YERKES NATIONAL PRIMATE RESEARCH CENTER TO DEVELOP NEW MOLECULAR TECHNOLOGY

Main Menu | News By Date | News By Supplier | News By Category | About Us

YERKES NATIONAL PRIMATE RESEARCH CENTER TO DEVELOP NEW MOLECULAR TECHNOLOGY
28 January 2006 - Emory University

The Yerkes National Primate Research Center of Emory University today announced its plans to collaborate with PETNET Solutions, a subsidiary of CTI Molecular Imaging, Inc., to research and develop new positron emission tomography molecular probes. This pioneering collaboration places Emory in the forefront of developing discovery isotopes that will aid in diagnosing, treating and monitoring diseases in order to make people healthy.

The Yerkes Research Center and PETNET will operate a pre-clinical research site at Yerkes' new neuroscience building, scheduled to open this fall. PETNET additionally will locate a production facility at Yerkes and supply PET isotopes for clinical and research needs.

"Molecular imaging plays a key role in the discovery and treatment process for diseases such as Alzheimer's and cancer," said Stuart Zola, PhD, director of the Yerkes National Primate Research Center. "Working with PETNET is especially advantageous because of the company's expertise in the development and application of molecular probes. By using PET technology, together with nonhuman primate animal models, we can identify earlier and more accurately the pharmacological effects of the compounds we test, thereby clarifying their potential use in diagnosis, treatment and monitoring in humans. Collaborating with PETNET in our basic research and drug-discovery process places Yerkes among a select group of research centers conducting such cutting-edge research. PET results will become a standard used in the drug trial process."

"The Yerkes Research Center is one of the pre-eminent research organizations in the world," said Tom Hook, president of CTI Solutions. "We are extremely pleased to work closely with Yerkes researchers to develop new molecular probes for PET. With our strategy at PETNET to develop new, proprietary molecular probes, this initiative with Yerkes will augment our existing research and development pipeline as well as accelerate the use of molecular imaging in basic research and drug discovery. Our collaboration is additional validation that PET will be an extremely valuable tool in the drug-discovery processes of the future. We see this market as a very attractive growth opportunity that will extend the use of PET well beyond today's clinical uses," continued Hook.

CTI Molecular Imaging, Inc. is a leading supplier of products and services for positron emission tomography, a diagnostic imaging technology used in the detection and treatment of cancer, cardiac disease and neurological disorders.

http://www.emory.edu

About: Emory University
Emory University is home to nine major academic divisions, numerous centres for advanced study, and a host of prestigious affiliated institutions. In addition to Emory College, the University encompasses a graduate school of arts and sciences; professional schools of medicine, theology, law, nursing, public health, and business; and Oxford College, a two-year undergraduate division on the original campus of Emory in Oxford, Ga.

Emory was founded at Oxford by the Methodist Church in 1836. Led by President James W. Wagner, an award-winning teacher and scholar, the University has 11,300 students and 2,500 faculty members who represent all regions of the United States and more than 100 foreign nations.

Emory University is known for its demanding academics, outstanding undergraduate college of arts and sciences, highly ranked professional schools and state-of-the-art research facilities. For more than a decade Emory has been named one of the country's top 25 national universities by U.S. News & World Report. In addition to its nine schools, the university encompasses The Carter Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center and Emory Healthcare, a comprehensive metropolitan health care system.

More News:
  • For January 2006
  • From Emory University
  • For University