Positron emission tomography (PET) is a nuclear imaging technique used to diagnose conditions such as cancer. An innovative advance from scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is enhancing the technique’s ability to check for signs of neurological disease. The researchers repurposed the drug edaravone, an antioxidant used to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), as a probe to be used with central nervous system PET imaging. With this technique, the researchers can detect oxidative stress, which leads to brain damage, offering a clear path to detecting neurological conditions. Source: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

Engineered tissues could one day do the work of traditional electrical stimulation devices while offering more customizable and biologically friendly solutions.

Researchers are developing an AI tool to evaluate placental photographs that could provide predictions for multiple adverse outcomes, such as infection or sepsis.

Cancers occurring in the mouth, nose, and throat are on the rise in the U.S., especially in younger people. A new study provides insights that may eventually help oncologists better predict how the disease will respond to certain therapies, leading to improved survival outcomes for patients. Source: University of Maryland School of Medicine

In a preclinical study, NIBIB researchers found that bone marrow transplants to treat sickle cell disease early in life may lower risk of stroke into adulthood.

Two heads are better than one, as the saying goes, and sometimes two instruments, ingeniously recombined, can accomplish feats that neither could have done on its own. For the first time, a hybrid microscope born at the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL), allows scientists to simultaneously image the full 3D orientation and position of an ensemble of molecules, such as labeled proteins inside cells.  Source: Marine Biological Laboratory at the University of Chicago.

Each year, approximately 18,000 Americans suffer from spinal cord injuries. By detecting intact nerve connections in the injured spinal cord, a newly developed imaging radiotracer has the potential to help diagnose injuries more precisely, monitor recovery, and evaluate the effectiveness of new therapies in clinical trials. Source: The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging

The low image quality of small, affordable MRI machines have prevented their widespread use. But a boost from AI could close the gap, bringing MRI to more patients.

A preclinical study in a mouse model of sickle-cell disease showed that stimulating brain regions with focused ultrasound can reduce pain hypersensitivity.