Tau Imaging in Neurodegenerative Diseases Using Positron Emission Tomography

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Abnormal accumulation of tau protein is the main hallmark of tauopathies and is closely associated with neurodegeneration and cognitive impairment, whereas the advance in PET imaging provides a non-invasive detection of tau inclusions in the brain. In this review, we discuss the potential of PET imaging as a biomarker in tauopathies, the latest development of novel tau tracers with new clinical information that has been disclosed, and the opportunities for improving diagnosis and designing clinical trials in the future. RECENT FINDINGS: In recent years, several first-generation tau PET tracers including [(11)C]PBB3, [(18)F]THK-5117, [(18)F]THK-5351 and [(18)F]AV-1451 have been developed and succeeded in imaging neurofibrillary pathology in vivo. Due to the common off-target binding and subcortical white matter uptake seen in the first-generation tracers, several research institutes and pharmaceutical companies have been working on developing second-generation tau PET tracers which exhibit higher binding affinity and selectivity. SUMMARY: Tau PET imaging is promising to serve as a biomarker to support differential diagnosis and monitor disease progression in many neurodegenerative diseases.