Authors: Yulong Xu, Zude Chen, Hsiao‐Ying Wey, Yingxia Liang, Rudolph E. Tanzi, Can Zhang, Changning Wang
Published: 2021-04-16
DOI: 10.1002/alz.12344
Source: Full article
AbstractIntroductionAging is an inevitable physiological process and the biggest risk factor of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Developing an imaging tracer to visualize aging‐related changes in the brain may provide a useful biomarker in elucidating neuroanatomical mechanisms of AD.MethodsWe developed and characterized a new tracer that can be used to visualize SIRT1 in brains related to aging and AD by positron emission tomography imaging.ResultsThe SIRT1 tracer displayed desirable brain uptake and selectivity, as well as stable metabolism and proper kinetics and distribution in rodent and nonhuman primate brains. This new tracer was further validated by visualizing SIRT1 in brains of AD transgenic mice, compared to nontransgenic animals.DiscussionOur SIRT1 tracer not only enables, for the first time, the demonstration of SIRT1 in animal brains, but also allows visualization and recapitulation of AD‐related SIRT1 neuropathological changes in animal brains.