Diagnostic Amyloid Beta Oligomer-Targeted Probes for Alzheimer’s Disease

Session Number

Project ID: MEDH 28

Advisor(s)

Kirsten Viola; Northwestern University

Discipline

Medical and Health Sciences

Start Date

22-4-2020 9:10 AM

End Date

22-4-2020 9:25 AM

Abstract

Current Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) research suggests that early stage biomarkers which instigate memory loss consist of amyloid beta proteins in the oligomer isoform (AβOs). AβOs accumulate early in AD and have been shown experimentally to cause major AD-related pathologies (e.g., tau abnormalities, synapse loss, neurological damage, etc.). However, clinicians are currently unable to image AβO buildup in vivo. MRI is used to quantify brain volume or measure brain metabolism. Available PET probes exclusively quantify amyloid plaques and are not useful for imaging AβOs. With an AβO probe, it would be possible to correlate AβO buildup with emergence of cognitive dysfunction, providing new means to investigate the AβO hypothesis and assess the experimental efficacy of investigational new drugs.

AβOs are now regarded as one of the first toxins to appear in disease progression, and they provide an excellent target for early diagnostic imaging. Our findings suggest that both transgenic mice and non-transgenic dietary risk-factor-induced rabbits are effective models for investigating) accumulation of AβOs. Further, the success of AβO-targeted probes in these in vivo studies suggest they are useful not only for the early diagnosis of AD, but also for future clinical studies.

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Apr 22nd, 9:10 AM Apr 22nd, 9:25 AM

Diagnostic Amyloid Beta Oligomer-Targeted Probes for Alzheimer’s Disease

Current Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) research suggests that early stage biomarkers which instigate memory loss consist of amyloid beta proteins in the oligomer isoform (AβOs). AβOs accumulate early in AD and have been shown experimentally to cause major AD-related pathologies (e.g., tau abnormalities, synapse loss, neurological damage, etc.). However, clinicians are currently unable to image AβO buildup in vivo. MRI is used to quantify brain volume or measure brain metabolism. Available PET probes exclusively quantify amyloid plaques and are not useful for imaging AβOs. With an AβO probe, it would be possible to correlate AβO buildup with emergence of cognitive dysfunction, providing new means to investigate the AβO hypothesis and assess the experimental efficacy of investigational new drugs.

AβOs are now regarded as one of the first toxins to appear in disease progression, and they provide an excellent target for early diagnostic imaging. Our findings suggest that both transgenic mice and non-transgenic dietary risk-factor-induced rabbits are effective models for investigating) accumulation of AβOs. Further, the success of AβO-targeted probes in these in vivo studies suggest they are useful not only for the early diagnosis of AD, but also for future clinical studies.