“Theranostics, the combination of the terms therapeutics and diagnostics, is an emerging field of medicine that uses a radiopharmaceutical to identify and locate disease based on specific targets or receptors (diagnosis), followed by a second radiopharmaceutical to deliver therapeutic levels of radiation absorbed dose to target tissue (therapy). Building upon its foundation in nuclear medicine, more recently the field has gained additional attention because of demonstrations of its ability to improve patient outcomes with low side effects. Successful clinical applications of theranostics include treatments for neuroendocrine tumors and prostate cancer.

“Medical imaging plays a vital role in theranostics. In addition to the critical role imaging plays in disease diagnosis, staging, monitoring, and response evaluation, accurate visualization of in vivo radiopharmaceutical biodistribution provides critical information on patient selection for theranostics. Theranostics can incorporate ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), positron-emission tomography (PET), single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), and many others. Further, rapid expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) that has revolutionized several aspects of medical imaging is also poised to accelerate advances in theranostics.

“This JMI special section invites original research papers that explore innovative theranostic agents, imaging methods, computational dosimetry, AI applications, and more. We also welcome high-quality submissions from prominent conferences such as SNMMI, EANM, AAPM, MICCAI, SPIE MI, ISBI, and others that focus on advancing the role of theranostics in clinical care. Submissions open on November 15, 2024, aiming for inclusion in a complete issue for SPIE Medical Imaging 2025.”