ABOVE: PET scans of individuals using the new tau tracer
TAGAI, ONO, AND KUBOTA ET AL.
A new tracer for brain imaging could offer a clear window into the development of Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative conditions. The tracing agent, which highlights the accumulation of toxic tau protein deposits in the brain, could distinguish between a range of conditions called tauopathies that can be difficult to tell apart at the early stages, such as frontotemporal dementia and progressive supranuclear palsy.
Tau is a protein involved in maintaining the structure of neurons. In tauopathies, including Alzheimer’s disease, it aggregates to form knots inside the cells, eventually killing them.
PET scans are a common diagnostic technique used in hospitals, relying on a radioactive tracing agent to reveal the location of a molecule of interest. Earlier this year, the US Food and Drug Administration approved the first tau PET tracer for Alzheimer’s disease, Tauvid. ...
