A Computational Positron Emission Tomography Simulation Model for Imaging ?-Amyloid in Mice

A multi-pathway perspective on protein aggregation: implications for control of the rate and extent of amyloid formation

The nucleation-growth model has been used extensively for characterizing in vitro amyloid fibril formation kinetics and for simulating the relationship between amyloid and disease. In the majority of studies amyloid has been considered as the dominant, or sole, aggregation end product, with the presence of other competing non-amyloid aggregation processes, for example amorphous aggregate formation, being largely ignored. Here, we examine possible regulatory effects that off-pathway processes might exert on the rate and extent of amyloid formation - in particular their potential for providing false positives and negatives in the evaluation of anti-amyloidogenic agents. Furthermore, we investigate how such competing reactions might influence the standard interpretation of amyloid aggregation as a two-state system. We conclude by discussing our findings in terms of the general concepts of supersaturation and system metastability - providing some mechanistic insight as to how these empirical phenomena may manifest themselves in the amyloid arena.

Computational modeling of the relationship between amyloid and disease

Amyloid is a title conferred upon a special type of linear protein aggregate that exhibits a common set of structural features and dye binding capabilities. The formation of amyloid is associated with over twenty-seven distinct human diseases which are collectively referred to as the amyloidoses. Although there is great diversity amongst the amyloidoses with regard to the polypeptide monomeric precursor, targeted tissues and the nature and time course of disease development, the common underlying link of a structurally similar amyloid aggregate has prompted the search for a unified theory of disease progression in which amyloid production is the central element. Computational modeling has allowed the formulation and testing of scientific hypotheses for exploring this relationship. However, the majority of computational studies on amyloid aggregation are pitched at the atomistic level of description, in simple ideal solution environments, with simulation time scales of the order of microseconds and system sizes limited to a hundred monomers (or less). The experimental reality is that disease related amyloid aggregation processes occur in extremely complex reaction environments (i.e. the human body), over time-scales of months to years with monitoring of the reaction achieved using extremely coarse or indirect experimental markers that yield little or no atomistic insight. Clearly a substantial gap exists between computational and experimental communities with a deficit of 'useful' computational methodology that can be directly related to available markers of disease progression. This Review will place its focus on the development of these latter types of computational models and discuss them in relation to disease onset and progression.

A review of imaging agent development

This educational review highlights the processes, opportunities, and challenges encountered in the discovery and development of imaging agents, mainly positron emission tomography and single-photon emission computed tomography tracers. While the development of imaging agents parallels the drug development process, unique criteria are needed to identify opportunities for new agents. Imaging agent development has the flexibility to pursue functional or nonfunctional targets as long as they play a role in the specific disease or mechanism of interest and meet imageability requirements. However, their innovation is tempered by relatively small markets for diagnostic imaging agents, intellectual property challenges, radiolabeling constraints, and adequate target concentrations for imaging. At the same time, preclinical imaging is becoming a key translational tool for proof of mechanism and concept studies. Pharmaceutical and imaging industries face a common bottleneck in the form of the limited number of trials one company can possibly perform. However, microdosing and theranostics are evidence that partnerships between pharmaceutical and imaging companies can accelerate clinical translation of tracers and therapeutic interventions. This manuscript will comment on these aspects to provide an educational review of the discovery and development processes for imaging agents.

Fibrillar and Oligomeric beta-Amyloid as Distinct Local Biomarkers for Alzheimer's Disease

Beta-amyloid is a key component of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology. Researchers in both academic and industry are actively pursuing the development of imaging tracers and techniques to noninvasively measure local levels of beta-amyloid in the Alzheimer's brain. This presentation summarizes recent data and discusses the opportunities and challenges of imaging plaques containing fibrillar beta-amyloid for the early diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring of amyloid targeted therapies. Further, the value and feasibility of measuring the recently described soluble oligomeric form of beta-amyloid as an alternative noninvasive biomarker is also discussed.