Neuroimaging company Xingimaging has announced the launch of the NX PET Camera, a new tool for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging that aims to accelerate research into Parkinson’s disease. 

The novel tool, for use in PET imaging scans, “…offers cutting-edge imaging capabilities, providing researchers with unparalleled precision in detecting and tracking neurodegenerative biomarkers,”  the company said in a press release. The NX PET Camera will use artificial intelligence (AI) to help researchers study Parkinson’s progression and patients’ responses to treatment. 

“Early and accurate biomarker detection is key to advancing our understanding and treatment of Parkinson’s disease,” said Gilles Tamagnan, CEO of Xingimaging. “The NX PET Camera delivers the next-generation imaging technology needed to support groundbreaking research and improve patient outcomes.” 

Xingimaging opened a state-of-the-art research facility in the U.S. earlier this year. That facility, in Connecticut, is home to a clinic for recruiting and evaluating participants for research studies. 

PET scan imaging can track Parkinson’s progression, treatment responses 

Parkinson’s is caused by the death and dysfunction of brain cells responsible for producing the signalling molecule dopamine. Reduced dopamine signalling ultimately gives rise to the symptoms of Parkinson’s, but the exact biological mechanisms that cause the disease remain incompletely understood. 

PET imaging uses radioactive tracers to detect metabolic and biochemical activity within the body. PET imaging has many applications in the study of Parkinson’s disease — for example, it can be used to track dopamine signalling in the brain of living people, and can also be used to help track alpha-synuclein, a protein that forms toxic clumps in the brains of people with Parkinson’s. 

According to Xingimaging, the new NX PET Camera offers extremely high PET imaging resolution, allowing scientists and clinicians to detect changes in great detail. The new camera also uses machine learning algorithms to help interpret images and enhance accuracy, as well as tools for biomarker mapping to detect biochemical changes inside the body in real time. 

The new camera has been designed to be non-invasive and efficient, according to Xingimaging, which the company says should help minimize discomfort for patients while still providing high-quality PET imaging scan results. 

The launch of the NX PET Camera was lauded by The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF), which helped fund Xingimaging in its goal of creating tools to visualize changes in the dopamine pathway of the brain. Such tools aim to help researchers better understand Parkinson’s disease. 

Sources: 

Original article by Marisa Wexler, MS 

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