Tau imaging agents could offer the next frontier in neuroimaging for diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other forms of dementia, says an analyst with research and consulting firm GlobalData.
Niharika Midha, GlobalData’s Analyst covering Diagnostic Imaging, says that further positive clinical trial results will lead to tau protein-based therapies being developed to treat AD, as these imaging agents aid drug discovery.
Midha continues, “While the AD pathophysiology is still not entirely known, some experts believe that tau proteins are the main biomarkers that drive the loss of brain tissue, translating into loss of memory, rather than the Aß plaques, which are considered an early indicator of AD.
“For example, a recent study showed that there was no change in the visualisation of Aß plaques as AD progressed, while tau proteins continued to increase and spread to different parts of the brain concomitant with disease progression. This clearly indicates the importance of tau proteins as a missing link in the pursuit of a more complete understanding of AD.”
GlobalData epidemiologists estimate that there will be 4.3 million prevalent cases of AD by 2022 in the US alone. The analyst believes that as the prevalence of AD and other forms of dementia is expected to increase worldwide, the demand for imaging will increase proportionately, as it offers the possibility of accurate visualisation and quantification of the current condition of patients with these diseases.
EP News Bureau – Mumbai
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