Ghaderian Mohammad, Shahbazi-Gahrouei Daryoush, Nikzad Safoora, Didehban Elnaz, Hafezi Hossein, Laher Ismail, Beigi Fahime Hossein, Shahbazi-Gahrouei Saghar, Boustani Tahereh
Department of Radiopharmacy and Preclinical Imaging, University Hospital Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany.
Department of Medical Physics, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Iran.
IBRO Neurosci Rep. 2025 May 3;18:739-753. doi: 10.1016/j.ibneur.2025.04.016. eCollection 2025 Jun.
Molecular neuroimaging is a powerful and emerging tool for the early detection and monitoring of central nervous system (CNS)-related and neurodegenerative diseases. Biomarkers play a crucial role in diagnostic accuracy, prognosis, and treatment efficacy. Among these, Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (GFAP), a cytoskeletal intermediate filament protein, serves as a key indicator of astrocytic activation and neuroaxonal injury. Elevated levels of GFAP in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood-based samples (serum/plasma) are increasingly recognized as potential biomarkers for neurodegeneration and CNS pathology. Advanced molecular imaging techniques, including Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) and Diffusion-Weighted Imaging (DWI), along with conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), provide visual scoring, local morphometry, and volumetric analysis. Therefore, integrating GFAP with neuroimaging modalities offers the potential to improve disease characterization, allowing for accurate spatial mapping of neurodegeneration and monitoring of disease progression at a molecular level. The relationship between MRI and GFAP is currently under evaluation. This review explores the interplay between GFAP and molecular neuroimaging, highlighting their combined potential to enhance early diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment monitoring of CNS disorders.
分子神经影像学是一种强大且新兴的工具,用于早期检测和监测中枢神经系统(CNS)相关疾病和神经退行性疾病。生物标志物在诊断准确性、预后和治疗效果方面起着关键作用。其中,胶质纤维酸性蛋白(GFAP)作为一种细胞骨架中间丝蛋白,是星形胶质细胞活化和神经轴突损伤的关键指标。脑脊液(CSF)和血液样本(血清/血浆)中GFAP水平升高越来越被认为是神经退行性变和中枢神经系统病理学的潜在生物标志物。先进的分子成像技术,包括扩散张量成像(DTI)和扩散加权成像(DWI),以及传统的磁共振成像(MRI),可提供视觉评分、局部形态测量和体积分析。因此,将GFAP与神经成像模式相结合有可能改善疾病特征描述,从而在分子水平上实现神经退行性变的精确空间定位和疾病进展监测。MRI与GFAP之间的关系目前正在评估中。本综述探讨了GFAP与分子神经影像学之间的相互作用,强调了它们在增强中枢神经系统疾病早期诊断、预后和治疗监测方面的联合潜力。