Dana-Farber scientists develop PET probe to image inflammation with high sensitivity

Researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have developed what they call a “groundbreaking method.” inflammation Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging is used to examine the inside of the body. This new approach uses a specially designed probe that targets CD45, a protein marker present on all immune cells, to produce clear, real-time images of immune system organs such as the bone marrow, spleen, and lymph nodes. can provide and indicate inflammation. Affected organs such as the colon.

The survey results are Published in naturecould have broad clinical applications in the diagnosis and monitoring of conditions ranging from autoimmune diseases to cancer.

A PET probe developed by the Dana-Farber team has been shown to be able to detect inflammation with high sensitivity and specificity. Unlike existing PET imaging methods such as 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG), which is prone to false positives due to uptake by glucose-loving cells, CD45-PET specifically targets immune cells. This provides a more accurate approach.

“CD45-PET allows us to visualize inflammation with unparalleled precision and distinguish it from other metabolic activities in the body,” the researchers wrote. This approach could lead to earlier diagnosis and more effective management, especially in inflammatory diseases where inflammation plays a central role, such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and autoimmune diseases.

The CD45-PET probe works by targeting the CD45 protein, which is present on all nucleated immune cells but not on other cell types. This makes the probe highly selective for immune system activity and provides a non-invasive means of monitoring inflammation. In disease models of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), CD45-PET clearly identified the location and severity of inflammation. “For example, in the IBD colitis model, CD45-PET provided a reliable readout of disease activity that correlated with both histological findings and clinical symptoms,” the researchers noted.

One of the main advantages of CD45-PET over existing imaging methods is its versatility. While other PET probes are limited in the range of immune processes they can detect, CD45 is expressed across a wide variety of immune cell types, allowing this probe to monitor a wide range of inflammatory conditions. Additionally, CD45-PET can provide valuable insight into how inflammation changes over time, making it a potentially meaningful analytical tool for long-term research and treatment monitoring. Using this approach, researchers are able to track inflammation in real time and monitor how it responds to treatment, offering new possibilities for the development of personalized medicine. The researchers added that

Based on early results in animal models, the team developed a human version of the CD45-PET probe and tested it in humanized mice. This result suggests that CD45-PET may be equally effective in humans, providing early detection of inflammation and potentially guiding therapeutic decisions.

The idea could also improve the diagnosis and management of conditions such as graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), a serious complication after bone marrow transplants. In animal models, human CD45-PET probes have successfully detected disease onset and tracked progression, allowing precise localization of inflammation.

The clinical significance of CD45-PET extends beyond disease detection. It can also be used to guide treatment decisions. For example, in cancers where inflammation can influence tumor behavior, CD45-PET could help clinicians assess the effectiveness of anti-inflammatory treatments and immunotherapies. Similarly, responses to treatments for diseases such as IBD could be monitored, providing a more reliable way to measure treatment outcomes than current methods.

The researchers noted that CD45-PET has several limitations. First, because they target all immune cells, they are unable to differentiate between specific subsets of immune cells that are important in some diseases. Additionally, the resolution of PET imaging may limit its ability to detect very small areas of inflammation. Nevertheless, CD45-PET represents a major advance in the ability to visualize and monitor inflammation in a variety of diseases.

The research team is currently working to begin clinical trials to validate the human CD45-PET probe, which could bring it closer to clinical use. “If clinically validated, CD45-PET could revolutionize the way inflammation-based diseases are diagnosed and treated, providing a non-invasive and reliable tool to track inflammation throughout the body. The research team concluded that