4 Fox Focus | Research
Closing In on a Groundbreaking Imaging Tool for PD
By Jen Fisher Wilson
Last year , Parkinson ’ s researchers hailed the discovery of a biomarker for detecting the disease ’ s hallmark misfolded alphasynuclein proteins in spinal fluid from living people .
This year , they are hopeful for another breakthrough biomarker : an imaging tool that would allow them to see these clumping proteins inside the brains of people living with Parkinson ’ s disease ( PD ). Currently these clumps can only be seen at autopsy .
“ There ’ s been tremendous progress in the past few years that has brought us to a pivotal moment for alpha-synuclein imaging ,” said Jamie Eberling , PhD , the head of research resources and long-time imaging lead at The Michael J . Fox Foundation .
At least six alpha-synuclein tracers recently advanced to testing in human trials , Eberling noted , and the first results from these trials are expected by early 2025 . Positive results from any of these trials could deliver the breakthrough alpha-synuclein imaging tool that the Parkinson ’ s field has long been seeking .
By revealing in real-time what is happening in the brain in Parkinson ’ s , alpha-synuclein brain imaging holds “ game-changing ” potential for expanding disease understanding and drug development , Eberling said . She anticipates that it will be applied almost immediately to help with early diagnosis , shed light on disease progression and monitor treatment response . Alpha-synuclein imaging insights also would help inform and improve disease staging .
The Promise of PET Imaging
The alpha-synuclein imaging efforts in human trials all employ positron emission tomography ( PET ), which uses “ tracers ” specially designed to interact with a protein target ( alphasynuclein in PD ) and reveal information about that protein on 3D scans .
Use of PET imaging in Alzheimer ’ s offers perspective on just how much value it could hold for PD : In 2004 , researchers developed a tracer for amyloid , a brain clumping protein linked to Alzheimer ’ s disease . They then applied it to anti-amyloid drug trials — both to enroll target participants and assess how the drugs affected amyloid in the brain . Data from these trials helped lead the way for U . S . Food