Brain camera could spot which cells are causing Alzheimer's inflammation
NCT ID NCT05582200
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study uses special PET scans to look at two types of brain cells involved in inflammation in Alzheimer's disease. Researchers will give participants two different tracers to see microglia and astrocytes separately. The goal is to develop a method that can tell these cells apart, which could help monitor new treatments for brain inflammation. The study involves 71 people with Alzheimer's and healthy volunteers.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- PET tracers: 11C-ER176 and 18F-SMBT1
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this method could help doctors see which brain cells are inflamed in Alzheimer's, making it easier to monitor new anti-inflammatory treatments.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early imaging study, not a treatment trial. It may not lead to direct patient benefits, and the method needs further validation before routine use.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Participants
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About 71 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jan 2023
- Expected to finish
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Oct 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
Who is studied
Healthy volunteers and patients with Alzheimer's disease
- Ages
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18 to 90 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Patients with Alzheimer's disease Inclusion criteria: * Individuals of either sex, 50-90 years of age. * Meeting research criteria for AD (McKhann, Knopman et al. 2011). * With a CDR (Morris 1993) score of 1-3. * Fluent in English or Spanish. * Have sufficient communication and comprehension ability to consent to the performance of the study or have a legally authorized representative. Exclusion criteria: * Inability to undergo MRI or PET for any reason, including severe claustrophobia. * History of large stroke or brain trauma, multiple sclerosis or other brain disorder that, in the judgment of the PI may confound the study. * Pregnancy. In women in whom the possibility of pregnancy cannot be excluded, a pregnancy test must be performed on site the morning of any PET visit and a negative result together with a physician interview are required prior to the administration or any radiopharmaceutical. * Research radiation exposure greater than 50 mSv effective dose within 12 months including radiation exposure from this study. Healthy volunteers: Inclusion criteria: * Individuals of 18-90 years of age. * Negative amyloid accumulation determined by PET (only for the comparison with AD). * Fluent in English. * Have enough communication and comprehension ability to consent to the performance of the study. Exclusion criteria: * Inability to undergo MRI or PET for any reason, including severe claustrophobia. * Brain disorder, other than idiopathic headache. * Current primary Axis I or II psychiatric disorder. * Current use of psychotropic or anti-epileptic medication. * Substance abuse during the past two years. * Active cancer, metabolic encephalopathy, infection, cardiovascular disease. * Active hematological, renal, pulmonary, endocrine or hepatic disorders, except for treated thyroid disease. * Pregnancy. In women in whom the possibility of pregnancy cannot be excluded, a pregnancy test must be performed on site the morning of any PET visit and a negative result together with a physician interview are required prior to the administration or any radiopharmaceutical * Research radiation exposure greater than 50 mSv effective dose within 12 months including radiation exposure from this study. * Only for the subjects undergoing the blocked scan with selegiline: known contraindications to selegiline, including hypersensitivity to the drug and use of opioids, such as meperidine and some antidepressants such as bupropion.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Houston Methodist Research Institute
RECRUITINGHouston, Texas, 77030, United States
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