Industry partnership set to advance research on theranostics
Siemens Healthineers’ latest partnership seeks to bolster research initiatives in theranostics—a growing field that harnesses the power of radiopharmecueticals.
The medical technology giant announced a strategic collaboration with Boston-based leading healthcare institution Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) on Sunday. The deal will create a Therapy Command Center to support the study and use of theranostics across MGH and its affiliated centers in bordering states.
The Therapy Command Center will serve as a hub for providers seeking to use radiopharmaceuticals to diagnose, treat and monitor diseases. It will will house theranostics-related data, provide real-time disease and treatment monitoring and offer physicians guidance in determine the best course of action for their patients.
Researchers will utilize the Biograph Vision Quadra and Biograph Trinion positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scanners to study the effect radiation has on molecular processes, including how toxicity levels affect both cancerous and healthy tissues.
Head of Siemens Healthineers Molecular Imaging, James Williams, PhD, expressed optimism for how the expanded partnership could advance our understanding of theranostics, potentially paving the way for more personalized treatment options.
“This research collaboration, which is based on a relationship between Siemens Healthineers and Massachusetts General Hospital that spans more than 20 years, will enable innovations along the patient’s clinical pathway, provide precision diagnoses, and deliver highly effective forms of customized therapy,” Williams said in the announcement.
“The Therapy Command Center helps provide a framework that will enable the integration of a wide variety of patient imaging and laboratory data, combined with population-based data for enhanced individual patient outcomes,” added Umar Mahmood, MD, PhD, chief of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging at Massachusetts General Hospital. “This collaboration will help expand theranostics across the region, advancing personalized medicine through precision diagnoses and tailored therapies. Our focus on examining radiation’s impact on tumors and normal tissues will further improve treatment protocols and outcomes while decreasing toxicity to normal organs.”
Learn more about the growing field of theranostics below.
In addition to her background in journalism, Hannah also has patient-facing experience in clinical settings, having spent more than 12 years working as a registered rad tech. She began covering the medical imaging industry for Innovate Healthcare in 2021.