Radioactive tracer reveals tau tangles in Alzheimer's brains
NCT ID NCT02414178
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests a new radioactive compound called F 18 T807 that lights up tau tangles in the brain during a PET scan. Researchers want to see if the amount of tau relates to memory and thinking problems in people with a rare, inherited form of Alzheimer's disease. About 130 adults with or without mild dementia will get one injection and a brain scan. The goal is to better understand how tau buildup affects the mind, not to treat the disease.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- F 18 T807 (a radioactive tracer for PET scans)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could help doctors detect Alzheimer's earlier and track disease progression using brain scans.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early imaging study, not a treatment trial. The tracer is not FDA-approved, and it may not reliably predict cognitive decline.
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
-
About 130 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
-
Mar 2021
- Expected to finish
-
Jan 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
-
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
Participants are enrolled in the "Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer's Network (DIAN) Performance Site" (IRB ID: 201109187) or the DIAN Extended Registry (EXR)
- Ages
-
18 years and older
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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.
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Participants have met all eligibility criteria for enrollment into the "Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer's Network (DIAN) Performance Site" (IRB ID: 201109187) or the DIAN Extended Registry (EXR) 2. Male or female participants, at least 18 years of age 3. Cognitively normal, or with mild dementia, as assessed clinically 4. Participant is able and willing to undergo testing (MRI or CT, PET, radioactive tracer injection; for those unable to undergo an MRI, CT will be used to generate regions-of-interest). 5. Pre-menopausal women will undergo a urine pregnancy test within 24 hours of drug administration. Only negative pregnancy test result would allow the drug administration to proceed. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Has any condition that, in the Investigator's opinion, could increase risk to the participant, limit the participant's ability to tolerate the experimental procedures, or interfere with the collection/analysis of the data (for example, participants with severe chronic back pain might not be able to lie still during the scanning procedures). 2. Is deemed likely unable to perform the imaging procedures for any reason. 3. Has a high risk for Torsades de Pointes or is taking medications known to prolong QT interval. 4. Has hypersensitivity to F 18 T807 or any of its excipients. 5. Contraindications to PET, PET-CT or MR (e.g. electronic medical devices, inability to lie still for long periods) that make it unsafe for the individual to participate. 6. Severe claustrophobia. 7. Women who are currently pregnant or breast-feeding, and women who do not agree to use reliable contraception, or to refrain from sexcual activity for 24 hours following administration of the flortaucipir injection will be excluded from the study. 8. Other than DIAN study, currently participating in any research study and receiving an active study medication for Alzheimer's Disearse, an investigational drug, device, imaging, or placebo within the past 30 days before screening, and throughout this clinical trial up to 2-weeks past any study-related procedures. 9. Other than DIAN study, current or recent (within 12 months prior to screening) participation in research studies involving radioactive agents such that the total research-related radiation dose to the participant in any given year would exceed the limits set forth in the US Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Title 21 Section 361.1. http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?FR=361.1. It is the responsibility of each site to confirm the date of the most recent PET scan and to work within the guidelines of the local Radioactive Drug Research Committee (RDRC) regarding the imaging interval.
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Alzheimer disease are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
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.
-
The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
-
The official record
The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.
-
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
-
Washington University School of Medicine
St Louis, Missouri, 63110, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Gut bacteria may hold clues to dozens of diseases
- Can a massive data registry crack the code of Parkinson's and related brain diseases?
- Can a gentle electric current calm the mind in Alzheimer's?
- Alzheimer's vaccine aims to clear amyloid before memory fades
- Blood, eye, and brain scans team up to spot Alzheimer's earlier
- Can a home device slow Alzheimer's? pilot study tests pulsed electromagnetic therapy