title: Florbetapir F 18 for brain imaging of β-amyloid plaques.
abstract: Recent trends in neurodegeneration research have been aimed at developing new amyloid ligands for the neuroimaging of dementia. Among the positron emission tomography (PET) radiotracers, fluorodeoxyglucose F 18 ((18)F-FDG) is the compound most widely used in the diagnosis of neurodegenerative dementias. However, this compound shows a level of specificity and sensitivity for early Alzheimer's disease detection that is lower than that provided by high-affinity ligands for β-amyloid (Aβ). Among the new widely available fluorine 18 ((18)F)-labeled Aβ ligands, florbetapir F 18 ((18))F-AV-45; Amyvid™) showed clear qualitative and quantitative correlations between in vivo PET imaging and postmortem histopathologic analysis of Aβ. Florbetapir F 18 stands out for its high Aβ affinity and its pharmacokinetic properties that allow 10-minute PET scan imaging within 90 minutes after administration (dose = 370 MBq). Importantly, no safety concerns for florbetapir F 18 were found in preclinical studies. In 2012, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Amyvid as a radiotracer helpful for excluding the presence of Aβ in the brain. It was then approved earlier this year by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy. mromano@units.it
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Romano
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Buratti
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D000814:Aniline Compounds / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D017277:Drug Approval; D005026:Ethylene Glycols / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D006801:Humans; D058225:Plaque, Amyloid / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States; D014486:United States Food and Drug Administration
chemical_list: D000814:Aniline Compounds; D005026:Ethylene Glycols; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; C545186:florbetapir
keywords: AV-45; Alzheimer's disease; Cognitive decline; Contrast media; Diagnostic agents; Florbetapir F 18; Radiopharmaceuticals; Ultrasound contrast agents