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Burnham SC, Iaccarino L, Pontecorvo MJ, Fleisher AS, Lu M, Collins EC, Devous MD. A review of the flortaucipir literature for positron emission tomography imaging of tau neurofibrillary tangles. Brain Commun 2023; 6:fcad305. [PMID: 38187878 PMCID: PMC10768888 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcad305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease is defined by the presence of β-amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tau tangles potentially preceding clinical symptoms by many years. Previously only detectable post-mortem, these pathological hallmarks are now identifiable using biomarkers, permitting an in vivo definitive diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. 18F-flortaucipir (previously known as 18F-T807; 18F-AV-1451) was the first tau positron emission tomography tracer to be introduced and is the only Food and Drug Administration-approved tau positron emission tomography tracer (Tauvid™). It has been widely adopted and validated in a number of independent research and clinical settings. In this review, we present an overview of the published literature on flortaucipir for positron emission tomography imaging of neurofibrillary tau tangles. We considered all accessible peer-reviewed literature pertaining to flortaucipir through 30 April 2022. We found 474 relevant peer-reviewed publications, which were organized into the following categories based on their primary focus: typical Alzheimer's disease, mild cognitive impairment and pre-symptomatic populations; atypical Alzheimer's disease; non-Alzheimer's disease neurodegenerative conditions; head-to-head comparisons with other Tau positron emission tomography tracers; and technical considerations. The available flortaucipir literature provides substantial evidence for the use of this positron emission tomography tracer in assessing neurofibrillary tau tangles in Alzheimer's disease and limited support for its use in other neurodegenerative disorders. Visual interpretation and quantitation approaches, although heterogeneous, mostly converge and demonstrate the high diagnostic and prognostic value of flortaucipir in Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Ming Lu
- Avid, Eli Lilly and Company, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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2
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Cools R, Kerkhofs K, Leitao RCF, Bormans G. Preclinical Evaluation of Novel PET Probes for Dementia. Semin Nucl Med 2023; 53:599-629. [PMID: 37149435 DOI: 10.1053/j.semnuclmed.2023.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
The development of novel PET imaging agents that selectively bind specific dementia-related targets can contribute significantly to accurate, differential and early diagnosis of dementia causing diseases and support the development of therapeutic agents. Consequently, in recent years there has been a growing body of literature describing the development and evaluation of potential new promising PET tracers for dementia. This review article provides a comprehensive overview of novel dementia PET probes under development, classified by their target, and pinpoints their preclinical evaluation pathway, typically involving in silico, in vitro and ex/in vivo evaluation. Specific target-associated challenges and pitfalls, requiring extensive and well-designed preclinical experimental evaluation assays to enable successful clinical translation and avoid shortcomings observed for previously developed 'well-established' dementia PET tracers are highlighted in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romy Cools
- Laboratory for Radiopharmaceutical Research, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Kobe Kerkhofs
- Laboratory for Radiopharmaceutical Research, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; NURA, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN), Mol, Belgium
| | - Renan C F Leitao
- Laboratory for Radiopharmaceutical Research, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Guy Bormans
- Laboratory for Radiopharmaceutical Research, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
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3
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Mohammadi Z, Alizadeh H, Marton J, Cumming P. The Sensitivity of Tau Tracers for the Discrimination of Alzheimer's Disease Patients and Healthy Controls by PET. Biomolecules 2023; 13:290. [PMID: 36830659 PMCID: PMC9953528 DOI: 10.3390/biom13020290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Hyperphosphorylated tau aggregates, also known as neurofibrillary tangles, are a hallmark neuropathological feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Molecular imaging of tau by positron emission tomography (PET) began with the development of [18F]FDDNP, an amyloid β tracer with off-target binding to tau, which obtained regional specificity through the differing distributions of amyloid β and tau in AD brains. A concerted search for more selective and affine tau PET tracers yielded compounds belonging to at least eight structural categories; 18F-flortaucipir, known variously as [18F]-T807, AV-1451, and Tauvid®, emerged as the first tau tracer approved by the American Food and Drug Administration. The various tau tracers differ concerning their selectivity over amyloid β, off-target binding at sites such as monoamine oxidase and neuromelanin, and degree of uptake in white matter. While there have been many reviews of molecular imaging of tau in AD and other conditions, there has been no systematic comparison of the fitness of the various tracers for discriminating between AD patient and healthy control (HC) groups. In this narrative review, we endeavored to compare the binding properties of the various tau tracers in vitro and the effect size (Cohen's d) for the contrast by PET between AD patients and age-matched HC groups. The available tracers all gave good discrimination, with Cohen's d generally in the range of two-three in culprit brain regions. Overall, Cohen's d was higher for AD patient groups with more severe illness. Second-generation tracers, while superior concerning off-target binding, do not have conspicuously higher sensitivity for the discrimination of AD and HC groups. We suppose that available pharmacophores may have converged on a maximal affinity for tau fibrils, which may limit the specific signal imparted in PET studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zohreh Mohammadi
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz 5166/15731, Iran
- Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz 5166/15731, Iran
| | - Hadi Alizadeh
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz 5166/15731, Iran
| | - János Marton
- ABX Advanced Biochemical Compounds Biomedizinische Forschungsreagenzien GmbH, Heinrich-Glaeser-Straße 10-14, D-01454 Radeberg, Germany
| | - Paul Cumming
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Bern University Hospital, Freiburgstraße 18, CH-3010 Bern, Switzerland
- School of Psychology and Counselling, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4059, Australia
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Mertens N, Michiels L, Vanderlinden G, Vandenbulcke M, Lemmens R, Van Laere K, Koole M. Impact of meningeal uptake and partial volume correction techniques on [ 18F]MK-6240 binding in aMCI patients and healthy controls. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 2022; 42:1236-1246. [PMID: 35062837 PMCID: PMC9207493 DOI: 10.1177/0271678x221076023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
[18F]MK-6240 is a second-generation tau PET-tracer to quantify neurofibrillary tangles in-vivo. However, individually variable levels of meningeal uptake induce spill-in-effects into the cortex, complicating [18F]MK-6240 PET quantification. Group SUVR differences between age-matched HC subgroups with varying extracerebral uptake (EC-low/mixed/high), and between aMCI and each HC subgroup were assessed without and with partial volume correction (PVC). Both Müller-Gartner (MG-)PVC and region-based voxelwise (RBV-)PVC, with the latter also correcting for extracerebral spill-in-effects, were implemented. Between HC groups, where no differences are to be expected, HC EC-high showed spill-in differences compared to HC EC-low when no PVC was applied while for MG-PVC, differences were reduced and, for RBV-PVC, no statistically significant differences were observed. Between aMCI and HC, cortical SUVR differences were statistically significant, both without and with PVC, but modulated by the varying meningeal uptake in HC subgroups when no PVC was applied. After applying PVC, correlations to clinical parameters improved and effect sizes between HC and aMCI increased, independent of the HC-subgroup. Therefore, appropriate PVC with correction for extracerebral spill-in-effects is recommended to minimize the impact of varying meningeal uptake on cortical differences between HC and aMCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie Mertens
- Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University Hospital and KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Laura Michiels
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,VIB, Center for Brain & Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Neurology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Greet Vanderlinden
- Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University Hospital and KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Mathieu Vandenbulcke
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Old-Age Psychiatry, University Hospital and KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Robin Lemmens
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,VIB, Center for Brain & Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Neurology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Koen Van Laere
- Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University Hospital and KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Division of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospitals Leuven, Belgium
| | - Michel Koole
- Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University Hospital and KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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5
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Wright JP, Goodman JR, Lin YG, Lieberman BP, Clemens J, Gomez LF, Liang Q, Hoye AT, Pontecorvo MJ, Conway KA. Monoamine oxidase binding not expected to significantly affect [ 18F]flortaucipir PET interpretation. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2022; 49:3797-3808. [PMID: 35596745 PMCID: PMC9399028 DOI: 10.1007/s00259-022-05822-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Purpose [18F]-labeled positron emission tomography (PET) radioligands permit in vivo assessment of Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers, including aggregated neurofibrillary tau (NFT) with [18F]flortaucipir. Due to structural similarities of flortaucipir with some monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) inhibitors, this study aimed to evaluate flortaucipir binding to MAO-A and MAO-B and any potential impact on PET interpretation. Methods [18F]Flortaucipir autoradiography was performed on frozen human brain tissue slices, and PET imaging was conducted in rats. Dissociation constants were determined by saturation binding, association and dissociation rates were measured by kinetic binding experiments, and IC50 values were determined by competition binding. Results Under stringent wash conditions, specific [18F]flortaucipir binding was observed on tau NFT-rich Alzheimer’s disease tissue and not control tissue. In vivo PET experiments in rats revealed no evidence of [18F]flortaucipir binding to MAO-A; pre-treatment with MAO inhibitor pargyline did not impact uptake or wash-out of [18F]flortaucipir. [18F]Flortaucipir bound with low nanomolar affinity to human MAO-A in a microsomal preparation in vitro but with a fast dissociation rate relative to MAO-A ligand fluoroethyl-harmol, consistent with no observed in vivo binding in rats of [18F]flortaucipir to MAO-A. Direct binding of flortaucipir to human MAO-B was not detected in a microsomal preparation. A high concentration of flortaucipir (IC50 of 1.3 μM) was found to block binding of the MAO-B ligand safinamide to MAO-B on microsomes suggesting that, at micromolar concentrations, flortaucipir weakly binds to MAO-B in vitro. Conclusion These data suggest neither MAO-A nor MAO-B binding will contribute significantly to the PET signal in cortical target areas relevant to the interpretation of [18F]flortaucipir. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00259-022-05822-9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin P Wright
- Avid Radiopharmaceuticals, Eli Lilly & Company, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jason R Goodman
- Avid Radiopharmaceuticals, Eli Lilly & Company, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Yin-Guo Lin
- Avid Radiopharmaceuticals, Eli Lilly & Company, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Brian P Lieberman
- Avid Radiopharmaceuticals, Eli Lilly & Company, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jennifer Clemens
- Avid Radiopharmaceuticals, Eli Lilly & Company, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Luis F Gomez
- Avid Radiopharmaceuticals, Eli Lilly & Company, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Qianwa Liang
- Avid Radiopharmaceuticals, Eli Lilly & Company, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Adam T Hoye
- Avid Radiopharmaceuticals, Eli Lilly & Company, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Kelly A Conway
- Avid Radiopharmaceuticals, Eli Lilly & Company, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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6
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Ikeda M, Okamoto K, Suzuki K, Takai E, Kasahara H, Furuta N, Furuta M, Tashiro Y, Shimizu C, Takatama S, Naito I, Sato M, Sakai Y, Takahashi M, Amari M, Takatama M, Higuchi T, Tsushima Y, Yokoo H, Kurabayashi M, Ishibashi S, Ishii K, Ikeda Y. Recurrent Lobar Hemorrhages and Multiple Cortical Superficial Siderosis in a Patient of Alzheimer's Disease With Homozygous APOE ε2 Allele Presenting Hypobetalipoproteinemia and Pathological Findings of 18F-THK5351 Positron Emission Tomography: A Case Report. Front Neurol 2021; 12:645625. [PMID: 34305778 PMCID: PMC8294698 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2021.645625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In Alzheimer's disease, the apolipoprotein E gene (APOE) ε2 allele is a protective genetic factor, whereas the APOE ε4 allele is a genetic risk factor. However, both the APOE ε2 and the APOE ε4 alleles are genetic risk factors for lobar intracerebral hemorrhage. The reasons for the high prevalence of lobar intracerebral hemorrhage and the low prevalence of Alzheimer's disease with the APOE ε2 allele remains unknown. Here, we describe the case of a 79-year-old Japanese female with Alzheimer's disease, homozygous for the APOE ε2 allele. This patient presented with recurrent lobar hemorrhages and multiple cortical superficial siderosis. The findings on the 11C-labeled Pittsburgh Compound B-positron emission tomography (PET) were characteristic of Alzheimer's disease. 18F-THK5351 PET revealed that the accumulation of 18F-THK 5351 in the right pyramidal tract at the pontine level, the cerebral peduncle of the midbrain, and the internal capsule, reflecting the lesions of the previous lobar intracerebral hemorrhage in the right frontal lobe. Moreover, 18F-THK5351 accumulated in the bilateral globus pallidum, amygdala, caudate nuclei, and the substantia nigra of the midbrain, which were probably off-target reaction, by binding to monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B). 18F-THK5351 were also detected in the periphery of prior lobar hemorrhages and a cortical subarachnoid hemorrhage, as well as in some, but not all, areas affected by cortical siderosis. Besides, 18F-THK5351 retentions were observed in the bilateral medial temporal cortices and several cortical areas without cerebral amyloid angiopathy or prior hemorrhages, possibly where tau might accumulate. This is the first report of a patient with Alzheimer's disease, carrying homozygous APOE ε2 allele and presenting with recurrent lobar hemorrhages, multiple cortical superficial siderosis, and immunohistochemically vascular amyloid β. The 18F-THK5351 PET findings suggested MAO-B concentrated regions, astroglial activation, Waller degeneration of the pyramidal tract, neuroinflammation due to CAA related hemorrhages, and possible tau accumulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masaki Ikeda
- Division of General Education (Neurology), Faculty of Health & Medical Care, Saitama Medical University, Saitama, Japan.,Department of Neurology, Geriatrics Research Institute and Hospital, Maebashi, Japan.,Department of Neurology, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Japan
| | - Koichi Okamoto
- Department of Neurology, Geriatrics Research Institute and Hospital, Maebashi, Japan
| | - Keiji Suzuki
- Department of Pathology, Geriatrics Research Institute and Hospital, Maebashi, Japan
| | - Eriko Takai
- Department of Neurology, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Japan
| | - Hiroo Kasahara
- Department of Neurology, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Japan
| | - Natsumi Furuta
- Department of Neurology, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Japan
| | - Minori Furuta
- Department of Neurology, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Japan
| | - Yuichi Tashiro
- Department of Neurology, Mito Medical Center, Mito, Japan
| | - Chisato Shimizu
- Department of Neurology, Geriatrics Research Institute and Hospital, Maebashi, Japan
| | - Shin Takatama
- Department of Neurosurgery, Geriatrics Research Institute and Hospital, Maebashi, Japan
| | - Isao Naito
- Department of Neurosurgery, Geriatrics Research Institute and Hospital, Maebashi, Japan
| | - Mie Sato
- Department of Anesthesiology, Geriatrics Research Institute and Hospital, Maebashi, Japan
| | - Yasujiro Sakai
- Department of Neurology, Geriatrics Research Institute and Hospital, Maebashi, Japan
| | - Manabu Takahashi
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Japan
| | - Masakuni Amari
- Department of Neurology, Geriatrics Research Institute and Hospital, Maebashi, Japan
| | - Masamitsu Takatama
- Department of Neurology, Geriatrics Research Institute and Hospital, Maebashi, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Higuchi
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Japan
| | - Yoshito Tsushima
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Japan
| | - Hideaki Yokoo
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Tochigi, Japan
| | - Masahiko Kurabayashi
- Department of Pathology, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Japan
| | - Shun Ishibashi
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Tochigi, Japan
| | - Kenji Ishii
- Team for Neuroimaging, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoshio Ikeda
- Department of Neurology, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Japan
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Capucciati A, Zucca FA, Monzani E, Zecca L, Casella L, Hofer T. Interaction of Neuromelanin with Xenobiotics and Consequences for Neurodegeneration; Promising Experimental Models. Antioxidants (Basel) 2021; 10:antiox10060824. [PMID: 34064062 PMCID: PMC8224073 DOI: 10.3390/antiox10060824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Revised: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuromelanin (NM) accumulates in catecholamine long-lived brain neurons that are lost in neurodegenerative diseases. NM is a complex substance made of melanic, peptide and lipid components. NM formation is a natural protective process since toxic endogenous metabolites are removed during its formation and as it binds excess metals and xenobiotics. However, disturbances of NM synthesis and function could be toxic. Here, we review recent knowledge on NM formation, toxic mechanisms involving NM, go over NM binding substances and suggest experimental models that can help identifying xenobiotic modulators of NM formation or function. Given the high likelihood of a central NM role in age-related human neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, resembling such diseases using animal models that do not form NM to a high degree, e.g., mice or rats, may not be optimal. Rather, use of animal models (i.e., sheep and goats) that better resemble human brain aging in terms of NM formation, as well as using human NM forming stem cellbased in vitro (e.g., mid-brain organoids) models can be more suitable. Toxicants could also be identified during chemical synthesis of NM in the test tube.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Capucciati
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (A.C.); (E.M.); (L.C.)
| | - Fabio A. Zucca
- Institute of Biomedical Technologies, National Research Council of Italy, Segrate, 20054 Milan, Italy; (F.A.Z.); (L.Z.)
| | - Enrico Monzani
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (A.C.); (E.M.); (L.C.)
| | - Luigi Zecca
- Institute of Biomedical Technologies, National Research Council of Italy, Segrate, 20054 Milan, Italy; (F.A.Z.); (L.Z.)
| | - Luigi Casella
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (A.C.); (E.M.); (L.C.)
| | - Tim Hofer
- Department of Environmental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, P.O. Box 222 Skøyen, N-0213 Oslo, Norway
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +47-21076671
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Tamil Selvan S, Ravichandar R, Kanta Ghosh K, Mohan A, Mahalakshmi P, Gulyás B, Padmanabhan P. Coordination chemistry of ligands: Insights into the design of amyloid beta/tau-PET imaging probes and nanoparticles-based therapies for Alzheimer’s disease. Coord Chem Rev 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ccr.2020.213659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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Abstract
This article presents an overview of imaging agents for PET that have been applied for research and diagnostic purposes in patients affected by dementia. Classified by the target which the agents visualize, seven groups of tracers can be distinguished, namely radiopharmaceuticals for: (1) Misfolded proteins (ß-amyloid, tau, α-synuclein), (2) Neuroinflammation (overexpression of translocator protein), (3) Elements of the cholinergic system, (4) Elements of monoamine neurotransmitter systems, (5) Synaptic density, (6) Cerebral energy metabolism (glucose transport/ hexokinase), and (7) Various other proteins. This last category contains proteins involved in mechanisms underlying neuroinflammation or cognitive impairment, which may also be potential therapeutic targets. Many receptors belong to this category: AMPA, cannabinoid, colony stimulating factor 1, metabotropic glutamate receptor 1 and 5 (mGluR1, mGluR5), opioid (kappa, mu), purinergic (P2X7, P2Y12), sigma-1, sigma-2, receptor for advanced glycation endproducts, and triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1, besides several enzymes: cyclooxygenase-1 and 2 (COX-1, COX-2), phosphodiesterase-5 and 10 (PDE5, PDE10), and tropomyosin receptor kinase. Significant advances in neuroimaging have been made in the last 15 years. The use of 2-[18F]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) for quantification of regional cerebral glucose metabolism is well-established. Three tracers for ß-amyloid plaques have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency. Several tracers for tau neurofibrillary tangles are already applied in clinical research. Since many novel agents are in the preclinical or experimental stage of development, further advances in nuclear medicine imaging can be expected in the near future. PET studies with established tracers and tracers for novel targets may result in early diagnosis and better classification of neurodegenerative disorders and in accurate monitoring of therapy trials which involve these targets. PET data have prognostic value and may be used to assess the response of the human brain to interventions, or to select the appropriate treatment strategy for an individual patient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aren van Waarde
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Groningen, the Netherlands.
| | - Sofia Marcolini
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Neurology, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Peter Paul de Deyn
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Neurology, Groningen, the Netherlands; University of Antwerp, Born-Bunge Institute, Neurochemistry and Behavior, Campus Drie Eiken, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Rudi A J O Dierckx
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Groningen, the Netherlands; Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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10
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Clinical Evaluation of 18F-PI-2620 as a Potent PET Radiotracer Imaging Tau Protein in Alzheimer Disease and Other Neurodegenerative Diseases Compared With 18F-THK-5351. Clin Nucl Med 2020; 45:841-847. [PMID: 32910050 DOI: 10.1097/rlu.0000000000003261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE PET is a useful tool for detecting the presence and extent of brain tau accumulation. However, most first-generation tau PET tracers are limited for high off-target binding and detection of tau in non-Alzheimer disease (AD). This study evaluated potential clinical applications of F-PI-2620 as a novel PET tracer with a high binding affinity for tau deposition in AD and non-AD tauopathies. METHODS Twenty-six participants diagnosed with either mild cognitive impairment, probable AD, frontotemporal dementia, or parkinsonism, as well as healthy controls underwent a 60- to 90-minute brain PET scan after 7 mci (259 MBq) injection of F-PI-2620. Some participants had previous PET scans using F-THK-5351 or F-FP-CIT for dopamine transporter imaging. RESULTS All participants showed no increase in off-target binding in basal ganglia on F-PI-2620 PET images, as noted for first-generation tau tracers. Aβ+ mild cognitive impairment or AD patients showed diverse cortical F-PI-2620 uptake in frontotemporoparietal cortex that correlated with Mini-Mental Status Examination (ρ = -0.692, P = 0.013). Aβ+ Parkinson disease with dementia and (Aβ unknown) primary progressive aphasia patients also showed increased F-PI-2620 uptakes in the frontotemporoparietal cortex. Patients with parkinsonism showed increased uptakes in the pallidum compared with Aβ- healthy controls (left: 1.41 ± 0.14 vs 1.04 ± 0.13, P = 0.014; right: 1.18 ± 0.16 vs 0.95 ± 0.07, P = 0.014). CONCLUSIONS F-PI-2620 PET might be a sensitive tool to detect cortical tau deposits in patients with Aβ+ AD and Aβ+ non-AD tauopathies. Furthermore, this study showed that "off-target" binding in the basal ganglia does not affect F-PI-2620.
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11
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The Imaging Features and Clinical Associations of a Novel Tau PET Tracer-18F-APN1607 in Alzheimer Disease. Clin Nucl Med 2020; 45:747-756. [PMID: 32701794 DOI: 10.1097/rlu.0000000000003164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF THE REPORT In vivo tau PET imaging could help clarify the spatial distribution of tau deposition in Alzheimer disease (AD) and aid in the differential diagnosis of tauopathies. To date, there have been no in vivo F-APN1607 tau PET studies in patients with AD. METHODS We applied tau tracer in 12 normal controls (NCs) and 10 patients in the mild to moderate stage of probable AD. Detailed clinical information, cognitive measurements, and disease severity were documented. Regional SUV ratios (SUVRs) from F-AV-45 (florbetapir), F-APN1607 PET images, and regional gray matter (GM) atrophic ratios were calculated for further analysis. RESULTS Quantitative analyses showed significantly elevated SUVRs in the frontal, temporal, parietal, occipital lobes, anterior and posterior cingulate gyri, precuneus, and parahippocampal region (all P's < 0.01) with medium to large effect sizes (0.44-0.75). The SUVRs from F-APN1607 PET imaging showed significant correlations with the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS-cog) scores (all P's < 0.01) and strong correlation coefficients (R ranged from 0.54 to 0.68), even adjusted for age and sex effects. Finally, the SUVRs from F-APN1607 PET imaging of the parahippocampal region showed rapid saturation as the ADAS-cog scores increased, and the SUVRs of the posterior cingulate gyrus and the temporal, frontal, parietal, and occipital regions slowly increased. The combined SUVRs from amyloid, tau PET, and regional GM atrophic ratio showed regional specific patterns as the ADAS-cog scores increased. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that the F-APN1607 tau tracer correlated well with cognitive changes and demonstrated the spatial pattern of amyloid, tau deposition, and GM atrophy in the progression of AD.
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Ghirelli A, Tosakulwong N, Weigand SD, Clark HM, Ali F, Botha H, Duffy JR, Utianski RL, Buciuc M, Murray ME, Labuzan SA, Spychalla AJ, Pham NTT, Schwarz CG, Senjem ML, Machulda MM, Baker M, Rademakers R, Filippi M, Jack CR, Lowe VJ, Parisi JE, Dickson DW, Josephs KA, Whitwell JL. Sensitivity-Specificity of Tau and Amyloid β Positron Emission Tomography in Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration. Ann Neurol 2020; 88:1009-1022. [PMID: 32869362 PMCID: PMC7861121 DOI: 10.1002/ana.25893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Revised: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine associations between tau and amyloid β (Aβ) molecular positron emission tomography (PET) and both Alzheimer-related pathology and 4-repeat tau pathology in autopsy-confirmed frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). METHODS Twenty-four patients had [18 F]-flortaucipir-PET and died with FTLD (progressive supranuclear palsy [PSP], n = 10; corticobasal degeneration [CBD], n = 10; FTLD-TDP, n = 3; and Pick disease, n = 1). All but 1 had Pittsburgh compound B (PiB)-PET. Braak staging, Aβ plaque and neurofibrillary tangle counts, and semiquantitative tau lesion scores were performed. Flortaucipir standard uptake value ratios (SUVRs) were calculated in a temporal meta region of interest (meta-ROI), entorhinal cortex and cortical/subcortical regions selected to match the tau lesion analysis. Global PiB SUVR was calculated. Autoradiography was performed in 1 PSP patient, with digital pathology used to quantify tau burden. RESULTS Nine cases (37.5%) had Aβ plaques. Global PiB SUVR correlated with Aβ plaque count, with 100% specificity and 50% sensitivity for diffuse plaques. Twenty-one (87.5%) had Braak stages I to IV. Flortaucipir correlated with neurofibrillary tangle counts in entorhinal cortex, but entorhinal and meta-ROI SUVRs were not elevated in Braak IV or primary age-related tauopathy. Flortaucipir uptake patterns differed across FTLD pathologies and could separate PSP and CBD. Flortaucipir correlated with tau lesion score in red nucleus and midbrain tegmentum across patients, but not in cortical or basal ganglia regions. Autoradiography demonstrated minimal uptake of flortaucipir, although flortaucipir correlated with quantitative tau burden across regions. INTERPRETATION Molecular PET shows expected correlations with Alzheimer-related pathology but lacks sensitivity to detect mild Alzheimer pathology in FTLD. Regional flortaucipir uptake was able to separate CBD and PSP. ANN NEUROL 2020;88:1009-1022.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alma Ghirelli
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN,
USA
- Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan,
Italy
| | | | | | | | - Farwa Ali
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN,
USA
| | - Hugo Botha
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN,
USA
| | | | | | - Marina Buciuc
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN,
USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Matthew L. Senjem
- Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN,
USA
- Department of Information Technology, Mayo Clinic,
Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Mary M. Machulda
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic,
Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Matthew Baker
- Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic,
Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Rosa Rademakers
- Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic,
Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Massimo Filippi
- Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan,
Italy
- Neurology and Neurophysiology Units, and Neuroimaging
Research Unit, INSPE, Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific
Institute, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Val J. Lowe
- Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN,
USA
| | - Joseph E Parisi
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo
Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
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13
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Lu J, Bao W, Li M, Li L, Zhang Z, Alberts I, Brendel M, Cumming P, Lu H, Xiao Z, Zuo C, Guan Y, Zhao Q, Rominger A. Associations of [ 18F]-APN-1607 Tau PET Binding in the Brain of Alzheimer's Disease Patients With Cognition and Glucose Metabolism. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:604. [PMID: 32694971 PMCID: PMC7338611 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular imaging of tauopathies is complicated by the differing specificities and off-target binding properties of available radioligands for positron emission tomography (PET). [18F]-APN-1607 ([18F]-PM-PBB3) is a newly developed PET tracer with promising properties for tau imaging. We aimed to characterize the cerebral binding of [18F]-APN-1607 in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients compared to normal control (NC) subjects. Therefore, we obtained static late frame PET recordings with [18F]-APN-1607 and [18F]-FDG in patients with a clinical diagnosis of AD group, along with an age-matched NC group ([18F]-APN-1607 only). Using statistical parametric mapping (SPM) and volume of interest (VOI) analyses of the reference region normalized standardized uptake value ratio maps, we then tested for group differences and relationships between both PET biomarkers, as well as their associations with clinical general cognition. In the AD group, [18F]-APN-1607 binding was elevated in widespread cortical regions (P < 0.001 for VOI analysis, familywise error-corrected P < 0.01 for SPM analysis). The regional uptake in AD patients correlated negatively with Mini-Mental State Examination score (frontal lobe: R = -0.632, P = 0.004; temporal lobe: R = -0.593, P = 0.008; parietal lobe: R = -0.552, P = 0.014; insula: R = -0.650, P = 0.003; cingulum: R = -0.665, P = 0.002) except occipital lobe (R = -0.417, P = 0.076). The hypometabolism to [18F]-FDG PET in AD patients also showed negative correlations with regional [18F]-APN-1607 binding in some signature areas of AD (temporal lobe: R = -0.530, P = 0.020; parietal lobe: R = -0.637, P = 0.003; occipital lobe: R = -0.567, P = 0.011). In conclusion, our results suggested that [18F]-APN-1607 PET sensitively detected tau deposition in AD and that individual tauopathy correlated with impaired cerebral glucose metabolism and cognitive function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaying Lu
- PET Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Weiqi Bao
- PET Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ming Li
- PET Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ling Li
- PET Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhengwei Zhang
- PET Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ian Alberts
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Matthias Brendel
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Munich, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Paul Cumming
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Faculty of Health, School of Psychology and Counselling, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Huimeng Lu
- Department of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhenxu Xiao
- Department of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chuantao Zuo
- PET Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yihui Guan
- PET Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qianhua Zhao
- Department of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Axel Rominger
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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Schaeverbeke J, Celen S, Cornelis J, Ronisz A, Serdons K, Van Laere K, Thal DR, Tousseyn T, Bormans G, Vandenberghe R. Binding of [ 18F]AV1451 in post mortem brain slices of semantic variant primary progressive aphasia patients. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2019; 47:1949-1960. [PMID: 31848674 PMCID: PMC7300115 DOI: 10.1007/s00259-019-04631-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Purpose In vivo tau-PET tracer retention in the anterior temporal lobe of patients with semantic variant primary progressive aphasia (SV PPA) has consistently been reported. This is unexpected as the majority of these patients have frontotemporal lobar degeneration TDP (FTLD-TDP). Methods We conducted an in vitro [18F]AV1451 autoradiography binding study in five cases with a clinical diagnosis of SV PPA constituting the range of pathologies (i.e., three FTLD-TDP, one Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and one Pick’s disease (PiD)). Binding was compared with two controls without neurodegeneration, two typical AD, one corticobasal syndrome with underlying AD, and one frontotemporal dementia behavioral variant with FTLD-TDP. The effect of blocking with the authentic reference material and with the MAO-B inhibitor deprenyl was assessed. Immunohistochemistry was performed on adjacent cryosections. Results Absence of specific [18F]AV1451 binding was observed for all three SV PPA FTLD-TDP cases. The absence of binding in controls as well as the successful blocking with authentic AV1451 in cases with tauopathy demonstrated specificity of the [18F]AV1451 signal for tau. The specific [18F]AV1451 binding was highest in AD, followed by PiD. This binding colocalized with the respective tau lesions and could not be blocked by deprenyl. Similar pilot findings were obtained with [18F]THK5351. Conclusion In vitro autoradiography showed no [18F]AV1451 binding in SV PPA due to FTLD-TDP, while specific binding was present in SV PPA due to AD and PiD. The discrepancy between in vitro and in vivo findings remains to be explained. The discordance is not related to [18F]AV1451 idiosyncrasies as [18F]THK5351 findings were similar. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s00259-019-04631-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jolien Schaeverbeke
- Laboratory for Cognitive Neurology, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sofie Celen
- Laboratory of Radiopharmaceutical Research, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Julie Cornelis
- Laboratory of Radiopharmaceutical Research, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Alicja Ronisz
- Laboratory for Pathology, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.,Leuven Brain Institute, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Kim Serdons
- Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University HospitalsLeuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Koen Van Laere
- Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University HospitalsLeuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Dietmar Rudolf Thal
- Laboratory for Pathology, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.,Leuven Brain Institute, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.,Pathology division, Department of Pathology, University Hospitals Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Thomas Tousseyn
- Laboratory for Pathology, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.,Pathology division, Department of Pathology, University Hospitals Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Guy Bormans
- Laboratory of Radiopharmaceutical Research, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Rik Vandenberghe
- Laboratory for Cognitive Neurology, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium. .,Neurology division, Department of Neurology, University Hospitals Leuven, Herestraat 49 box 7003, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
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