Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 28, 2026
05:17
Hybrid PET/MRI Imaging of Alzheimer's Disease Based on 18F-AV-1451
Published on: April 18, 2025
1.0K
[F-18]-AV-1451 binding correlates with postmortem neurofibrillary tangle Braak staging
Marta Marquié1,2, Michael Siao Tick Chong1,2, Alejandro Antón-Fernández1,2
1MassGeneral Institute for NeuroDegenerative Disease, Charlestown, MA, USA.
Acta Neuropathologica
|June 15, 2017
Summary
The PET tracer [F-18]-AV-1451 accurately detects neurofibrillary tau pathology in Alzheimer's disease (AD) brains. Its binding patterns correlate with tau burden and Braak NFT stages, showing promise as an AD biomarker.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Radiochemistry
- Pathology
Background:
- Alzheimer's disease (AD) diagnosis and staging are challenging, often relying on clinical assessment and late-stage biomarkers.
- Neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) composed of tau protein are a hallmark pathology of AD, progressing predictably through Braak stages.
- Positron Emission Tomography (PET) tracers are being developed to visualize in vivo tau pathology for improved AD management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the correlation between the PET tracer [F-18]-AV-1451 binding patterns and postmortem neuropathological tau staging in the human brain.
- To validate [F-18]-AV-1451 as a quantitative biomarker for neurofibrillary tau burden across different stages of Alzheimer's disease pathology.
Main Methods:
- Autoradiography using [F-18]-AV-1451 on postmortem brain tissue from individuals with Braak NFT stages I-VI.
- Quantitative tau measurements including stereological counting of NFTs and biochemical analysis (Western blot, ELISA) for total and phospho-tau.
- Analysis of three brain regions: entorhinal cortex, superior temporal sulcus, and visual cortex.
Main Results:
- Strong and selective [F-18]-AV-1451 binding was observed in regions with neurofibrillary tangles, precisely matching PHF-tau immunostaining patterns.
- Binding signal intensity showed a significant positive correlation with the number of NFTs and levels of total and phospho-tau.
- No [F-18]-AV-1451 signal was detected in white matter or non-tangle-containing regions, confirming tracer specificity.
Conclusions:
- [F-18]-AV-1451 is a highly specific and sensitive PET tracer for quantifying neurofibrillary tau burden in Alzheimer's disease.
- The tracer's binding patterns align with the spatiotemporal progression of tau pathology as defined by Braak staging.
- Further in vivo neuroimaging-pathologic studies are warranted to confirm these findings and solidify [F-18]-AV-1451's role in AD diagnostics.
