perforating Collagenosis in Hemodialysis Patients].

Chronic Kidney Disease associated Pruritus (CKD-aP) in hemodialysis affects approximately 38% of our patients. It is not associated with any dermatological lesion other than the common scratching lesions, a consequence of the symptom itself. The causes associated with itching have been studied in various treatments.

Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography Imaging in Therapeutic Clinical Trials in Alzheimer's Disease: An Overview of the Current State of the Art of Research.

The integration of positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) has revolutionized the landscape of Alzheimer's disease (AD) research and therapeutic interventions. By combining structural and functional imaging, PET/CT provides a comprehensive understanding of disease pathology and response to treatment assessment. PET/CT, particularly with 2-deoxy-2-[fluorine-18]fluoro-D-glucose (18F-FDG), facilitates the visualization of glucose metabolism in the brain, enabling early diagnosis, staging, and monitoring of neurodegenerative disease progression.

Molecular imaging of PARP in cancer: state-of-the-art.

Introduction: Poly-ADP-ribose-polymerase inhibitors (PARPi), which exploit the processes of so-called 'synthetic lethality,' have been successfully implemented in oncological practice. However, not all patients respond to PARPi, and there is an unmet need for noninvasive biomarkers suitable for patient selection and monitoring during PARPi therapy.

Areas Covered: The first clinical applications of molecular imaging with positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) with [18F]-FluorThanatrace ([18F]-FTT) and [18F]-PARPi, highly effective PARP-ligands, in patients with several malignancies (head and neck, ovarian, prostate, and breast cancer) are covered, with a particular focus on its potential for pre-treatment selection and follow-up.

NECTIN-4 targeted theranostics for urothelial cancer: getting ready for primetime?

Locally advanced and metastatic urothelial carcinoma (UC) presents a bleak prognosis, with limited treatment options. NECTIN-4, an overexpressed protein in UC, has become a target for therapy. Enfortumab vedotin (EV) gained Food and Drug Administration approval for advanced UC treatment, but patient selection based on NECTIN-4 expression remains challenging.

Optimising Radioligand Therapy for Patients with Gastro-Entero-Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumours: Expert Opinion from an Italian Multidisciplinary Group.

Radioligand therapy (RLT) with lutetium (Lu) oxodotreotide is an approved therapy in combination with somatostatin analogues (SSAs) for patients with advanced, well-differentiated G1-G2, gastro-entero-pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (GEP-NETs) that progress on SSAs. We conducted a series of round table meetings throughout Italy to identify issues related to RLT delivery to patients with GEP-NETs. Four key issues were identified: (1) the proper definition of tumour progression prior to RLT initiation; (2) the impact of RLT in patients with bone metastases and/or high hepatic tumour burden; (3) the optimal follow-up protocol after RLT; and (4) organisational issues related to RLT use and managerial implications.

Functional Imaging in Musculoskeletal Disorders in Menopause.

Menopause-related musculoskeletal (MSK) disorders include osteoporosis, osteoarthritis (OA), sarcopenia and sarco-obesity. This review focuses on the applications of nuclear medicine for the functional imaging of the aforementioned clinical conditions. Bone Scan (BS) with Tc-labeled phosphonates, alone or in combination with MRI, can identify "fresh" vertebral collapse due to age-associated osteoporosis and provides quantitative parameters characterized by a good correlation with radiological indices in patients with OA.

The Prognostic Role of [F]FDG PET/CT in Patients with Advanced Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma Submitted to Cemiplimab Immunotherapy: A Single-Center Retrospective Study.

Baseline 2-deoxy-2[F]fluoro-d-glucose ([F]FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)-derived parameters and 12-week metabolic response were investigated as prognostic factors in advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) submitted to cemiplimab immunotherapy. Clinical records of 25 cSCC patients receiving cemiplimab, submitted to [F]FDG positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) at baseline and after ∼12 weeks, were retrospectively reviewed. The Kaplan-Meier (KM) method was applied to analyze differences in event-free survival (EFS), and Cox regression analysis was employed to identify the prognostic factors.

Myocardial Functional Imaging in Pediatric Nuclear Cardiology.

The role of nuclear medicine in pediatric cardiology has grown rapidly over the years, providing useful functional and prognostic information and playing a complementary role to morphological imaging in the evaluation of myocardial perfusion, cardiovascular inflammation and infections, and cardiac sympathetic innervation. The aim of this narrative review is to summarize and highlight the most important evidence on pediatric nuclear cardiology, describing clinical applications and the possibilities, advantages, and limitations of nuclear medicine techniques. Moreover, a special focus will be given to the minimization of radiation exposure in pediatric nuclear cardiology imaging, a critical topic in children.

Sleep Dysregulation Is Associated with F-FDG PET and Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarkers in Alzheimer's Disease.

Background: Sleep impairment has been commonly reported in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. The association between sleep dysregulation and AD biomarkers has been separately explored in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and AD patients.

Objective: The present study investigated cerebrospinal-fluid (CSF) and F-fluoro-deoxy-glucose positron emission tomography (F-FDG-PET) biomarkers in MCI and AD patients in order to explore their association with sleep parameters measured with polysomnography (PSG).

The new bone WB-SPECT/CT: hybrid, from head-to-toe and digital! Is it worth the effort?

Introduction: A bone scan (BS) plays a pivotal role in many oncological and non-oncological conditions. The planar BS is characterized by high sensitivity but low specificity. With respect to planar imaging, the implementation of single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) has allowed increased image contrast and more accurate tracer localization.

[F]-FDHT PET for the Imaging of Androgen Receptor in Prostate and Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review.

The aim of this systematic review is to provide a comprehensive overview of the role of fluoro-5α-dihydrotestosterone ([F]-FDHT) for the in vivo imaging of androgen receptors (AR) through positron emission tomography (PET) in metastatic breast (mBC) and metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Relevant studies published from 2013 up to May 2023 were selected by searching Scopus, PubMed and Web of Science. The selected imaging studies were analyzed using a modified version of the critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP).

Extraosseous distribution of Tc-diphosphonates during bone scintigraphy: review of the literature with case series presentation.

Purpose: Technetium-99m (Tc)-diphosphonates represent the most common radiopharmaceutical used for bone scintigraphy. Even if the uptake in bone tissue has been widely explored, atypical uptake could be seen in soft tissue malignancies during bone scintigraphy. Increased vascularization and endothelium permeability represent front-row players in the biodistribution of the tracer, albeit other causes have been identified such as trauma, necrosis, the presence of calcification in metastasis, the pH of the tissue and consequently the type of ion concentration.

Head-to-Head Comparison between FDG and C-Methionine in Multiple Myeloma: A Systematic Review.

The aim of this systematic review is to provide a comprehensive overview of the existing literature, comparing F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) and C-methionine (MET) for the imaging of multiple myeloma (MM) with positron emission computed tomography (PET/CT). Relevant studies published from 2013 up to March 2023 were selected by searching Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science. Selected imaging studies were analyzed using a modified version of the critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP).

What radiolabeled FAPI pet can add in breast cancer? A systematic review from literature.

To provide an overview of the current available data about FAPI PET in breast cancer patients, with a perspective point of view. A literature search for studies about FAPI PET in the last 5 years (from 2017 to January 2023) was carried out on MEDLINE databases, such as PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science and Google Scholar using the following keywords: "PET" AND "FAPI" AND "Breast Cancer" AND "Fibroblast imaging". The Critical Appraisal Skills Program (CASP) checklist for diagnostic test studies was used for testing the quality of selected papers.

Hepato-Biliary Imaging in an Acute Setting: Is There a Role for Nuclear Medicine?

Nuclear medicine (NM) is not commonly considered as a first-line imaging modality in hepato-biliary (HB) emergencies. The aim of this review is to provide an update on the potential of NM for the imaging of HB emergencies. Tc-HIDA scintigraphy showed high diagnostic accuracy for acute cholecystitis, thus being particularly useful in patients at high-risk for surgery due to comorbidities and with no clear findings at US or CT.

Novel Theranostic Approaches Targeting CCR4-Receptor, Current Status and Translational Prospectives: A Systematic Review.

Background: With the high mortality rate of malignant tumors, there is a need to find novel theranostic approaches to provide an early diagnosis and targeted therapy. The chemokine receptor 4 (CCR4) is highly expressed in various tumors and plays an important role in tumor pathogenesis. This systematic review aims to provide a complete overview on clinical and preclinical applications of the CCR4 receptor as a target for theranostics, using a systematic approach to classify and assemble published studies performed on humans and animals, sorted by field of application and specific tumor.

Clinical Applications of TSPO PET for Glioma Imaging: Current Evidence and Future Perspective-A Systematic Review.

Our aim was to provide a comprehensive overview of the existing literature concerning the clinical applications of positron emission computed tomography (PET) with radiopharmaceuticals targeting the translocator protein (TSPO) in gliomas. A literature search for studies about TSPO PET in the last 10 years (from 2013 to February 2023) was carried out on PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science using the following keywords: "PET" AND "Gliomas" AND "TSPO". The Critical Appraisal Skills Program checklist for diagnostic test studies was used for testing the quality of selected papers.

Integrated use of Y-labeled microspheres and immune checkpoint inhibitors in hepatic tumors: current status and future directions.

Introduction: Transarterial radioembolization (TARE) with yttrium-90 (Y)-labeled microspheres and immune check-point inhibitors (ICIs) have been successfully applied for the management of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and hepatic metastases. The potential synergism of Y-microspheres and ICIs in integrated therapeutic regimens represents a topic of great interest.

Areas Covered: The main characteristics of resin and glass Y-microspheres are covered, as well as the basic principles of TARE.

Radiolabeled FAPI in pancreatic cancer: can it be an additional value in the management of patients?

Introduction: To discuss the current evidence about radiolabeled-FAPI in patients affected by pancreatic cancer by underlying the advantages, disadvantages, and the future perspectives also in the theragnostic field.

Areas Covered: A literature search up until February 2023 was performed in PubMed, EBSCO, and EMBASE databases. Clinical reports, conference abstracts, editorials, and letters-to-the-editor were excluded.