CLINICAL TOOL FOR DETERMINING ANTI-AGGREGATION ACTIVITY OF ALZHEIMER'S THERAPEUTICS
UCLA Technology Available For Licensing

BACKGROUND: Currently, there are more than twenty therapeutic agents in development for Alzheimer's disease. The tool to measure the therapeutic effectiveness of these agents, however, remains to be the standard memory test that measures memory loss, a late-stage symptom reflective of irreversible neuronal cell death. A more informative clinical tool is therefore needed to monitor the effect of therapy on disease pathogenesis.

INNOVATION: Aggregates of ß-amyloid (Aß) peptides are major constituents to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease patients. Based on a study to observe for the mechanism of action underlying the neuroprotective activity of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in Alzheimer's disease patients, Researchers at UCLA had observed that these compounds have the same binding sites as position emission tomography molecular imaging probe, 2-(1-{6-[(2-[18F]fluoroethyl)(methyl)amino]-2-naphthyl}ethylidene)malononitrile ([18F]FDDNP), previously identified at UCLA. In addition, both FDDNP and NSAIDs exhibit anti-aggregation activities in vitro. These findings suggest that that a clinical tool involving these probes may help determine the occupancy rate of experimental drugs in the living brain of AD patients.

APPLICATIONS:

1. Preclinical screening for compounds that inhibit pathological fibrillogenesis of Aß peptides
2. Clinical monitoring of a drug previously tested to compete with FDDNP in binding to Aß plaques

DEVELOPMENT TO DATE:

In Vivo testing will be conducted to compare the binding activities of NSAIDs and FDDNP in patient populations.



Related Papers (Selected)
  • In vitro detection of (S)-naproxen and ibuprofen binding to plaques in the Alzheimer's brain using the PET Molecular Imaging probe [18F]FDDNP. more...
  • Binding Characteristics of Radiofluorinated 6-Dialkylamino-2-Naphthylethylidene Derivatives as Positron Emission Tomography Imaging Probes for -Amyloid Plaques in Alzheimer's Disease. J. Neurosci. 2001 21: RC189. more...


    • Reference: UCLA Case No. 2003-195 Published Patent App:  2007/0053831

    For additional technical details and current licensing
    availability, please contact the following UCLA office:

    UCLA Office of Intellectual Property
    11000 Kinross Avenue, Suite #200
    Los Angeles, CA 90095-7231
    Tel: 310-794-0558 Fax: 310-794-0638
    email: ncd@research.ucla.edu
    NCD URL:   http://www.research.ucla.edu/tech/ucla03-195.htm

    Lead Inventor: Jorge Barrio

    UCLA Technologies Available for Licensing
    http://www.research.ucla.edu/tech

    Copyright © 2003 The Regents of the University of California.

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