Amyloid-PET predicts inhibition of de novo plaque formation upon chronic γ-secretase modulator treatment

Mol Psychiatry. 2015 Oct;20(10):1179-87. doi: 10.1038/mp.2015.74. Epub 2015 Jun 9.

Abstract

In a positron-emission tomography (PET) study with the β-amyloid (Aβ) tracer [(18)F]-florbetaben, we previously showed that Aβ deposition in transgenic mice expressing Swedish mutant APP (APP-Swe) mice can be tracked in vivo. γ-Secretase modulators (GSMs) are promising therapeutic agents by reducing generation of the aggregation prone Aβ42 species without blocking general γ-secretase activity. We now aimed to investigate the effects of a novel GSM [8-(4-Fluoro-phenyl)-[1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-a]pyridin-2-yl]-[1-(3-methyl-[1,2,4]thiadiazol-5-yl)-piperidin-4-yl]-amine (RO5506284) displaying high potency in vitro and in vivo on amyloid plaque burden and used longitudinal Aβ-microPET to trace individual animals. Female transgenic (TG) APP-Swe mice aged 12 months (m) were assigned to vehicle (TG-VEH, n=12) and treatment groups (TG-GSM, n=12), which received daily RO5506284 (30 mg kg(-1)) treatment for 6 months. A total of 131 Aβ-PET recordings were acquired at baseline (12 months), follow-up 1 (16 months) and follow-up 2 (18 months, termination scan), whereupon histological and biochemical analyses of Aβ were performed. We analyzed the PET data as VOI-based cortical standard-uptake-value ratios (SUVR), using cerebellum as reference region. Individual plaque load assessed by PET remained nearly constant in the TG-GSM group during 6 months of RO5506284 treatment, whereas it increased progressively in the TG-VEH group. Baseline SUVR in TG-GSM mice correlated with Δ%-SUVR, indicating individual response prediction. Insoluble Aβ42 was reduced by 56% in the TG-GSM versus the TG-VEH group relative to the individual baseline plaque load estimates. Furthermore, plaque size histograms showed differing distribution between groups of TG mice, with fewer small plaques in TG-GSM animals. Taken together, in the first Aβ-PET study monitoring prolonged treatment with a potent GSM in an AD mouse model, we found clear attenuation of de novo amyloidogenesis. Moreover, longitudinal PET allows non-invasive assessment of individual plaque-load kinetics, thereby accommodating inter-animal variations.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alzheimer Disease / drug therapy
  • Alzheimer Disease / pathology
  • Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases / metabolism
  • Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor / metabolism
  • Aniline Compounds / chemical synthesis
  • Aniline Compounds / pharmacology
  • Animals
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy / therapy
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Female
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Plaque, Amyloid / diagnostic imaging
  • Plaque, Amyloid / drug therapy*
  • Plaque, Amyloid / enzymology
  • Plaque, Amyloid / metabolism
  • Positron-Emission Tomography / methods
  • Stilbenes / chemical synthesis
  • Stilbenes / pharmacology

Substances

  • Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor
  • Aniline Compounds
  • Stilbenes
  • Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases
  • 4-(N-methylamino)-4'-(2-(2-(2-fluoroethoxy)ethoxy)ethoxy)stilbene

Supplementary concepts

  • Amyloid angiopathy