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Real CC, Binda KH, Thomsen MB, Lillethorup TP, Brooks DJ, Landau AM. Selecting the Best Animal Model of Parkinson's Disease for Your Research Purpose: Insight from in vivo PET Imaging Studies. Curr Neuropharmacol 2023; 21:1241-1272. [PMID: 36797611 PMCID: PMC10286593 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x21666230216101659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a debilitating neurodegenerative multisystem disorder leading to motor and non-motor symptoms in millions of individuals. Despite intense research, there is still no cure, and early disease biomarkers are lacking. Animal models of PD have been inspired by basic elements of its pathogenesis, such as dopamine dysfunction, alpha-synuclein accumulation, neuroinflammation and disruption of protein degradation, and these have been crucial for a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of pathology, the identification of biomarkers, and evaluation of novel therapies. Imaging biomarkers are non-invasive tools to assess disease progression and response to therapies; their discovery and validation have been an active field of translational research. Here, we highlight different considerations of animal models of PD that can be applied to future research, in terms of their suitability to answer different research questions. We provide the reader with important considerations of the best choice of model to use based on the disease features of each model, including issues related to different species. In addition, positron emission tomography studies conducted in PD animal models in the last 5 years are presented. With a variety of different species, interventions and genetic information, the choice of the most appropriate model to answer research questions can be daunting, especially since no single model recapitulates all aspects of this complex disorder. Appropriate animal models in conjunction with in vivo molecular imaging tools, if selected properly, can be a powerful combination for the assessment of novel therapies and developing tools for early diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Cristiano Real
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET Center, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
- Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Karina Henrique Binda
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET Center, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
- Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Majken Borup Thomsen
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET Center, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
- Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Thea Pinholt Lillethorup
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET Center, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
- Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - David James Brooks
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET Center, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
- Institute of Translational and Clinical Research, University of Newcastle, Upon Tyne, UK
| | - Anne Marlene Landau
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET Center, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
- Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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Raval NR, Madsen CA, Shalgunov V, Nasser A, Battisti UM, Beaman EE, Juhl M, Jørgensen LM, Herth MM, Hansen HD, Plavén-Sigray P, Knudsen GM. Evaluation of the α-synuclein PET radiotracer (d 3)-[ 11C]MODAG-001 in pigs. Nucl Med Biol 2022; 114-115:42-48. [PMID: 36095921 DOI: 10.1016/j.nucmedbio.2022.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A positron emission tomography (PET) radiotracer to neuroimage α-synuclein aggregates would be a crucial addition for early diagnosis and treatment development in disorders such as Parkinson's disease, where elevated aggregate levels are a histopathological hallmark. The radiotracer (d3)-[11C]MODAG-001 has recently shown promise for visualization of α-synuclein pre-formed fibrils (α-PFF) in rodents. We here test the radiotracer in a pig model where proteins are intracerebrally injected immediately before scanning. Four pigs were injected in one hemisphere with 150 μg α-PFF, and in the other hemisphere, either 75 μg α-PFF or human brain homogenate from either dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) or Alzheimer's disease (AD) was injected. All pigs underwent one or two (d3)-[11C]MODAG-001 PET scans, quantified with the non-invasive Logan graphical analysis using the occipital cortex as a reference region. RESULTS The α-PFF and AD homogenate injected brain regions had high uptake of (d3)-[11C]MODAG-001 compared to the occipital cortex or cerebellum. BPND values in 150 μg α-PFF injected regions was 0.78, and in the AD homogenate injected regions was 0.73. By contrast, the DLB homogenate injected region did not differ in uptake and clearance compared to the reference regions. The time-activity curves and BPND values in the 150 μg and 75 μg injected regions of α-PFFs show a dose-dependent effect, and the PET signal could be blocked by pretreatment with unlabeled MODAG-001. CONCLUSION We find that both α-PFF and AD brain homogenates give rise to increased binding of (d3)-[11C]MODAG-001 when injected into the pig brain. Despite its limited specificity for cerebral α-synuclein pathology, (d3)-[11C]MODAG-001 shows promise as a lead tracer for future radiotracer development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nakul Ravi Raval
- Neurobiology Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet), Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Clara Aabye Madsen
- Neurobiology Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet), Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Vladimir Shalgunov
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Clinical Physiology, Nuclear Medicine & PET, Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet), Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Arafat Nasser
- Neurobiology Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet), Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Umberto Maria Battisti
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Emily Eufaula Beaman
- Neurobiology Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet), Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Morten Juhl
- Cardiology Stem Cell Centre, Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet), Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Louise Møller Jørgensen
- Neurobiology Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet), Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Copenhagen Spine Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet), Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Matthias Manfred Herth
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Clinical Physiology, Nuclear Medicine & PET, Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet), Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Hanne Demant Hansen
- Neurobiology Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet), Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Pontus Plavén-Sigray
- Neurobiology Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet), Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Gitte Moos Knudsen
- Neurobiology Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet), Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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