New Imaging Tools for Brain Receptors in Conditions like Alzheimer's
Development of 1,4-Benzodioxane Derivatives as F-18 PET Radiotracers for Alpha-2C Adrenergic Receptors and Their Preclinical Evaluations
This work aims to create new imaging agents that can specifically find and highlight certain brain receptors, called alpha-2C adrenergic receptors, which are important for conditions like Alzheimer's disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Missouri-Columbia NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Columbia, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11191380 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Many common medications for blood pressure and heart health work by targeting adrenergic receptors, but these drugs often affect many different types of receptors, leading to side effects. Our goal is to create a highly specific imaging agent that can bind only to the alpha-2C adrenergic receptors in the brain. These specific receptors are found in areas important for memory and emotion, and they may be affected in diseases like Alzheimer's. By developing this new imaging tool, we hope to better understand how these receptors function and change in disease.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This foundational work is not directly recruiting patients, but future studies building on this research might seek individuals with conditions such as Alzheimer's disease or related neurological disorders.
Not a fit: Patients without neurological conditions or those not interested in advanced brain imaging research would not directly benefit from this specific stage of development.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to better ways to diagnose and understand brain conditions like Alzheimer's disease by providing a precise tool to visualize specific receptors.
How similar studies have performed: While the development of highly specific imaging agents is an ongoing area of research, this particular approach to target alpha-2C adrenergic receptors with F-18 PET radiotracers represents a novel and untested strategy.
Where this research is happening
Columbia, United States
- University of Missouri-Columbia — Columbia, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kil, Kun-Eek — University of Missouri-Columbia
- Study coordinator: Kil, Kun-Eek
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.