SPION-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of Alzheimer's disease plaques in AβPP/PS-1 transgenic mouse brain

• Published in: Journal of Alzheimer's disease Vol. 34; no. 2; p. 349
• Main Authors: Sillerud, Laurel O, Solberg, Nathan O, Chamberlain, Ryan, Orlando, Robert A, Heidrich, John E, Brown, David C, Brady, Christina I, Vander Jagt, Thomas A, Garwood, Michael, Vander Jagt, David L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands 01-01-2013
• Subjects: Alzheimer Disease - genetics; Alzheimer Disease - pathology; Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor - genetics; Animals; Ferric Compounds; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods; Metal Nanoparticles; Mice; Mice, Transgenic; Plaque, Amyloid - genetics; Plaque, Amyloid - pathology; Presenilin-1 - genetics
• ISSN: 1875-8908
• DOI: 10.3233/JAD-121171

In our program to develop non-invasive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), we have synthesized antibody-conjugated, superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) for use as an in vivo agent for MRI detection of amyloid-β plaques in AD. Here we report studies in AβPP/PS1 transgenic mice, which demonstrate the ability of novel anti-AβPP conjugated SPIONs to penetrate the blood-brain barrier to act as a contrast agent for MR imaging of plaques. The conspicuity of the plaques increased from an average Z-score of 5.1 ± 0.5 to 8.3 ± 0.2 when the plaque contrast to noise ratio was compared in control AD mice with AD mice treated with SPIONs. The number of MRI-visible plaques per brain increased from 347 ± 45 in the control AD mice, to 668 ± 86 in the SPION treated mice. These results indicated that our SPION enhanced amyloid-β detection method delivers an efficacious, non-invasive MRI detection method in transgenic mice.