title: Positron emission tomography in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: Towards targeting of molecular pathological hallmarks.
abstract: During the past decades, extensive efforts have been made to expand the knowledge of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). However, clinical translation of this research, in terms of earlier diagnosis and improved therapy, remains challenging. Since more than 30% of motor neurons are lost when symptoms become clinically apparent, techniques allowing non-invasive, in vivo detection of motor neuron degeneration are needed in the early, pre-symptomatic disease stage. Furthermore, it has become apparent that non-motor signs play an important role in the disease and there is an overlap with cognitive disorders, such as frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Radionuclide imaging, such as positron emission tomography (PET) and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), form an attractive approach to quantitatively monitor the ongoing neurodegenerative processes. Although [18F]-FDG has been recently proposed as a potential biomarker for ALS, active targeting of the underlying pathologic molecular processes is likely to unravel further valuable disease information and may help to decipher the pathogenesis of ALS. In this review, we provide an overview of radiotracers that have already been applied in ALS and discuss possible novel targets for in vivo imaging of various pathogenic processes underlying ALS onset and progression.
authors.affiliation: Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Imaging and Pathology, University Hospitals Leuven and KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. stefanie.willekens@uzleuven.be.
authors.forename: Stefanie M A
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Willekens
authors.affiliation: Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Imaging and Pathology, University Hospitals Leuven and KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Donatienne
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Van Weehaeghe
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.|Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.|Leuven Research Institute for Neuroscience and Disease (LIND), Leuven, Belgium.|Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB, Vesalius Research Center, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Van Damme
authors.affiliation: Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Imaging and Pathology, University Hospitals Leuven and KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.|Leuven Research Institute for Neuroscience and Disease (LIND), Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Koen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Van Laere
mesh_terms: D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals
keywords: ALS; Neurodegeneration; PET; Radiotracers; Targets