Specific PET scan for TB for more effective treatment

Contact Counsellor

Last Updated02/07/2024

A more accurate way to scan for tuberculosis has been developed by researchers based in the U.K. and the U.S. using positron emission tomography (PET).

The team has developed a new radiotracer, which is taken up by live TB bacteria in the body.
Radiotracers are radioactive compounds which give off radiation that can be detected by scanners and turned into a 3D image.
The new radiotracer, called FDT, enables PET scans to be used for the first time to accurately pinpoint when and where the disease is still active in a patient’s lungs.
The researchers have put the new radiotracer through extensive preclinical trials with no adverse effects and it is now ready to go into Phase I trials in humans. The study has been published in the journal Nature Communications.
The new approach developed by the researchers is more specific as it uses a carbohydrate that is only processed by the TB bacteria.
A key advantage of the new approach is that it only requires a hospital to have standard radiation control and PET scanners, which are becoming more available throughout the world.
This means it can be produced without specialist expertise or laboratories and so would be a viable option in low- and middle-income countries with less developed healthcare systems. These countries currently see over 80% of global TB cases and deaths from the disease.