Shimojo Masafumi, Higuchi Makoto, Suhara Tetsuya, Sahara Naruhiko
Molecular Neuroimaging Program, Molecular Imaging Center, National Institute of Radiological Sciences Chiba, Japan.
Front Neurosci. 2015 Dec 22;9:482. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2015.00482. eCollection 2015.
The rapid progress in advanced imaging technologies has expanded our toolbox for monitoring a variety of biological aspects in living subjects including human. In vivo radiological imaging using small chemical tracers, such as with positron emission tomography, represents an especially vital breakthrough in the efforts to improve our understanding of the complicated cascade of neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's disease (AD), and it has provided the most reliable visible biomarkers for enabling clinical diagnosis. At the same time, in combination with genetically modified animal model systems, the most recent innovation of fluorescence imaging is helping establish diverse applications in basic neuroscience research, from single-molecule analysis to animal behavior manipulation, suggesting the potential utility of fluorescence technology for dissecting the detailed molecular-based consequence of AD pathophysiology. In this review, our primary focus is on a current update of PET radiotracers and fluorescence indicators beneficial for understanding the AD cascade, and discussion of the utility and pitfalls of those imaging modalities for future translational research applications. We will also highlight current cutting-edge genetic approaches and discuss how to integrate individual technologies for further potential innovations.
先进成像技术的快速发展扩展了我们用于监测包括人类在内的活体受试者各种生物学方面的工具库。使用小型化学示踪剂的体内放射成像，如正电子发射断层扫描，在增进我们对包括阿尔茨海默病（AD）在内的复杂神经退行性疾病级联反应的理解方面，是一项尤为重要的突破，并且它为临床诊断提供了最可靠的可见生物标志物。与此同时，结合基因工程动物模型系统，荧光成像的最新创新正在助力在基础神经科学研究中建立从单分子分析到动物行为操纵的多种应用，这表明荧光技术在剖析AD病理生理学基于分子的详细后果方面具有潜在用途。在本综述中，我们主要关注有助于理解AD级联反应的正电子发射断层扫描（PET）放射性示踪剂和荧光指示剂的当前进展，并讨论这些成像方式在未来转化研究应用中的效用和缺陷。我们还将重点介绍当前的前沿基因方法，并讨论如何整合各项技术以实现进一步的潜在创新。
