Multimodal Imaging Probes for the Diagnostics of Alzheimer’s Disease

Abstract

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most frequent form of intellectual deterioration in elderly individuals, characterized by the brain deposition of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. Early detection of the β-amyloid (Aβ) deposits in vivo is very difficult. Recently 11C-radiolabeled small-molecules have been developed, capable of entering the brain and specifically targeting amyloid plaques for imaging with PET, such as several Thioflavin T derivatives. In particular, the uncharged analogue 6-OH-BTA-1 (Pittsburgh compound B- PiB) is highly efficient both in crossing the BBB and in selective binding to AD amyloid aggregates. The use of Aβ marker linked to a MRI CA would constitute an attractive noninvasive in vivo imaging approach.