Reston, VA (March 18, 2026) – In a groundbreaking advancement for the imaging and treatment of Crohn’s disease, Dr. David H. Ballard, an assistant professor of radiology at the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has been awarded the prestigious Drs. Jane & Abass Alavi Mars Shot Research Award. This $100,000 grant from the 2026 Mars Shot Fund specifically supports pioneering research aimed at revolutionizing molecular imaging in infection and inflammation. Dr. Ballard’s innovative project, entitled “Novel PET/MR imaging of metabolic activity, proinflammatory macrophage-mediated inflammation, and association with fibrosis in Crohn’s disease,” promises to usher in a new era of precision diagnostics for this chronic gastrointestinal disorder.
Crohn’s disease affects over 750,000 individuals in the United States, characterized by persistent inflammation and ulceration throughout the gastrointestinal tract. One particularly challenging aspect of Crohn’s disease management is the presence of symptomatic strictures—narrowed sections of the bowel caused by either ongoing inflammation or irreversible fibrotic scarring. Traditionally, treatment has targeted inflammatory pathways due to the lack of anti-fibrotic therapies. However, this approach does not address the complex pathophysiology underlying fibrosis, creating clinical dilemmas regarding optimal treatment strategies and timing for surgical intervention.
Current imaging modalities fall short in providing detailed biological information to distinguish between inflammatory and fibrotic strictures. This diagnostic ambiguity often leads to suboptimal clinical decisions, including unnecessary escalation of anti-inflammatory treatments or inappropriate delays in procedural intervention. As Dr. Ballard notes, “Therapeutic success for Crohn’s disease depends on identifying whether inflammation is present and responsive to medical therapy, yet current imaging methods lack the biological specificity needed to guide such decisions.” His research highlights the urgent need for novel noninvasive imaging techniques capable of dissecting the cellular and molecular underpinnings of Crohn’s strictures.
To address this critical gap, Dr. Ballard and his collaborators, including Drs. Yongjian Liu and Parakkal Deepak, propose a novel dual tracer PET/MR imaging approach. This method combines the conventional metabolic imaging agent 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) with the innovative radiotracer 68Ga-DOTA-ECL1i, which specifically targets the C-C chemokine receptor type 2 (CCR2) expressed on proinflammatory macrophages. The study will sequentially evaluate both tracers’ uptake in patients with Crohn’s disease, comparing imaging results to histological measures to determine the relative specificity and sensitivity for detecting active inflammation.
This research is poised to establish whether 68Ga-DOTA-ECL1i PET imaging outperforms 18F-FDG by providing a more refined biomarker for CCR2+ macrophage-rich inflammatory lesions. Integrating PET data with high-resolution MRI parameters, the team aims to develop an intricate classification system for bowel strictures, distinguishing those that are predominantly inflammatory, those dominated by fibrosis, and those exhibiting mixed pathology. Such classification is anticipated to profoundly influence therapeutic decision-making, enabling clinicians to tailor interventions with unprecedented precision.
Underpinning this project is the hypothesis that the fusion of molecular imaging data – including both 68Ga-DOTA-ECL1i and 18F-FDG PET metrics – with detailed MRI characterization can vastly improve diagnostic accuracy. Dr. Ballard asserts, “The integration of 68Ga-DOTA-ECL1i, 18F-FDG, and MRI metrics will improve the accuracy of defining the stricture phenotype.” This integrated multiparametric imaging approach embodies the next frontier in personalized medicine, potentially transforming Crohn’s disease management by guiding clinicians toward biologically informed, noninvasive decisions.
Dr. Ballard’s expertise in translational imaging research is well recognized, particularly in the realm of Crohn’s disease. His prior work has notably addressed perianal Crohn’s disease by developing MRI-based criteria to assess treatment response and tissue healing, a critical step toward standardizing imaging biomarkers in this complex inflammatory condition. His multidisciplinary background includes a master’s degree in exercise physiology and an MD, reflecting a comprehensive understanding of both physiological systems and clinical medicine.
The Mars Shot Research Fund, established by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging in 2023, aims to support visionary projects that push the boundaries of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging. By facilitating cutting-edge research that integrates imaging with therapeutic innovations, the fund accelerates the translation of novel scientific discoveries into clinical tools, promising substantial improvements in patient outcomes across diverse diseases.
This award signifies a major recognition of Dr. Ballard’s pioneering approach to solving a persistent clinical challenge in gastroenterology. The implications extend beyond Crohn’s disease, as the imaging strategies under investigation may also be applicable to other inflammatory and fibrotic conditions, highlighting the broader impact of this research. As the field moves toward precision theranostics, integrating molecular imaging with therapeutic strategies is expected to redefine clinical care paradigms.
The integration of PET/MR imaging holds particular promise in Crohn’s disease due to its capacity to provide complementary metabolic, molecular, and anatomic information simultaneously. This multiscale imaging capability allows for the assessment of cellular activity alongside detailed soft tissue characterization, offering comprehensive insights not achievable through conventional techniques alone. Such innovations align with the broader vision of precision medicine—delivering tailored treatments based on individual disease biology rather than solely on clinical presentation.
Dr. Ballard’s work exemplifies the powerful synergy between academic research and clinical application. By leveraging novel radiotracers and advanced imaging modalities, his research has the potential to break new ground in understanding disease mechanisms while directly informing patient care decisions. The forthcoming studies will critically evaluate the clinical utility of these tools, setting the stage for future larger-scale trials and eventual clinical adoption.
As SNMMI continues to nurture high-impact translational research through initiatives like the Mars Shot Fund, the roadmap for integrating molecular imaging technologies into routine clinical practice becomes ever clearer. The awards program not only supports promising research but also fosters collaboration across scientific disciplines, accelerating innovation in nuclear medicine and molecular imaging fields.
The future of Crohn’s disease management may soon be transformed by such advancements, empowering clinicians with noninvasive, biologically precise imaging tools to optimize treatment strategies. This progress epitomizes the promise of molecular imaging in achieving earlier diagnosis, better characterization of disease phenotypes, and ultimately, improved patient outcomes through personalized intervention.
Subject of Research: Molecular imaging of inflammation and fibrosis in Crohn’s disease using advanced PET/MR techniques
Article Title: Novel PET/MR Imaging Strategy Proposed for Precision Assessment of Crohn’s Disease Strictures
News Publication Date: March 18, 2026
Web References: Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
Image Credits: Courtesy of SNMMI
Keywords: Molecular imaging, Medical imaging, Personalized medicine, Crohn disease, PET/MR imaging, Inflammation, Fibrosis, CCR2 macrophages, 68Ga-DOTA-ECL1i, 18F-FDG, Nuclear medicine, Translational research
