| MicroPET imaging and transgenic models: a blueprint for Alzheimer's disease clinical research Aug 20th 2014, 00:00, by Eduardo R. Zimmer, Maxime J. Parent, A. Claudio Cuello, Serge Gauthier, Pedro Rosa-Neto AD is currently conceptualized as a progressive pathophysiological process, initially characterized by amyloidosis (extracellular Aβ accumulation; see Glossary), followed by a cascade of neurodegenerative events, including the formation of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs, intracellular tau protein aggregates), neuroinflammation, and neurotransmission abnormalities, ultimately leading to cognitive decline and dementia [1–3]. In the past decade, developments in radiopharmaceutical research have allowed the synthesis of highly specific PET imaging agents, which have allowed the in vivo quantification of amyloid deposition in AD patients [4]. |
