In the News

PDMIL Featured in Advance -- Advancing Research from Lab to Life--Research at UTGSM

The second issue of Advance features the work of the PDMIL Research Laboratory in an article entitled, "See Plaque in the Brain." Read more about the use of the Peptide P5 imaging agent developed by Jonathan Wall, PhD.

Amy K. LeBlanc, DVM, Director, Translational Research in the Molecular Imaging & Translational Research Program, collaborator in the PDMIL laboratory, is also a featured researcher in additional article in the Winter, 2012 Advance.

2/1/2012

 

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Jump-starting UT Research Spin-offs

Jonathan Wall, Ph.D. and Emily Martin were recently highlighted in the Fall/Winter 2011 issue of Tennessee Land, Life and Science Magazine.

"UT Distinguished Professor Fred Tompkins is on a mission. Through a new special topics course, he is striving to open students and professors' eyes to the idea of launching innovative and potentially lucrative business spin-offs. His vision is to enable students to create
careers for themselves—ones that potentially enrich East Tennessee's technology business base, grow jobs and boost the state's economy." Read more.

12/12/2011

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Preclinical Imaging Team Succeeds at International Imaging Congress

 

Researchers in the Preclinical Diagnostic and Molecular Imaging Laboratory (PDMIL), directed by Jonathan Wall, PhD, were awarded two Image of the Year awards for the second consecutive year in the eighth annual Siemens Healthcare "New Point of View" Preclinical Image of the Year awards competition at the 2011 World Molecular Imaging Congress (WMIC). Researchers were encouraged to submit images created using any type of radiopharmaceutical tracer or any other contrast material. Entries were judged on scientific merit, the type of information gleaned from the images, and overall image quality. All images were judged by a panel of independent industry experts.

PDMIL investigations for both award-winning images pertain to the development of a novel agent for imaging visceral amyloid deposits in patients with amyloidosis and type II diabetes. Currently no such capability exists in the US. However, this team has identified a peptide, p5, that demonstrates avid and specific binding to visceral amyloid deposits.

Inveon Image of the Year

PDMIL researchers received the Inveon Image of the Year award for images taken during an evaluation of the biodistribution of the amyloid imaging peptide p5 radiolabeled with I-124 using PET/CT imaging. Their data from this study indicates that p5 radiolabeled with I-124 may be imaged many hours post injection, which is a desirable property for a visceral amyloid PET imaging agent.

Investigators with Dr. Wall include Tina Richey, Emily Martin, Alan Stuckey and Stephen Kennel, PhD.

Translational Image of the Year

PDMIL researchers received the Translational Image of the Year award for images taken during an investigation of the biodistribution of the amyloid imaging peptide p5 radiolabeled with [18F]FBAM, Tc-99m or I-125 while also assessing the background signal. As a result of their investigation, they anticipate using p5 radiolabeled with I-124 and I-123 for clinical PET or SPECT imaging of patients, respectively.

Investigators with Dr. Wall include Tina Richey, Emily Martin, Murthy Akula, PhD, Alan Stuckey, and Stephen Kennel, PhD.

Reposted from an article in the GSM Scope Newsletter 10/2011

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Emily Martin Recognized for Imaging Research

Also at WMIC, a poster presentation by Emily Martin, Graduate Research Assistant, was selected as a finalist in the Poster Session Walk-Through in the category of PET/SPECT Probes. As a finalist, she gave a brief presentation of her research, "Stable and Rapid Binding of 124I-labeled Peptide p5 to Visceral Amyloid in vivo as Evidenced by Dynamic PET Imaging," to judges and well-known experts in the field, Michael Phelps, PhD, and Bernd Pichler, PhD.

Martin said, "I got to speak with two well-known men in the field, which was an honor in itself. It was my first time getting to present the findings from our research. I love being a part of the research that we do here, but getting the chance to talk about it was priceless. I can only hope for more opportunities like that to come my way in the years ahead."

Reposted from an article in the GSM Scope Newsletter 10/2011

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Jonathan Wall, PhD, Presented with 2011 GSM Spirit Award

Dr. Wall came to the UTGSM as a post doctoral researcher in 1995 and joined the faculty in 1997. His research spans basic science, preclinical and clinical investigations and he has received multiple patents. Dr. Wall also receives tremendous extramural funding – greater than 75 percent of his funding comes from grants, and he also helps other researchers apply for grant monies. Dr. Wall often presents internationally and has numerous national and international publications. He also consistently works with postgraduate and Collmann summer students. Dr. Wall was the winner of the Excellence and Leadership in Basic Science Research award in 2006.

Timothy Panella, Chair, Medicine, commented, "He holds such esteem because of his breadth of research abilities, his funding successes, the importance of his work in ameliorating human disease, and his mix of kindness and focus."

Reposted from an article in the GSM Scope Newsletter 7/1/2011

 

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Dr. Alan Solomon Is 'Health Care Hero'

The Greater Knoxville Business Journal selected Alan Solomon, MD, Professor of Medicine and Program Director, Human Immunology and Cancer Program, as one of its 2011 Health Care Heroes, an annual celebration of individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to the quality and availability of medical care in East Tennessee. Dr. Solomon received the honor in the area of innovation for his research to develop new diagnostic and treatment strategies for patients with amyloid-associated diseases.

Through his research, his team has for the first time detected amyloid deposits in patients with primary (AL) amyloidosis using the state-of-the-art Siemens PET/CT scanner and radiolabeled monoclonal amyloid-reactive antibody developed in his laboratory. He also plans to test in his patients the capability of this antibody, currently under preparation by the National Cancer Institute's Biological Resource Branch, to serve as a novel treatment agent by removing the pathologic amyloid deposits from the body.

Reposted from an article in the GSM Scope Newsletter 10/2011

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The Life and Work of Dr. Solomon Featured in UT Achievement Magazine

Alan Solomon, MD, Professor of Medicine and Director, Human Immunology and Cancer Program, has been recognized by the UT Graduate School of Medicine and beyond for his excellence in basic science research. He is a world-renowned physician in amyloidosis research, spending much of his career searching for answers to currently incurable diseases and making discoveries that put the Graduate School of Medicine on the cutting-edge of research. While many people may be familiar with his accolades, they may not know why he chose to study medicine, why he is committed to finding a cure for amyloidosis, or that he finds peace and healing in working with stone and creating his nationally acclaimed garden. The Fall 2010 Achievement, a magazine for alumni and supporters of UT, tells Dr. Solomon's story in, "Hands of a Healer: Demystifying the Mysteries of Incurable Diseases, Dr. Alan Solomon Finds Beauty in the Roughest Places."

Reposted from an article in the GSM Scope Newsletter 1/11

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International Journal Features Ground-Breaking Amyloidosis Research Findings

Early detection of AL amyloidosis is the key to improving patient outcomes for those affected by the disease, which is why a team of medical researchers led by Dr. Alan Solomon, MD, Head, Human Immunology and Cancer Program, and Jonathan Wall, PhD, Director of the Preclinical and Diagnostic Molecular Imaging Laboratory, at the University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine are conducting an FDA-sponsored clinical trial testing the capability of their radiolabeled anti-amyloid monoclonal antibody to image by PET/CT amyloid deposits in patients with this disorder. The results have been most encouraging and represent an important medical advancement in that they have shown, for the first time, that this technology can be used to visualize amyloid deposits in vital organs, as well as identify patients that might benefit from treatment with this antibody.

These findings and their potential clinical import were featured as the cover story of the September 30 issue of Blood, Journal of the American Society of Hematology. The cover image displays a PET/CT image taken 48 hours after a patient with AL amyloidosis received an injection of the antibody. The fused radioimmunoimages show, in red, accumulation of the antibody in areas deemed to contain amyloid, including the liver and bone marrow. Read more from Drs. Wall and Solomon's research in their article in Blood and the associated editorial by Dr. Morie Gertz, Mayo Clinic.

Involved in this research with Drs. Wall and Solomon were Stephen Kennel, PhD; Alan Stuckey; Misty Long; David Townsend, PhD; Gary Smith, MD; Karen Wells, MD; Yitong Fu, MD; and Deborah Weiss from the Graduate School of Medicine and Michael Stabin from the Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences at Vanderbilt University. Blood is a weekly medical journal that is the most cited peer-reviewed publication in the field. It provides an international forum for the publication of original articles describing basic laboratory, translational and clinical investigations in hematology.

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Imaging Researchers Win Best Image of the Year Awards

Siemens announced the seventh annual “New Point of View” Preclinical Image of the Year awards for cutting-edge images from pioneering preclinical research at the World Molecular Imaging Congress recently in Kyoto, Japan. Two of the four awards were presented to the Preclinical and Diagnostic Molecular Imaging Laboratory, directed by Jonathan S. Wall, PhD, UT Graduate School of Medicine. The awards included:

Inveon Image of the Year 2010
"Dual Energy SPECT/CT Amyloid Imaging Study"
Jonathan Wall, Tina Richey, Emily Martin, Alan Stuckey and Stephen Kennel
Preclinical and Diagnostic Molecular Imaging Laboratory
UT Graduate School of Medicine

Best Presented Image of the Year 2010
"Daffodil (Narcissus) Imaging with FDG"
Jonathan Wall, George Kabalka, Emily Martin, Tina Richey, Alan Stuckey and Stephen Kennel.

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Dr. Amy LeBlanc Interviewed for WBIR TV Segment

Collaboration between the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Tennessee Veterinary Clinic may bring more precision to cancer treatment for cats, dogs and humans. By utilizing the new Spallation Neutron Source at ORNL, Dr. Amy LeBlanc and Dr. Trent Nichols hope to better differentiate between healthy and cancerous tissue margins. View Video

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Siemens Newsletter Profiles PDMIL

The Preclinical and Diagnostic Molecular Imaging Laboratory was recently featured in the April 2010 edition of the Siemens Preclinical Solutions Connections Newsletter.

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Dr. LeBlanc Featured in GSM Scope Newsletter May 2010

When your canine pet develops cancer, getting veterinary care could save more than his life, it could also save yours. Working in the evolving field of comparative oncology, this is the level of translational research Amy LeBlanc, DVM, Director of Translational Research and Assistant Professor, is able to achieve through the unique collaborations and resources available only at the UT Graduate School of Medicine. Read more.....

 

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Leading the World in Amyloid Research

The Preclinical and Diagnostic Molecular Imaging Laboratory was highlighted in the Spring 2010 issue of Frontiers, a publication for alumni and friends of the University of Tennessee Medical Center and UT Graduate School of Medicine, Knoxville. Dr. Jon Wall and his team of researchers are the only laboratory in the world to have imaged certain amyloid deposits inside a living body using antibodies and sugar-binding small molecules. Read more...

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CEM Seminar Takes Journey with Dr. Jon Wall: The Road to the Bedside

Breakthroughs in medicine often provide new methods of diagnosing or treating diseases, with the potential to affect patient care worldwide. Each time a patient benefits from a new treatment or even a new medication, years of research are culminating in an improved quality of life. Jonathan Wall, PhD, Director of the Preclinical and Diagnostic Molecular Imaging Laboratory, Professor of Medicine, Human Immunology and Cancer Program, will present, "The Road to the Bedside," at the University of Tennessee Comparative and Experimental Medicine Seminar Series, Oct. 12, 12-1p.m., Sequoyah Room, Veterinary Medicine Building, University of Tennessee, Knoxville. His presentation will bring to life how an idea becomes a reality in the laboratory.

Posted: October 7, 2009

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Siemens's Triple Modality Scanner Has Arrived

The Preclinical and Diagnostic Molecular Imaging Laboratory (PDMIL) took one small, one-ton step yesterday to progress research and education when it received a special delivery from Siemens. After more than nine months of anticipation, the Inveon, a state-of-the-art triple modality imaging machine that delivers PET, SPECT and CT imaging capabilities in a single system, has arrived.

Weighing more than 2,000 pounds with its components and casing, a team of engineers removed all casing from the Inveon to maneuver it through a doorway and down an elevator. The scanner is expected to be fully assembled by the end of the week.

The PDMIL received the scanner as part of its agreement with Siemens to be a luminary training site for Siemens customers.

The imaging laboratory is directed by Jonathan Wall, PhD, and staff include Stephen J. Kennel, PhD, radio-biochemist; Tina Richey, MS, animal model specialist and researcher; and Alan Stuckey, BA, CNMT, imaging specialist and facility manager. Staff assisted the Siemens installation team, which included Ron Wolfe and Dustin Osborne, who is also a PhD candidate at the Graduate School of Medicine.

The PDMIL is an imaging facility dedicated to the study of disease and the development and evaluation of novel treatments and diagnostic techniques.

Posted: September 30, 2009

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Researchers Granted Patent for Amyloidosis Diagnosis and Treatment

Alan Solomon, MD, Professor of Medicine and Director of the Human Immunology and Cancer Program; Jonathan Wall, PhD, Professor of Medicine, Human Immunology and Cancer Program and Director of the Preclinical and Diagnostic Molecular Imaging Laboratory; and their co-investigators at the UT Graduate School of Medicine were recently granted a patent by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office entitled, "Methods of Investigating, Diagnosing and Treating Amyloidosis."

Amyloidosis is a condition in which certain proteins form abnormal fibrils that can cause irreversible damage to the brain, heart, kidneys, pancreas or other vital organs; these deposits are found in Alzheimer's disease, diabetes and disorders associated with cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and the aging process. Specifically, one part of their invention describes a therapeutic method to dissolve amyloid from tissue through use of a special fibril-based vaccine that would stimulate a patient's immune system to form antibodies that eliminate this material from the body. The patent also includes a unique transgenic experimental animal model of a particular kind of amyloid that can be used to evaluate agents designed to prevent or treat this illness, as well as diagnostic assays to monitor amyloid formation. Finally, another part of the patent involves the precise chemical identification of the amyloid type. This information is essential for determination of prognosis and proper treatment. Drs. Solomon and Wall trust that this patent will generate interest from a pharmaceutical company that will provide the means to translate these encouraging experimental findings to the clinic and patient care. Read full details of the patent on the USPTO Web site.

Patents are awarded for unique technologies and ideas and serve to protect inventions that can benefit society. The University of Tennessee Research Foundation (UTRF) supports the patent process for UT inventions.

Posted: September 23, 2009

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Wall Receives Grant to Improve Alzheimer's Diagnoses

Professor Jonathan Wall, PhD, Director of the Preclinical and Diagnostic Molecular Imaging Laboratory at UT Graduate School of Medicine, recently received a four-year RO1 grant from the National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) to conduct research that could assist in diagnosing Alzheimer's and other amyloid-related diseases.

Amyloidosis is a process in which normally soluble, functional proteins aggregate into highly structured fibrils that then deposit in tissues and organs, resulting in a decrease in organ function. This process occurs in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease and is seen in other tissues such as the heart, kidneys and liver in patients with primary (AL) amyloidosis and rheumatoid arthritis. Currently, there are no methods available in the U.S. to visualize the extent or amount of these amyloid deposits, or to determine the response to anti-amyloid therapies directly.

The NIDDK grant will provide approximately $450,000 per year for the research team to develop and evaluate novel methods to image amyloidosis, including deposits that accumulate in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease, using PET and SPECT scanners available at UTGSM. The research will target the amyloid biomarker heparan sulfate proteoglycan and test antibody-derived and peptide tracer molecules that bind specifically to this molecule, which is a constituent of all known amyloid deposits. After testing reagents in animal models of the disease, researchers hope to translate their findings into the clinic and perform imaging studies at the medical center.

The team includes researchers from the Human Immunology and Cancer Program and Preclinical and Diagnostic Molecular Imaging Laboratory: Steve Kennel, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine and Radio-biochemist; Tina Richey, Research Associate and Laboratory Animal Expert; Sallie Macy, Research Medical Technologist; Alan Stuckey, Research Leader and Imaging Specialist; and Angela Williams, Research Associate.

Posted September 23, 2009

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Solomon, Wall Lead Innovative Clinical Trial to Image Amyloidosis

Patients with primary (AL) amyloidosis throughout North America are coming to the UT Graduate School of Medicine to participate in an on-going clinical trial under the direction of Alan Solomon, MD, Program Director, Human Immunology and Cancer Program, and Jonathan Wall, PhD, Director, Preclinical and Diagnostic Molecular Imaging Laboratory. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration-sponsored study, "Radioimmunoimaging of AL Amyloidosis," intends to determine if a radiolabeled anti-amyloid monoclonal antibody can be used to image by PET/CT amyloid deposits in such patients with primary (AL) amyloidosis.

Drs. Solomon and Wall and their radiochemist colleague, Stephen Kennel, PhD, have shown that when the antibody designated 11-1F4 was attached to a positron-emitting isotope, iodine 124, and given to mice bearing human amyloid tumors it bound to this material as visualized by PET/CT scans. This discovery led to an application to the FDA for permission to test in up to 30 patients whether the radiolabeled antibody would visualize amyloid deposits in the heart, liver, kidney or other affected organs of patients with AL amyloidosis. In 2008, the FDA gave their approval to proceed with the study, which is supported by a two-year grant from their Office of Orphan Products Development Research Grants Program and provides $200,000 per year to cover costs of the study, including the isotope and participant travel. If successful, this will be the first FDA-approved means to image this type of amyloid in the U.S.

To date, with the assistance of highly trained, dedicated nursing and medical personnel in the University of Tennessee Medical Center's Nuclear Medicine Department, who are responsible for administering the product and performing the PET/CT scans using Siemens's latest and highly sensitive instrument, 15 patients have been studied, with dramatic results in at least eight.  Dr. Solomon is still recruiting patients who have been diagnosed with AL amyloidosis for the imaging study and he may be contacted directly about participation.

Additionally, the UT investigators also showed that under experimental conditions, larger doses of the 11-1F4 antibody could eliminate the amyloid tumors in the animals and thus this agent has potential as a novel means of treating patients with AL amyloidosis.  This finding and the results from the radioimmunoimaging trial recently led the National Cancer Institute's Drug Development Group to allocate $3 million to the production and testing of the antibody for an eventual clinical trial, estimated to begin in 18 months.

"This research is being done solely here, in this one place, UT Graduate School of Medicine at University of Tennessee Medical Center, and it's really a remarkable accomplishment," said Dr. Solomon.

Posted September 23, 2009

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GSM Research Lab Becomes Luminary Training Site for Siemens

The UT Graduate School of Medicine Preclinical and Diagnostic Molecular Imaging Laboratory (PDMIL) recently entered into a five-year agreement with Siemens Preclinical Solutions to become a luminary training site for Siemens customers.

As part of the agreement, the PDMIL will receive a state-of-the-art triple modality imaging machine that delivers PET, SPECT and CT imaging capabilities in a single system. Customers will receive training on all aspects of small animal imaging, including compliance and regulatory issues, animal handling, and the safe and proper use of radioactive molecules. The participants will have varied research interests including cancer, atherosclerosis and diagnostic imaging; and they will learn how to organize a preclinical imaging facility and to perform imaging studies using the latest small animal imaging equipment.

The imaging laboratory is directed by Jonathan Wall, PhD, and staff include Stephen J. Kennel, PhD, radio-biochemist; Tina Richey, MS, animal model specialist and researcher; and Alan Stuckey, BA, CNMT, imaging specialist and facility manager.

The PDMIL is an imaging facility dedicated to the study of disease and the development and evaluation of novel treatments and diagnostic techniques.

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Academy of Molecular Imaging/Society for Molecular Imaging Joint Molecular Imaging Conference 2007
September 7-11, 2007
Providence, Rhode Island

Imaging Amyloid and Dehalogenation using Dual- Energy SPECT/CT (Entry for Siemens Preclinical Image of the Year 2007)

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Academy of Molecular Imaging Annual Conference 2006,
March 25-29, 2006
Orlando, Florida

"2006 Siemens MicroCAT or MicroCAT/SPECT Image of the Year Award"

"Siemens MicroCAT or MicroCAT/SPECT Image of the Year Award" at the "Siemens Preclinical Solutions Workshop" held in conjunction with the 2006 Academy of Molecular Imaging Conference (AMI) in Orlando, FL.  

Dr. Wall describes the award winning image: "The image depicts the exquisite localization of an antibody within the lungs of a mouse. The antibody, called 201B, binds to a protein (thrombomodulin) that is expressed at high levels in the lung blood vessels. This reagent, developed by Dr. Kennel, has been used previously to deliver therapeutic radionuclides to the lung that aid in the killing of lung tumors. In this experiment the antibody was labeled with a radioactive molecule that allowed it to be imaged using a high-resolution 3D microSPECT camera. The image is a volume-rendered representation of a micro x-ray CT scan which shows the skeleton and single photon emission tomography scan (SPECT; colored red) that indicates the presence of the antibody. Displaying both the CT and SPECT images together (dual-modality imaging) makes it easier to visualize the precise location of the radioactive molecules in the mouse, which is only as long as your index finger!"

A "Siemens New Point of View" trophy and a $20,000 credit from Siemens toward a service contract were awarded to Jonathan Wall, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Medicine and Director of the Preclinical Imaging Laboratory. Dr. Wall and James Avenell, BS, LVMT, Veterinary Clinical Specialist, Cancer Imaging and Tracer Development Research Program, accepted the award on behalf of collaborators, Stephen J. Kennel, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, and Tina Richey, MS, Research Assistant, Human Immunology and Cancer Program.