title: In vivo imaging of neuroinflammation.
abstract: We briefly outline the rationale for employing positron emission tomography (PET), using the ligand [11C](R)-PK11195, the binding site for which is highly expressed by activated microglia, in order (a) to detect in vivo neuroinflammatory changes occurring in a variety of brain diseases and at different disease stages and (b) to monitor the progression of neuroinflammation as a generic in vivo marker of 'disease activity'. The use of [11C](R)-PK11195 PET is described as a systematic attempt at measuring the emerging phenomenology of tissue pathology itself-as opposed to measuring, for example, the loss of neuronal function or structure-and as a proof of principle for the clinical utility of imaging glial cells in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Sciences Centre, PET-Neurology, Cyclotron Building, Hammersmith Hospital, DuCane Road, W12 ONN, London, UK. acagnin@brainaging.it
authors.forename: Annachiara
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cagnin
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gerhard
authors.forename: Richard B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Banati
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D007546:Isoquinolines / Q000378:metabolism; D017628:Microglia / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D011869:Radioligand Assay; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000378:metabolism; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A / Q000378:metabolism; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed
chemical_list: D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D007546:Isoquinolines; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A; C037850:PK 11195