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Exclusive: synthetic compound highlights neurodegeneration when injected into patients at early stages of disease, study shows
Australian researchers have developed a way of highlighting changes in the brain that mark the progression of Parkinson’s disease years before physical symptoms show.
Researchers at the Florey Institute and Austin Health in Melbourne have shown it is possible to detect signs of Parkinson’s disease, a debilitating neurodegenerative condition, by injecting patients with a synthetic compound, known as 18F-AV-133, designed to bind to a protein in the brain known as VMAT2.
There is significant evidence that deficiency of VMAT2, an essential protein for neurotransmitter regulation, is linked to Parkinson’s disease.
The F-AV-133 compound becomes concentrated in areas of the brain where VMAT2 is active, with researchers then able to conduct a PET scan to capture images that show the strength and areas of VMAT2 activity in the brain, creating an imaging biomarker.
www.theguardian.com
Australian researchers have developed a way of highlighting changes in the brain that mark the progression of Parkinson’s disease years before physical symptoms show.
Researchers at the Florey Institute and Austin Health in Melbourne have shown it is possible to detect signs of Parkinson’s disease, a debilitating neurodegenerative condition, by injecting patients with a synthetic compound, known as 18F-AV-133, designed to bind to a protein in the brain known as VMAT2.
There is significant evidence that deficiency of VMAT2, an essential protein for neurotransmitter regulation, is linked to Parkinson’s disease.
The F-AV-133 compound becomes concentrated in areas of the brain where VMAT2 is active, with researchers then able to conduct a PET scan to capture images that show the strength and areas of VMAT2 activity in the brain, creating an imaging biomarker.
Parkinson’s disease detectable before physical symptoms show, Australian research finds
Exclusive: synthetic compound highlights neurodegeneration when injected into patients at early stages of disease, study shows
