PurposeProsthetic joint- and fracture-related infections are major postoperative complications. Early, specific, and preferably non-invasive diagnostic tools, such as bacteria-targeting imaging agents, are essential for optimal treatment, since current approaches, including white blood cell scintigraphy and [¹⁸F]FDG-PET, are accurate, but may lack specificity. Vancomycin, an antibiotic targeting Gram-positive bacteria, has been successfully applied as a molecular scaffold for bacteria-specific tracer development. This study evaluated two novel vancomycin-based PET tracers, [¹⁸F]BODIPY-FL-vancomycin and [¹⁸F]VE1-PQ-vancomycin, along with the fluorescent tracer vancomycin-IRDye800CW, for diagnosing biofilm-associated orthopaedic implant infections. MethodsWe employed a preclinical in...

PURPOSE: Yttrium-90 (90Y) selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) is an established treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), yet dose-response relationships remain incompletely understood. We evaluated whether voxel-based dose heterogeneity is associated with tumour response and treatment-related toxicity. METHODS: This retrospective study included 45 HCC patients with 68 lesions treated with 90Y resin SIRT. Dose distributions were derived from post-therapy 90Y PET/CT. DVH-based metrics included hot-spot (D2, D10, Dmax), cold-spot (D90, D98, Dmin), and coverage parameters (V100, V150, V200). Tumour response was assessed using mRECIST. Grade ≥ 3 toxicity was classified as...

Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) is a common immune-mediated inflammatory disease affecting older adults over 50 years of age and is characterized by constitutional symptoms with disabling pain and stiffness. Diagnosis remains challenging as clinical features can overlap with other inflammatory musculoskeletal conditions. 18F-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose ([ 18F]FDG-PET/CT) has emerged as a valuable imaging modality by enabling rapid assessment of the hallmarks of PMR: extracapsular and musculotendinous inflammation at characteristic sites localizing to the shoulders, hips, pelvis, spinous processes and knees. In addition, [ 18F]FDG-PET/CT has established its utility in identifying concurrent...

In vivo tracking T-lymphocytes is dramatically advancing our understanding of the complex immune landscape in a wide spectrum of autoimmune and cancer diseases. By providing new insights into intricate mechanisms, pathways, molecular interactions and dynamic nature of immune system, this approach paves the way for personalized therapies, tailored to individual patient need. Imaging T-cells is, indeed, emerging as a crucial tool not only for early disease detection, but also for personalized immune-therapy and treatment monitoring, thus enabling a “precision medicine”. T-lymphocytes offers several accessible molecular targets suitable for...

Based on the Chapel Hill consensus criteria, the primary forms of vasculitis are classified by the predominant size of the affected blood vessels into large, medium, or small vessels. The two main forms of large vessel vasculitis (LVV) are giant cell arteritis and Takayasu arteritis, both of which are more prevalent in women while showing distinct geographic patterns of prevalence. The pathogenesis of LVV is complex and multifactorial, involving a combination of genetic predisposition, environmental and geographic triggers, immune dysregulation, and aging or (premature) senescence of the immune...