Nuclear Medicine: An Emerging Field in Science

The discovery of X-rays has brought a revolution in the field of medicine as it allows physicians and scientists to see through a living body. Currently, modern medicine is going through an important change due to the advent of nuclear medicine - one of the most effective forms of treatment available today. Along with molecular imaging, it helps to see the functioning of a body and what’s happening at the cellular and molecular level, thus helping to know the occurrence or progression of a disease, assess new drugs, improve the selection of therapy, track patient response to treatment, and more.

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Several developments took place in the nuclear medicine space recently. One of them is the acquisition of Northeast Electronics (NE), a provider of nuclear medicine equipment, assembly, installation, and repair services, by Absolute Imaging Solutions (AIS), an expert in nuclear medicine equipment service and sales. Another recent development is the launch of a nuclear medicine therapeutic service by Sidra Medicine, a medical center in Doha. Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited, a biopharmaceutical company that manufactures diagnostic and therapeutic products recently concluded a master service and distribution agreement with Eczacıbaşı-Monrol.

The chronic diseases such as heart diseases, cancer, chronic lung diseases, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, and chronic kidney disease and other neurological disorders are growing at a rapid rate across the globe. These chronic diseases are the leading cause of deaths. According to the recent statistics of World Health Organization for the year 2019, states that chronic disease contributes approximately 60% of all deaths and 43% of the global burden of disease. It is also expected that by 2020 the incidences of deaths will rise approximately to 73% and the global burden of disease is expected to grow by 60%.

According to the World Health Organization in 2018, cancer was the second leading cause of death across the globe, and is responsible for an estimated 9.6 million deaths in 2018. Furthermore, the American Cancer Society estimated that in 2018, approximately 1,735,350 new cancer cases were diagnosed.

Targeted alpha therapy (TAT) is a latest and evolving option for local and systemic cancer treatment. Preclinical research and clinical trials prove that alpha-emitting radionuclides kill targeted cancer cells and does not harm the normal cells, hence it reduces the toxicity. The alpha emitting radioisotopes 211At, 213Bi, 225Ac and 227Th are being used to label targeting vectors such as monoclonal antibodies for specific cancer therapy indications.

Source: The Insight Partners