Imaging Alzheimer's disease pathology: one target, many ligands.
Over the past five years there has been a surge of interest in using positron emission tomography (PET) to determine the in vivo density of the senile plaque, a key pathological feature of Alzheimer's disease. The development of the tracers [(11)C]-PIB, [(11)C]-SB13 and [(18)F]-FDDNP has coincided with drug strategies aimed at altering the brain metabolism of amyloid-beta peptides. The evolution of these novel ligands serves not only as an excellent example of how rapidly imaging technologies can progress but also as a reminder that the fundamental biological knowledge, which is necessary to fully interpret the PET data, can be left trailing behind.
Lockhart
Andrew
A
GlaxoSmithKline, Addenbrooke's Centre for Clinical Investigation (ACCI), Box No. 128, Addenbrookes Hospital, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 2GG, UK. andrew.2.lockhart@gsk.com
D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D018450:Disease Progression; D015195:Drug Design; D006801:Humans; D015394:Molecular Structure; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics
D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals