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Home News International journal features ground-breaking research findings

International journal features ground-breaking research findings

Published: Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Findings from a team of medical researchers led by Alan Solomon, MD, and Jonathan Wall, PhD, were featured as the cover story of the Sept. 30 issue of Blood, Journal of the American Society of Hematology. 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.

The team is 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 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.

Early detection of AL amyloidosis is the key to improving patient outcomes for those affected by the disease. Amyloidosis refers to a family of diseases in which there is a buildup of clumps of proteins called amyloids in body tissues and organs. These proteins slowly replace normal tissue, leading to failure of the involved organ. There are many forms of amyloidosis.

Other members of the team include 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.