Imaging Neuroinflammation in Neurodegenerative Disorders

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Medical Imaging
• Radiochemistry

Background:

• Neuroinflammation is a key factor in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
• In vivo monitoring of neuroinflammation using Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is crucial for understanding disease mechanisms.
• A comprehensive review of current PET imaging strategies for neuroinflammation is warranted due to accumulating data.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current landscape of PET tracers and targets for imaging neuroinflammation in neurodegenerative diseases.
• To evaluate the utility and limitations of existing PET neuroimaging techniques, particularly translocator protein (TSPO) PET.
• To discuss the role of neuroinflammation PET in understanding disease progression and validating therapeutic interventions.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search on PubMed for publications on PET tracers for neuroinflammation in humans and animal models.
• Inclusion of articles on the chemistry of current and potential radiotracers.
• Review of 280 selected articles.

Main Results:

• Translocator protein (TSPO) is the most common PET target for neuroinflammation but lacks cellular specificity.
• TSPO PET is valuable for assessing the extent and location of brain inflammation in neurodegenerative disorders.
• Neuroinflammation PET studies, especially in Alzheimer's disease, suggest a dual role (initially protective, later toxic).

Conclusions:

• Despite limitations, neuroinflammation PET is an essential tool for studying neurodegeneration in humans.
• PET imaging of neuroinflammation aids in understanding disease pathogenesis across major neurodegenerative disorders.
• Neuroinflammation PET is critical for validating target engagement in clinical trials for neurodegenerative diseases.