Molecular MRI of Neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's Disease using a Folate-targeted Nanoprobe

Folate receptor beta is significantly upregulated in pro-inflammatory microglia expressing TNF and IL-1β in APP/PS1 and P301S transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease.

• Why it matters: Non-invasive imaging of neuroinflammation is needed to clarify AD mechanisms and to evaluate anti-inflammatory therapies, but the link between folate receptor expression and AD microglial activation was unclear.
• What they did: Flow cytometry measured FRβ in activated microglia from APP/PS1 and P301S mice, then a folate-targeted high T1-relaxivity liposomal gadolinium nanoprobe was injected for T1-weighted molecular MRI and post-mortem microscopy.
• The result: The folate-targeted nanoprobe enhanced MRI signal in cortical and hippocampal regions of transgenic mice but not wild-type mice, with microscopy showing colocalization with IBA1-positive microglia/macrophages and amyloid plaques.

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