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Molecular PET Imaging in Alzheimer’s Disease

Journal of Medical and Biological Engineering volume 42, pages 301–317 (2022)Cite this article

Abstract

Purpose

The complexities of pathological changes in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and their relationships with associated risk factors and clinical symptoms, and the development of disease-modifying therapy or preventive intervention for AD are being intensively investigated. The emerging advances in brain positron emission tomography (PET) imaging allow for in vivo visualization and quantitation of specific neurochemical and molecular pathophysiologic changes in the brain tissue. This review is focused on the recent advances in molecular PET imaging of the brain and its clinical applications in AD.

Methods

The development in PET radiopharmaceuticals targeting brain glucose metabolism, amyloid accumulation, tau protein aggregation, neuroinflammation, acetylcholine system, and synaptic density are discussed along with their potential clinical applications in AD.

Results

PET imaging studies can provide diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of AD, as well as for selection and monitoring of novel therapies. Given the complexity and potential overlapping pathologies and comorbidities, a single biomarker can neither provide the diagnostic certainty required for early detection of AD nor the identification of presymptomatic at-risk individuals. Therefore, multimodal studies are required to better understand the relationships between different biomarkers, answer the controversial issues, and incorporate new diagnostic criteria for the various stages in the continuum of AD.

Conclusion

Molecular PET imaging studies have significant roles in the clinical practice and the clinical trials of novel therapeutic agents in AD. However, standardization and validation across multiple participating sites are still required for the subsequent transition from clinical research into clinical practice.

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Acknowledgements

The patients’ images in this work are from the research projects partially funded by National Research Council of Thailand through Health System Research Institute (Grant Nos. 58–036, 60–065, and 62–044), Research Development Fund, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital (Grant Nos. R016236003 and R016134004) and the International Atomic Energy Agency under CRP E13043 (Grant No. 19256).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, 2 Wanglang, Siriraj, Bangkok Noi, Bangkok, 10700, Thailand

    Tanyaluck Thientunyakit, Shuichi Shiratori & Juri George Gelovani

  2. Institute of Advanced Clinical Medicine, Kindai University Hospital, 377–2 Ohnohigashi, Osaka-Sayama, Osaka, 589-8511, Japan

    Kazunari Ishii

  3. Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kindai University, 377–2 Ohnohigashi, Osaka-Sayama, Osaka, 589-8511, Japan

    Kazunari Ishii

  4. Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering and School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA

    Juri George Gelovani

  5. College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates

    Juri George Gelovani

Authors
  1. Tanyaluck Thientunyakit
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  2. Shuichi Shiratori
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  3. Kazunari Ishii
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  4. Juri George Gelovani
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Correspondence to Tanyaluck Thientunyakit.

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Thientunyakit, T., Shiratori, S., Ishii, K. et al. Molecular PET Imaging in Alzheimer’s Disease. J. Med. Biol. Eng. 42, 301–317 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40846-022-00717-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40846-022-00717-4

Keywords

  • Molecular imaging
  • PET
  • Positron emission tomography
  • Alzheimer’s disease
  • AD