Title:Radiotracers for Amyloid Imaging in Neurodegenerative Disease: State-of-the-Art and Novel Concepts
VOLUME: 25 ISSUE: 26
Author(s):Angelina Cistaro*, Pierpaolo Alongi, Federico Caobelli and Laura Cassalia
Affiliation:Positron Emission Tomography Centre IRMET, SPA Affidea Turin, Nuclear Medicine Unit, Department of Radiological Sciences, San Raffaele G. Giglio Institute Cefalu, Palerm, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Universitatsspital Basel, Baserl, Positron Emission Tomography Centre IRMET, SPA Affidea Turin
Keywords:Amyloid, Alzheimer`s disease, Mild Cognitive Impairment, PET, 18F-florbetaben, 18F-Florbetapir,
18F-Flutemetamol, 11C-PiB.
Abstract:The pathological accumulation of different peptides is the common base of many
neurodegenerative processes, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD). AD is characterized by amyloid
deposits which may cause alterations in neurotransmission, activation of inflammatory
mechanisms, neuronal death and cerebral atrophy. Diagnosis in vivo is challenging as the criteria
rely mainly on clinical manifestations, which become evident only in a late stage of the
disease. While AD can currently be definitively confirmed by postmortem histopathologic
examination, in vivo imaging may improve the clinician's ability to identify AD at the earliest
stage.
In this regard, the detection of cerebral amyloid plaques with positron emission tomography
(PET) is likely to improve diagnosis and allow for a prompt start of an effective therapy.
Many PET imaging probes for AD-specific pathological modifications have been developed
and proved effective in detecting amyloid deposits in vivo. We here review the current knowledge
on PET imaging in the detection of amyloid deposits and their application in the diagnosis
of AD.
