Reuters-Health
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 2026 18:42:52 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Finding the tiniest lung tumors
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Health Rounds
Health Rounds
By Nancy Lapid , Health Science Editor
Hello Health Rounds readers! Today we highlight a potentially game-changing experimental contrast agent for MRI exams that may enable detection of lung cancer when tumors are small and more treatable. We also report on a Johnson & Johnson antidepressant that appears to help improve sexual dysfunction in patients with major depressive disorder.
Some great news! Reuters is excited to introduce Misinformation Monitor — our newest newsletter that's launching next week, written by members of Reuters' superb fact-checking team. Sign up for it here .
Among our breaking news stories: Ohio judge staunchly against abortion is elevated to federal bench ; Pennsylvania reports two additional measles-associated deaths ; US announces climate rollbacks at G20 meeting ; trust in measles vaccines falls in US ; testosterone scripts for women rise, along with denials and delays ; and UN sees some progress in Congo Ebola fight.
Also: Bill Gates says governments worldwide are way behind on AI ; Washington state defeats church appeal over abortion coverage ; experts urge FDA to set clear standards for psychedelic drugs ; US declares end of largest recorded cyclosporiasis outbreak ; California enacts new curbs on social media for children while EU is set to propose ban on social media and AI chatbots for under-15s ; and UK lawmakers reject bid to legalize assisted dying .
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Industry Updates
Bristol Myers sues Amgen over proposed Opdivo biosimilar.
Gilead to widen HIV PreP access in Latin America, Caribbean.
Novo CEO urges staff to embrace more customer-focused culture.
Abbott to pay $384 million over infant formula allegations.
Scholar Rock says its SMA therapy will cost about $310,000/year.
Definium's LSD-based anxiety, depression drug scores a win.
Electra Therapeutics targets $977.6 million valuation in US IPO.
Kimberly-Clark prepares asset sales to win Kenvue deal.
GE HealthCare in talks over possible deal for Sofie Biosciences.
J&J unit draws Apollo interest in potential $20 billion deal.
Arizona accuses L'Oreal of concealing cancer risks.
GSK to shut vaccine factory in Germany, putting 641 jobs at risk.
US FDA extends review of Exelixis cancer drug.
?
?
Use of untested 'Wolverine' peptide backed by RFK Jr is on the rise, study finds
REUTERS/Kylie Cooper/File Photo
An experimental peptide backed by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and marketed online for pain, healing and performance enhancement is being “used for a wide range of ailments despite little safety and efficacy evidence from human studies. Read more here .
?
Study Rounds
New contrast agent finds tiny lung tumors on MRI
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A new type of dye for magnetic resonance imaging procedures may let doctors diagnose lung cancer at much earlier stages than is currently possible, researchers found.
In animal studies, the protein-based contrast agent called hProCA32.Collagen2, under development by InLighta BioSciences, allowed for identification of lung tumors and metastases as small as 1 millimeter, according to a report in Science Advances .
"Lung cancer is often diagnosed only after it has spread, when treatment options become more limited," study leader J anny Yang, InLighta's founder and chief scientific officer , said in a statement.
"Our technology can detect tiny tumors and hidden metastases without exposing patients to radiation. It also helps reveal how aggressive a cancer may be and how likely it is to spread, potentially reducing the need for invasive biopsies," Yang added.
The imaging agent hProCA32.Collagen2 targets a structural protein called collagen type I that is found at elevated levels in aggressive lung tumors and metastatic lesions.
Beyond diagnosis, the findings may have important implications for personalized cancer treatment, the researchers said.
By enabling physicians to see collagen remodeling in which old or damaged collagen fibers are broken down and replaced with newly organized proteins in the tumors, the technology may eventually help identify high-risk patients, guide treatment selection and monitor response to therapy over time, they said.
"This is a game changer for cancer diagnosis and precision medicine," said Yang. "For the first time, we've shown that precision MRI can detect tiny tumors and whole-body metastases without using harmful radiation while also providing important clues about how aggressively a cancer may behave."
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Read more about lung cancer on Reuters.com
BioNTech says lung cancer drug candidate prolonged lives in trial
Amgen-AstraZeneca lung cancer drug combo boosts survival in late-stage trial
?
J&J drug improves depression-related sexual dysfunction
Johnson & Johnson’s antidepressant Caplyta significantly improved sexual dysfunction in a late-stage trial of patients with major depressive disorder that wasn't improving with standard treatment.
In general, antidepressant medications can contribute to sexual dysfunction, making side effects a leading reason patients stop treatment, the study authors said.
More than 80% of the 480 participants in the trial reported sexual dysfunction at the start, according to a report in The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry .
Based on responses to questionnaires, significant improvements in sexual dysfunction were seen in those who were randomly assigned to add a daily 42-milligram dose of Caplyta to their current antidepressant therapy, compared with patients who added a placebo.
The improvements were seen in younger and older adults as well as across various aspects of sexual functioning, such as desire, arousal, orgasm and pleasure.
No changes in sexual function were seen in patients without baseline sexual dysfunction.
Caplyta, known chemically as lumateperone, is already commercially available to treat schizophrenia, bipolar depression and as a supplemental treatment when other antidepressants fail to control major depressive disorder.
Because Caplyta is not associated with medication-induced sexual dysfunction, it may be preferred by patients who need additional depression medications and who wish to avoid that side effect, study leader Dr. Anita Clayton of University of Virginia Health said in a statement.
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In case you missed it...
Health Rounds: Experimental eye drops ease night vision problems for drivers
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This newsletter was edited by Bill Berkrot.
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© 2026 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.
3 Times Square, New York, NY 10036
Subject: Finding the tiniest lung tumors
(Converted from HTML)
Get full access to Reuters.com for just $1/week. Subscribe now.
?
Health Rounds
Health Rounds
By Nancy Lapid , Health Science Editor
Hello Health Rounds readers! Today we highlight a potentially game-changing experimental contrast agent for MRI exams that may enable detection of lung cancer when tumors are small and more treatable. We also report on a Johnson & Johnson antidepressant that appears to help improve sexual dysfunction in patients with major depressive disorder.
Some great news! Reuters is excited to introduce Misinformation Monitor — our newest newsletter that's launching next week, written by members of Reuters' superb fact-checking team. Sign up for it here .
Among our breaking news stories: Ohio judge staunchly against abortion is elevated to federal bench ; Pennsylvania reports two additional measles-associated deaths ; US announces climate rollbacks at G20 meeting ; trust in measles vaccines falls in US ; testosterone scripts for women rise, along with denials and delays ; and UN sees some progress in Congo Ebola fight.
Also: Bill Gates says governments worldwide are way behind on AI ; Washington state defeats church appeal over abortion coverage ; experts urge FDA to set clear standards for psychedelic drugs ; US declares end of largest recorded cyclosporiasis outbreak ; California enacts new curbs on social media for children while EU is set to propose ban on social media and AI chatbots for under-15s ; and UK lawmakers reject bid to legalize assisted dying .
?
Industry Updates
Bristol Myers sues Amgen over proposed Opdivo biosimilar.
Gilead to widen HIV PreP access in Latin America, Caribbean.
Novo CEO urges staff to embrace more customer-focused culture.
Abbott to pay $384 million over infant formula allegations.
Scholar Rock says its SMA therapy will cost about $310,000/year.
Definium's LSD-based anxiety, depression drug scores a win.
Electra Therapeutics targets $977.6 million valuation in US IPO.
Kimberly-Clark prepares asset sales to win Kenvue deal.
GE HealthCare in talks over possible deal for Sofie Biosciences.
J&J unit draws Apollo interest in potential $20 billion deal.
Arizona accuses L'Oreal of concealing cancer risks.
GSK to shut vaccine factory in Germany, putting 641 jobs at risk.
US FDA extends review of Exelixis cancer drug.
?
?
Use of untested 'Wolverine' peptide backed by RFK Jr is on the rise, study finds
REUTERS/Kylie Cooper/File Photo
An experimental peptide backed by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and marketed online for pain, healing and performance enhancement is being “used for a wide range of ailments despite little safety and efficacy evidence from human studies. Read more here .
?
Study Rounds
New contrast agent finds tiny lung tumors on MRI
?
A new type of dye for magnetic resonance imaging procedures may let doctors diagnose lung cancer at much earlier stages than is currently possible, researchers found.
In animal studies, the protein-based contrast agent called hProCA32.Collagen2, under development by InLighta BioSciences, allowed for identification of lung tumors and metastases as small as 1 millimeter, according to a report in Science Advances .
"Lung cancer is often diagnosed only after it has spread, when treatment options become more limited," study leader J anny Yang, InLighta's founder and chief scientific officer , said in a statement.
"Our technology can detect tiny tumors and hidden metastases without exposing patients to radiation. It also helps reveal how aggressive a cancer may be and how likely it is to spread, potentially reducing the need for invasive biopsies," Yang added.
The imaging agent hProCA32.Collagen2 targets a structural protein called collagen type I that is found at elevated levels in aggressive lung tumors and metastatic lesions.
Beyond diagnosis, the findings may have important implications for personalized cancer treatment, the researchers said.
By enabling physicians to see collagen remodeling in which old or damaged collagen fibers are broken down and replaced with newly organized proteins in the tumors, the technology may eventually help identify high-risk patients, guide treatment selection and monitor response to therapy over time, they said.
"This is a game changer for cancer diagnosis and precision medicine," said Yang. "For the first time, we've shown that precision MRI can detect tiny tumors and whole-body metastases without using harmful radiation while also providing important clues about how aggressively a cancer may behave."
?
Read more about lung cancer on Reuters.com
BioNTech says lung cancer drug candidate prolonged lives in trial
Amgen-AstraZeneca lung cancer drug combo boosts survival in late-stage trial
?
J&J drug improves depression-related sexual dysfunction
Johnson & Johnson’s antidepressant Caplyta significantly improved sexual dysfunction in a late-stage trial of patients with major depressive disorder that wasn't improving with standard treatment.
In general, antidepressant medications can contribute to sexual dysfunction, making side effects a leading reason patients stop treatment, the study authors said.
More than 80% of the 480 participants in the trial reported sexual dysfunction at the start, according to a report in The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry .
Based on responses to questionnaires, significant improvements in sexual dysfunction were seen in those who were randomly assigned to add a daily 42-milligram dose of Caplyta to their current antidepressant therapy, compared with patients who added a placebo.
The improvements were seen in younger and older adults as well as across various aspects of sexual functioning, such as desire, arousal, orgasm and pleasure.
No changes in sexual function were seen in patients without baseline sexual dysfunction.
Caplyta, known chemically as lumateperone, is already commercially available to treat schizophrenia, bipolar depression and as a supplemental treatment when other antidepressants fail to control major depressive disorder.
Because Caplyta is not associated with medication-induced sexual dysfunction, it may be preferred by patients who need additional depression medications and who wish to avoid that side effect, study leader Dr. Anita Clayton of University of Virginia Health said in a statement.
?
In case you missed it...
Health Rounds: Experimental eye drops ease night vision problems for drivers
Health Rounds: Scientists find genes linked to OCD, raising the prospect of new treatments
?
This newsletter was edited by Bill Berkrot.
Sponsors are not involved in the creation of newsletters or other Reuters news content. Advertise in this newsletter or on Reuters' website
Reuters Health Rounds is sent twice a week. Think your friend or colleague should know about us? Forward this newsletter to them. They can also sign up here .
Want to stop receiving this email? Unsubscribe here . To manage which newsletters you're signed up for, click here .
This email includes limited tracking for Reuters to understand whether you’ve engaged with its contents. For more information on how we process your personal information and your rights, please see our Privacy Statement .
Terms & Conditions
© 2026 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.
3 Times Square, New York, NY 10036