Feasibility evaluation of central nicotinic acetylcholine receptors as an imaging biomarker of cognitive function

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26670562
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Radiation science
• Research Institution: Okayama University
• Principal Investigator: UEDA Masashi 岡山大学, 医歯(薬)学総合研究科, 准教授 (40381967)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): HIGAKI Yusuke 岡山大学, 医歯(薬)学総合研究科, 助教 (50598133)
• Research Collaborator: MATSUURA Yuki ; SANO Kohei ; SAJI Hideo
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 分子イメージング / ニコチン性アセチルコリン受容体 / アルツハイマー病

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The present study aimed to investigate the feasibility of imaging central nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) as an objective and quantitative biomarker of cognitive function. It was demonstrated that a decreases in nAChR expression was correlated with cognitive decline in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease. The decrease in nAChR expression was noninvasively detected with single-photon emission computed tomography using 123I-5IA, an imaging probe that targets nAChRs. These findings indicate that nAChR could be a useful imaging biomarker of cognitive function.

Free Research Field

放射性医薬品学