High-Contrast In Vivo Imaging of Tau Pathologies in Alzheimer's and Non-Alzheimer's Disease Tauopathies

Neuron. 2021 Jan 6;109(1):42-58.e8. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.09.042. Epub 2020 Oct 29.

Abstract

A panel of radiochemicals has enabled in vivo positron emission tomography (PET) of tau pathologies in Alzheimer's disease (AD), although sensitive detection of frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) tau inclusions has been unsuccessful. Here, we generated an imaging probe, PM-PBB3, for capturing diverse tau deposits. In vitro assays demonstrated the reactivity of this compound with tau pathologies in AD and FTLD. We could also utilize PM-PBB3 for optical/PET imaging of a living murine tauopathy model. A subsequent clinical PET study revealed increased binding of 18F-PM-PBB3 in diseased patients, reflecting cortical-dominant AD and subcortical-dominant progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) tau topologies. Notably, the in vivo reactivity of 18F-PM-PBB3 with FTLD tau inclusion was strongly supported by neuropathological examinations of brains derived from Pick's disease, PSP, and corticobasal degeneration patients who underwent PET scans. Finally, visual inspection of 18F-PM-PBB3-PET images was indicated to facilitate individually based identification of diverse clinical phenotypes of FTLD on a neuropathological basis.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; PET; Pick's disease; corticobasal degeneration; frontotemporal lobar degeneration; in vivo imaging; progressive supranuclear palsy; tauopathies; tauopathy mouse model; translational research.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Alzheimer Disease / diagnostic imaging*
  • Alzheimer Disease / genetics
  • Alzheimer Disease / metabolism*
  • Animals
  • Benzothiazoles / metabolism*
  • Carbon Radioisotopes / metabolism*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Middle Aged
  • Positron-Emission Tomography / methods
  • Tauopathies / diagnostic imaging*
  • Tauopathies / genetics
  • Tauopathies / metabolism*

Substances

  • Benzothiazoles
  • Carbon Radioisotopes
  • PBB3 compound