Molecular imaging of neurotoxic signaling in neurodegenerative disorders

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project Area: Brain Environment
• Project/Area Number: 23111009
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas (Research in a proposed research area)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Review Section: Biological Sciences
• Research Institution: National Institute of Radiological Sciences
• Principal Investigator: Higuchi Makoto 国立研究開発法人放射線医学総合研究所, 分子イメージング研究センター, チームリーダー (10373359)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): SUHARA Tetsuya 放射線医学総合研究所, 分子イメージング研究センター, プログラムリーダー (90216490) ; MAEDA Jun 放射線医学総合研究所, 分子イメージング研究センター, 主任研究員 (30415426) ; YOSHIYAMA Yasumasa 独立行政法人国立病院機構, 千葉東病院臨床研究センター, 室長 (50292701)
• Project Period (FY): 2011-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 神経科学 / 生体分子 / 認知症 / 脳疾患研究 / 薬学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We provided the first successful demonstration of in-vivo PET imaging of tau protein lesions in diverse neurological disorders. A new, widely available SPECT tracer for amyloid-beta peptide aggregates was also developed and applied to animal models. Novel radioprobes for translocator protein (TSPO), a biomarker for neuroinflammation, enabled high-contrast PET imaging, and essential roles of TSPO in neurosteroid production were revealed using knockout and transgenic models. Progresses in neurotransmission PET imaging in this project include development of imaging agents for metabotropic glutamate receptors, AMPA receptors and histamine H3 receptors. We also enabled reporter imaging in the brains of living rodents and monkeys by visualizing Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADD), along with chemogenetic controls of neuronal activities via DREADD systems.

Free Research Field

神経科学