Los Angeles -- A new first-in-human study has
validated a PET radiotracer that can effectively image overactive adrenal
glands, offering an alternative to the highly invasive procedure currently
utilized to diagnose primary aldosteronism. This approach, presented at the
Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging 2026 Annual Meeting, could
give physicians a noninvasive tool to tailor treatment plans for primary
aldosteronism patients.
Primary aldosteronism, or Conn s syndrome, represents the
largest fraction of patients with curable secondary hypertension. In primary
aldosteronism, the adrenal gland overproduces aldosterone from cholesterol
which then artificially increases blood pressure. Adrenal vein sampling, a
highly invasive procedure performed at specialized facilities, is currently
used for diagnosis, specifically to identify whether overproduction of
aldosterone occurs in one or both adrenal glands.
"One overactive adrenal gland can be removed to cure
the overproduction, but if the overproduction is in both glands, patients
require lifetime medication management," said Peter Scott, PhD, Paul L Carson,
PhD, Legacy Professor of Radiology at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. "By
using a PET radiotracer that targets cholesterol metabolism in the adrenal
glands, physicians can noninvasively identify overactive glands to guide
clinical decision‑making."
Building on preclinical research, this first-in-human study,
led by Benjamin Viglianti, MD PhD, director of the Nuclear Medicine Division at
University of Michigan, included nine patients (six healthy controls and three
patients were previously diagnosed with overactive adrenal glands) who underwent
PET imaging with the novel radiotracer 11C-Nevanimibe. In patients with adrenal
pathology, the maximum standardized uptake values of both the liver and the
adrenal glands were compared to healthy subjects.
The adrenal to liver uptake ratio in patients with overactive adrenal glands
displayed an average of 1.2 compared to 0.7 in control subjects. Overall, the
human biodistribution of 11C‑Nevanimibe closely mirrored preclinical
findings, supporting successful translation to clinical use.
"This work further expands molecular imaging to benefit a population of
patients currently lacking in non-invasive accessible diagnostic techniques," said Gina Kaup, graduate
student in medicinal chemistry at the University of Michigan. "Additional
clinical studies are underway to study dosimetry and efficacy of this tracer."