Purpose: Iodobenzamides are reported to possess an affinity for melanoma. A first selected compound, BZA, was studied in a phase 2 clinical trial on 159 patients as an imaging agent for the detection of primary melanoma and metastases with good results. We report the results of a second phase 2 clinical trial on 40 patients with a new radiopharmaceutical BZA2 (an orthoiodinated BZA analog), which was expected to provide quality images sooner after injection and with better imaging contrast.
Patients And Methods: Performance was evaluated in 40 patients classified with primary ocular lesions (12), suspicion of metastases of ocular or cutaneous origin (15), or with no known secondary lesion (13), and results were compared with conventional investigation techniques (ophthalmoscopy, ultrasonography, and angiography for ocular melanoma, whole-body CT scan and ultrasonography for metastases).
Results: No adverse events were recorded. The overall results on a per patient basis showed a sensitivity of 78% and a specificity of 95%. The four false negatives observed were ocular lesions (three with a thickness<3mm and one achromic), but all the proven secondary lesions were imaged. Moreover, negative BZA2 scintigraphy in cases of suspicious lesions led to the correction of two diagnoses: the prostatic origin of bone metastases and the endocrine tumor origin (APUD system) of an ocular lesion.
Discussion: BZA2 scintigraphy is an easy test with good tolerance. In the diagnosis of ocular primary melanoma, the sensitivity of the test is 64%, although limited by the thickness (3mm) and the pigmentation of the lesion. However, the BZA2 scintigraphy is a very useful test for the detection of melanoma metastases, with a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 95%.
Conclusion: BZA2 scintigraphy showed good tolerance in patients and it appears promising for differential diagnosis, staging, and restaging of melanoma.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s0181-5512(04)96089-5 | DOI Listing |
Alzheimers Dement
December 2024
GSK R&D, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom.
Background: Genetic variants in GRN, the gene encoding progranulin, are causal for or are associated with the risk of multiple neurodegenerative diseases. Modulating progranulin has been considered as a therapeutic strategy for neurodegenerative diseases including Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) and Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Here, we integrated genetics with proteomic data to determine the causal human evidence for the therapeutic benefit of modulating progranulin in AD.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlzheimers Dement
December 2024
Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, Neurology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC location VUmc, Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands.
The lack of an in-vivo pathology marker for synuclein pathology has been a long standing challenge for dementia for Lewy bodies (DLB) research. This issue is critically important for phase II trials, which are often small, requiring the precise measurement of the biological effects, whether disease modifying or symptomatic. Recent advances have enabled the determination of alpha-synuclein pathology status with CSF measurements, using aggregation assays [RT-QUIC].
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Alzheimer's disease (AD) agitation is a distressing neuropsychiatric symptom characterized by excessive motor activity, verbal aggression, or physical aggression. Agitation is one of the causes of caregiver distress, increased morbidity and mortality, and early institutionalization in patients with AD. Current medications used for the management of agitation have modest efficacy and have substantial side effects.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Lecanemab is a humanized IgG1 monoclonal antibody that binds with high affinity to Aβ soluble protofibrils. In two clinical studies (phase 2, NCT01767311 and phase 3 ClarityAD, NCT03887455) in early Alzheimer's disease, lecanemab substantially reduced amyloid PET and significantly slowed clinical decline on multiple measures of cognition and function, including CDR-SB at 18 months. Models describing the change in amyloid PET and CDR-SB in response to lecanemab treatment were used to explore the impact of changing from the initial dosage regimen (10 mg/kg every 2 weeks [Q2W]) to a less intensive maintenance dosing regimen (10 mg/kg every 4 weeks [Q4W]) on clinical efficacy, and to explore the optimal duration of the initial dosing regimen.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by the formation of amyloid-beta (Aβ) plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) composed of tau aggregates. Research in animal models has generated hypotheses on the underlying mechanisms of the interaction between Aβ and tau pathology. In support of this interaction, results from clinical trials have shown that treatment with anti-Aβ monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) affects tau pathology.
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