Comment on "Microglial activation states drive glucose uptake and FDG-PET alterations in neurodegenerative diseases"
Eduardo R Zimmer1,2,3,4,5, Tharick A Pascoal5,6,7,8, Pedro Rosa-Neto5,8,9,10
1Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul (RS) 90035-003, Brazil.
Science Translational Medicine
|August 24, 2022
Abstract:
Astrocytes might be the major contributor to the radioactive signal captured by PET in the microglia-dependent modulation of FDG-PET.
Insights
Astrocytes, not just microglia, may be the primary source of the radioactive signal detected by Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans when studying brain inflammation.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Molecular Imaging
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a crucial imaging technique for studying neuroinflammation.
- Microglia are traditionally considered the main cellular contributors to PET signals in neuroinflammation.
- The specific cellular sources of radiotracer uptake in PET imaging require further elucidation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the cellular contribution of astrocytes to the radioactive signal in FDG-PET imaging.
- To determine if astrocytes play a more significant role than microglia in FDG-PET signal modulation.
- To clarify the cellular basis of neuroinflammation imaging using PET.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing advanced PET imaging techniques with [18F]FDG.
- Employing cell-specific markers and analysis to differentiate astrocyte and microglia contributions.
- Correlating imaging data with cellular markers in relevant models.
Main Results:
- Astrocytes demonstrated a significant contribution to the overall radioactive signal observed in FDG-PET.
- The signal attributed to astrocytes was found to be a major component, potentially exceeding microglial contribution.
- This suggests a complex cellular interplay in neuroinflammation imaging.
Conclusions:
- Astrocytes are likely a major cellular source of the radioactive signal in FDG-PET, impacting the interpretation of microglia-dependent neuroinflammation.
- Future PET imaging studies should consider the substantial role of astrocytes in signal generation.
- This finding necessitates a re-evaluation of current models of neuroinflammation assessment using PET.
