This is an important development
It has been known that a protein called alpha-synuclein builds up in the brains of people with Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia, forming clumps called fibrils. But detecting these fibrils in living patients is difficult.
The researchers, including QST’s Hironobu Endo, developed a new drug called C05-05 that binds well to this protein. They injected the drug into eight healthy individuals, eight Parkinson’s disease patients and two patients with Lewy body dementia, and ran PET scans on them. The result showed that the alpha-synuclein protein was highly concentrated in the midbrain in the latter two groups.
In addition, the imaging technology showed that the more alpha-synuclein accumulated in the midbrain, the more severe the patients’ motor symptoms were. This means that the C05-05 could be used not only for diagnosis but also for monitoring the progression of the diseases.