"A novel radionuclide drug tackles the challenge of prostate cancer imaging and takes a turn as a cancerkilling therapy for tumors in and out of the prostate according to research presented during the  Annual Meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging SNMMI.  The drug works by delivering diagnostic or therapygrade radionuclides to cells that express a protein called prostatespecific membrane antigen PSMA found on the surface of prostate cancer cells and their metastatic counterparts throughout the body. Clinicians can diagnose or stage disease and monitor therapy with the aid of a special hybrid scanner used to perform minimally invasive positron emission tomography PET.  Prostate cancer still represents one of the main causes for cancerrelated deaths among men said Matthias Eder PhD coauthor of the study and a researcher in the division of radiopharmaceutical chemistry at the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg Germany. The diagnosis and therapy of metastatic prostate cancer is still challenging. The current clinical methods are not sensitive enough for detecting disease beyond the prostate but we are convinced that this novel theranostic radiotracer represents a significant step forward that could have a major impact on the future of prostate cancer care.  The PSMAinhibiting theranostic agent called PSMA is still in its initial stages but it could be ideal for the treatment of patients with hormonerefractory prostate cancers which are notoriously difficult to control and linked to poor prognosis. Options for these patients are few and they come with substantial adverse effects. Diagnosis and therapy with the theranostic agent PSMA could offer more effective and sensitive visualization better staging and significantly higher therapeutic potential. To be clear other PSMAbased theranostics have reached the research bench but previous contenders had too many limitations in terms of instability in live subjects a lack of imaging contrast between targeted tissue and background signal and increased PSMAassociated binding to normal organs such as the kidneys. This new radionuclide drug shows strong binding to the protein PSMA and is readily and safely taken up by malignant PSMApositive tumors. PSMA could represent a watershed moment for prostate cancer theranostics.  For this research scientists first imaged mice with an imaginggrade radionuclide gallium to assess the diagnostic value of PSMA. Diagnostic imaging was followed by a therapygrade radionuclide lutetium which delivers a more powerful dose of radiation that penetrates and destroys the cells and tissues of tumors when combined with PSMA. This phase was followed by a firstinhuman clinical trial of both imaging and therapy in a single person.  Results of the human study showed that imaging was effective for the evaluation of metastatic prostate cancer and subsequent therapy resulted in a drop in prostatespecific antigen levels from . to . nanograms per milliliter. Positive response to therapy was verified via combined PET and computed tomography PETCT a hybrid imaging system that shows both functional and structural aspects of the body.  Approximately one out of seven men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime according to  statistics from the American Cancer Society. About  new prostate cancer diagnoses and  prostatecancerrelated deaths are expected to occur in the U.S. this year.   Scientific Paper  PSMA  a novel theranostic PSMA inhibitor for both diagnosis and endoradiotherapy of prostate cancer M. Benesova M. Schfer U. BauderWst K. Kopka M. Eder Radiopharmaceutical Chemistry German Cancer Research Center Heidelberg Germany C. Kratochwil A. AfsharOromieh W. Mier U. Haberkorn Department of Nuclear Medicine University Hospital Heidelberg Heidelberg Germany SNMMIs nd Annual Meeting June   Baltimore Md. About the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging SNMMI is an international scientific and medical organization dedicated to raising public awareness about nuclear medicine and molecular imaging a vital element of todays medical practice that adds an additional dimension to diagnosis changing the way common and devastating diseases are understood and treated and helping provide patients with the best health care possible.  SNMMIs  members set the standard for molecular imaging and nuclear medicine practice by creating guidelines sharing information through journals and meetings and leading advocacy on key issues that affect molecular imaging and therapy research and practice. For more information visit http"