Imaging agent detects early endometriosis without surgery, preliminary study finds
Serac Healthcare and the Nuffield Department of Women's and Reproductive Health at the University of Oxford have jointly presented preliminary data from an imaging study that shows 99mTc-maraciclatide can be effectively used for identifying superficial peritoneal endometriosis, the earliest stage of the disease.
The imaging agent is a radio-labeled tracer that targets the cell adhesion protein αvβ3 integrin, detecting endometriosis through angiogenesis critical to lesion establishment and growth. The study titled “Detecting endometriosis expressed integrins using technetium-99m" (DETECT) found the agent could lead to early interventions for endometriosis, which ultimately improves patient outcomes. The study awaits peer review and publication.
Tatjana Gibbons, MBBS, from the University of Oxford, presented the findings at the Society for Reproductive Investigation (SRI) annual meeting, demonstrating that the imaging agent could accurately identify early-stage endometriosis before laparoscopic surgery confirmed the diagnosis, signaling that 99mTc-maraciclatide could spare women from unnecessary invasive procedures. In one incident noted in the study, the imaging agent identified endometriosis which had been previously missed on an ultrasound scan.
“Superficial peritoneal endometriosis is the most prevalent form of the disease. It often affects younger women for whom earlier diagnosis could enable intervention at an earlier stage, with the potential to significantly change outcomes and improve prospects,” Krina Zondervan, PhD, head of the Nuffield Department of Women's and Reproductive Health at the University of Oxford, said in a statement. “We are delighted about the early results of the DETECT study and are looking forward to recruiting more patients to consolidate the data.”
Developed by Serac Healthcare, 99mTc-maraciclatide is not approved for clinical use in the U.K or the U.S., and the studies are for investigative purposes.
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