In a study appearing Tuesday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine say they have made a molecule called BSB that in mice will link specifically with brain tissue affected by Alzheimer's disease. When injected in the bloodstream, the molecule travels to the brain and attaches itself to the diseased tissue.
Researchers say the molecules is visible on medical imaging equipment.
If the technique can be developed for human use, it would enable clinicians, for the first time, to see the extent of brain tissue affected by Alzheimer's disease. The molecule probe also would enable doctors to monitor the effects of any new drugs developed to treat Alzheimer's. Alzheimer's disease involves the formation in the brain of a waxy substance called amyloid plaques. These plaques are thought to play role in the killing of neurons, the disease process in Alzheimer's. The plaques, however, cannot be seen well on X-ray and other imaging equipment.