One of the hallmark features of neurodegenerative disorders is the accumulation of misfolded proteins which lead to the formation of insoluble protein aggregates in the CNS. One such protein is alpha synuclein (Asyn), which serves as the major component in Lewy bodies (LBs) and Lewy neurites (LNs). LBs and LNs are the primary lesions in Parkinson’s disease (PD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), and multiple system atrophy (MSA). Furthermore, nearly 50% of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients have LBs at time of autopsy, and AD patients with LBs may have a more rapid rate of cognitive decline than patients not having LB pathology. Therefore, the development of a PET radiotracer capable of imaging Asyn aggregates would provide a valuable tool in the clinical evaluation of a wide panel of neurodegenerative disorders. This presentation will describe the challenges in developing a PET radiotracer for imaging Asyn aggregates, the different strategies being used in accomplishing this goal, and the current status of efforts aimed at developing an Asyn PET radiotracer.

Current status of the development of PET radiotracers for imaging alpha synuclein aggregates in Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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