PET imaging to detect alpha-synuclein and 4R tau in the brain
Center without Walls for Imaging Proteinopathies with PET
['FUNDING_OTHER'] · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · NIH-11181305
Creating PET brain scans that can detect alpha-synuclein and 4R tau proteins in people with Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, progressive supranuclear palsy, and related dementias.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_OTHER'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (PHILADELPHIA, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11181305 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
If you join, you'll be part of a multi-center effort (Penn, WUSTL, Pitt, UCSF, Yale) to create and test new PET tracers that bind to alpha-synuclein and 4R tau proteins in the brain. Chemists and structural biologists design candidate tracers and run lab and animal tests, then clinical teams use PET scans in people to see whether the tracers show the proteins reliably. Researchers will compare scans to clinical exams and biological samples to confirm the tracers' accuracy. Over time the team refines promising tracers for broader use in diagnosis and research.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates include people with or suspected to have Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, frontotemporal degeneration, or other related dementia syndromes, plus healthy volunteers for comparison.
Not a fit: People whose cognitive or movement problems are known to be caused by non-proteinopathy conditions, or those seeking an immediate therapeutic benefit, are unlikely to gain direct clinical benefit from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, these scans could help diagnose specific protein-related dementias earlier and more accurately and improve who is matched to the right clinical trials or treatments.
How similar studies have performed: PET tracers for amyloid and some forms of tau have been successful clinically, but reliable tracers for alpha-synuclein and specifically 4R tau are newer and still under development.
Where this research is happening
PHILADELPHIA, UNITED STATES
- UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA — PHILADELPHIA, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: MACH, ROBERT H — UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
- Study coordinator: MACH, ROBERT H
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.
Conditions: Alzheimer's disease and related dementia, Alzheimer's disease and related disorders, Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia, Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder