(+)-[F]Flubatine as a novel α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor PET ligand-results of the first-in-human brain imaging application in patients with β-amyloid PET-confirmed Alzheimer's disease and healthy controls.

Purposes: We present the first in-human brain PET imaging data of the new α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR)-targeting radioligand (+)-[F]Flubatine. Aims were to develop a kinetic modeling-based approach to quantify (+)-[F]Flubatine and compare the data of healthy controls (HCs) and patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD); to investigate the partial volume effect (PVE) on regional (+)-[F]Flubatine binding; and whether (+)-[F]Flubatine binding and cognitive test data respective β-amyloid radiotracer accumulation were correlated.

Methods: We examined 11 HCs and 9 mild AD patients.

Cognitive correlates of α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in mild Alzheimer's dementia.

In early Alzheimer's dementia, there is a need for PET biomarkers of disease progression with close associations to cognitive dysfunction that may aid to predict further cognitive decline and neurodegeneration. Amyloid biomarkers are not suitable for that purpose. The α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (α4β2-nAChRs) are widely abundant in the human brain.

First-in-human PET quantification study of cerebral α4β2* nicotinic acetylcholine receptors using the novel specific radioligand (-)-[(18)F]Flubatine.

α4β2* nicotinic receptors (α4β2* nAChRs) could provide a biomarker in neuropsychiatric disorders (e.g., Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, depressive disorders, and nicotine addiction).

Evaluation of metabolism, plasma protein binding and other biological parameters after administration of (-)-[(18)F]Flubatine in humans.

Introduction: (-)-[(18)F]Flubatine is a PET tracer with high affinity and selectivity for the nicotinic acetylcholine α4β2 receptor subtype. A clinical trial assessing the availability of this subtype of nAChRs was performed. From a total participant number of 21 Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients and 20 healthy controls (HCs), the following parameters were determined: plasma protein binding, metabolism and activity distribution between plasma and whole blood.

Viewpoints on Medical Image Processing: From Science to Application.

Medical image processing provides core innovation for medical imaging. This paper is focused on recent developments from science to applications analyzing the past fifteen years of history of the proceedings of the German annual meeting on medical image processing (BVM). Furthermore, some members of the program committee present their personal points of views: (i) multi-modality for imaging and diagnosis, (ii) analysis of diffusion-weighted imaging, (iii) model-based image analysis, (iv) registration of section images, (v) from images to information in digital endoscopy, and (vi) virtual reality and robotics.