PET Imaging of Brain mGlu1 Receptors Using [11]LY2428703
PET Imaging of Brain mGlu1 Receptors Using [11]LY2428703
Background:
- (11C)mGlu1 is a new drug that helps to show where a protein, mGluR1, is found in the brain. The drug contains a small amount of radioactivity that can be detected by imaging studies like positron emission tomography (PET) scans. By looking at the mGluR1 receptors, researchers hope to better understand how they are involved in general health, brain disorders, and addiction.
Objectives:
Eligibility:
- Healthy volunteers between 18 and 50 years of age.
Design:
Metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) are G-protein coupled receptors that respond to glutamate by activating proteins inside nerve cells that affect cell metabolism, thereby fine-tuning the signals sent between cells to maintain balance in neuronal activity. mGluR receptor subtype 1 (mGluR1s) are located in several brain regions, including the cerebellum, hippocampus, olfactory bulb, and basal ganglia. mGluR1 activation stimulates phospholipase C, resulting in phosphoinositide hydrolysis and increased intracellular Ca(2+) levels. Detailed study of mGluR1s has heretofore been hindered by the lack of high affinity and of selective ligands for this receptor subtype.
The present protocol will use a new PET ligand [C(11)]mGlu1 to 1) perform kinetic brain imaging to quantify mGluR1 binding parameters in brain and determine the reliability and reproducibility of these measures in 15 healthy volunteers (Phase 1); and 2) if the tracer proves successful in Phase 1, we will estimate radiation-absorbed doses of [C(11)]mGlu1 in healthy human subjects by performing whole body imaging (Phase 2).
Successful development of a PET ligand to image mGlurR1 would have a strong impact on clinical management of brain disorders characterized by disruptions in glutamatergic transmission, including anxiety and stress disorders, drug addiction, epilepsy, Huntington s disease, and Parkinson s disease.
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