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Selective PET Imaging of Astrocytes and Microglia in Alzheimer's Disease

NCT05582200 · Status: RECRUITING · Type: OBSERVATIONAL · Enrollment: 71

Last updated 2026-04-06

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Inflammation occurs in many brain diseases including Alzheimer's disease. In Alzheimer's disease, an abnormal protein called amyloid starts accumulating decades before the start of forgetfulness. However, scientists have reported that inflammation but not amyloid is linked to forgetfulness and the topography of brain inflammation and tau buildup are closely correlated in patients with mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's disease. New medications are under development to help healing and prevent permanent damage in the brain. To see if inflammation is improving or getting worse with these medications, investigators can watch inside of the brain using a special camera called positron emission tomography (PET). It is currently possible to watch inflammation in the brain by taking pictures of a molecule called translocator protein (TSPO). But the problem is that by imaging TSPO, investigators can catch changes in more than one kind of cells. The information is not specific to each cell type. Such vague information is not completely useful to monitor the effect of new medications for inflammation. This proposal attempts to develop a novel method to capture changes in each of two major players in inflammation, microglia and astrocytes. To do so, investigators will take selective pictures of one cell type by using a novel imaging agent for PET. Investigators will also take PET pictures of TSPO. Investigators will process these two kinds of PET pictures using advanced mathematical methods and extract specific information on microglia and astrocytes. Our novel method will be useful to monitor new therapies to treat inflammation in the brain.

Conditions

  • Alzheimer Disease
  • Healthy

Interventions

DRUG

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) using 11C-ER176 for TSPO and 18F-SMBT1 for MAO-B

Participants will receive PET with 11C-ER176 to measure microglia AND astrocytes and PET with 18F-SMBT1 to measure astrocytes.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • The Methodist Hospital Research Institute

    lead OTHER

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
90 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2023-01-20
Primary Completion
2027-10-31
Completion
2028-10-31
FDA Drug
Yes

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT05582200 on ClinicalTrials.gov