Novel imaging offers insights on engraftment process after HSCT
A novel imaging test using the imaging agent 18F-fluorothymidine (18FLT) identifies success of HSCT engraftment weeks before a traditional blood test. This imaging technique — a less painful option than bone marrow biopsies — also allowed researchers to better understand the engraftment process following HSCT. A study led by blood and marrow transplant specialists at Children’s National Health System suggest that 18FLT could be useful to assess subclinical engraftment in populations at the highest risk of nonengraftment, including recipients of cord-blood transplants in which cell doses might be inadequate to recover hemopoiesis.
“18FLT imaging seems to be a useful method to assess bone-marrow proliferation in normal and pathological states,” says Anthony F. Shields, MD, PhD, professor of medicine and oncology and associate center director for clinical sciences at Karmanos Cancer Institute at Wayne State University. “This technique will be helpful in elucidating the distribution of activity in bone marrow and in monitoring response to treatment and might prove clinically useful in directing treatment changes.”
Click here to read the entire article published April 27. 2018 on Healio itj+
