The 21st European Molecular Imaging Meeting (EMIM 2026) in Ljubljana, Slovenia (March 24-27, 2026) confirmed that molecular imaging is advancing from methodological innovation toward integrated theranostic platforms and multi-scale approaches. With approximately 1,200 international participants from diverse imaging disciplines, the congress offered insights into emerging priorities highly relevant to IFIGENEIA.
Image-Guided Therapies and Preclinical Imaging Innovation
Image-guided therapies and theranostics emerged as very important themes throughout EMIM 2026. Molecular imaging sessions highlighted the critical role of precise target visualization and biodistribution mapping in optimizing therapeutic radiopharmaceutical development. The integration of PET/CT and PET/MRI multimodal imaging approaches demonstrated how functional and anatomical information converge to enable personalized treatment planning – a capability essential for IFIGENEIA’s LINAC-based isotope production with direct clinical translation pathways.
Preclinical imaging innovation received substantial attention, reflecting EMIM’s strong academic and translational research character. Advanced PET instrumentation, multi-parametric MRI protocols, and optical imaging technologies were extensively discussed as tools for accelerating radiopharmaceutical development from bench to bedside. These preclinical validation platforms align directly with IFIGENEIA’s need to demonstrate clinical relevance of novel isotope production methods.
Expanding Targets and Multimodal Imaging Approaches
Beyond established targets like PSMA and somatostatin receptors, the conference showcased innovative imaging approaches for FAP (fibroblast activation protein), immune checkpoint markers, and tumor microenvironment characterization. This target diversity validates IFIGENEIA’s focus on flexible, scalable isotope production technologies capable of supporting diverse radiopharmaceutical development pipelines.
Multi-scale and multimodal integration emerged as a unifying theme across sessions. Presentations demonstrated how correlative imaging approaches – spanning mass spectrometry imaging at the cellular level to whole-body PET/MRI in clinical translation – provide complementary information essential for understanding complex biological processes. This systems-level perspective resonates with IFIGENEIA’s holistic approach to radiopharmaceutical development, where isotope production, radiochemistry, biological validation, and clinical translation must function as an integrated continuum.
Future Directions and IFIGENEIA Contributions
Overall, EMIM revealed the scientific foundations and emerging technologies that will shape the future radionuclide requirements. The meeting remains a key platform for collaborative research, open science, and multidisciplinary exchange in molecular imaging.
Members of the IFIGENEIA consortium participated in EMIM 2026, with representatives from University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Medicine (Slovenia) taking part in the local organizing committee and chairing the national molecular imaging session, presenting the poster on accelerator production of 177Lu and giving a lecture on reproducibility issues of animal models in 3R+1 symposium.
