Evaluation of tau deposition with [18F]PI-2620 in PSP
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Evaluation of tau protein density in the brain of patients with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy using [18F]PI-2620 PET
IRAS ID
265131
Contact name
Marios Politis
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Invicro LLC
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a progressive neurological condition that causes a variety of motor, behavioural, and cognitive symptoms. In PSP, many vital nerve cells (neurons) in the brain die, but, the exact causes behind this are still unknown. We know, however, that a specific kind of protein, called phoshorylated tau protein, accumulates in the brain of people with PSP. This is thought to be toxic and to play a key role in the development of clinical symptoms. It is also thought that the specific brain region where this protein clumps, affects the kind of symptoms that develop.
Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a technique which can be used to measure chemical changes within the brain, and consequently study the brain functions. To do so, it uses some radioactive substances called tracers. The amount of radioactivity released makes it possible to measure how much of the tracer binds to different parts of the brain. Recently, a tracer able to measure the quantity of phosphorylated tau in the brain has been made available. This tracer is called PI-2620.
The aim of this study is to investigate the amount of clumped phosphorylated tau protein in the brain of PSP patients over 12 months. This will provide understanding related to the biological signatures of the disease that will help us track the progression of PSP, and most importantly help the discovery of new targets for the development of novel medications aiming to delay progression of symptoms.
As part of this study patients will be asked to perform 2 PET scans and up to 2 MRI scans. MRI is a special scan which gives a detailed structural picture of the brain and does not involve any radiation. It provides detailed information about brain structure and can help us assess brain function by complementing PET analysis.REC name
West Midlands - Black Country Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/WM/0301
Date of REC Opinion
1 Nov 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion