Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33643818›Full record

ReviewActa pharmaceutica Sinica. B2021

Recent developments on PET radiotracers for TSPO and their applications in neuroimaging.

Lingling Zhang, Kuan Hu, Tuo Shao, Lu Hou, Shaojuan Zhang, Weijian Ye, Lee Josephson, Jeffrey H Meyer, Ming-Rong Zhang, Neil Vasdev and 4 more

Open access · diamondAbstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Acta pharmaceutica Sinica. B, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 108 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
108citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
10.1field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

108 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 164 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Does a monoclonal antibody targeting immune cells affect glutamatergic level in schizophrenia? A multimodal PET/MRS brain imaging study.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2026
    Trial
  5. Effects ofFrontiers in nutrition · 2026
    Trial
  6. Article
  7. Review
  8. Article
  9. Review
  10. Journal of neurology · 2026
    Article
  11. Article
  12. Review
  13. Article
  14. [BMC neurology · 2026
    Article
  15. Review
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Review
  20. Review

48 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors at 4 institutions in 4 countries.

Lingling ZhangCenter of Cyclotron and PET Radiopharmaceuticals, Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET/CT-MRI Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, China.
Kuan HuDepartment of Radiopharmaceuticals Development, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Chiba 263-8555, Japan.
Tuo ShaoDivision of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital & Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
Lu HouCenter of Cyclotron and PET Radiopharmaceuticals, Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET/CT-MRI Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, China.
Shaojuan ZhangCenter of Cyclotron and PET Radiopharmaceuticals, Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET/CT-MRI Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, China.
Weijian YeCenter of Cyclotron and PET Radiopharmaceuticals, Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET/CT-MRI Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, China.
Lee JosephsonDivision of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital & Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
Jeffrey H MeyerAzrieli Centre for Neuro-Radiochemistry, Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health & Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto ON M5T 1R8, Canada.
Ming-Rong ZhangDepartment of Radiopharmaceuticals Development, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Chiba 263-8555, Japan.
Neil VasdevDivision of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital & Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
Jinghao WangDepartment of Pharmacy, the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, China.
Hao XuCenter of Cyclotron and PET Radiopharmaceuticals, Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET/CT-MRI Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, China.
Lu WangCenter of Cyclotron and PET Radiopharmaceuticals, Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET/CT-MRI Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, China.
Steven H LiangDivision of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital & Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University · CNHarvard University · USCentre for Addiction and Mental Health · CANational Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology · JP

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The 18 kDa translocator protein (TSPO), previously known as the peripheral benzodiazepine receptor, is predominately localized to the outer mitochondrial membrane in steroidogenic cells. Brain TSPO expression is relatively low under physiological conditions, but is upregulated in response to glial cell activation. As the primary index of neuroinflammation, TSPO is implicated in the pathogenesis and progression of numerous neuropsychiatric disorders and neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson's disease (PD), multiple sclerosis (MS), major depressive disorder (MDD) and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). In this context, numerous TSPO-targeted positron emission tomography (PET) tracers have been developed. Among them, several radioligands have advanced to clinical research studies. In this review, we will overview the recent development of TSPO PET tracers, focusing on the radioligand design, radioisotope labeling, pharmacokinetics, and PET imaging evaluation. Additionally, we will consider current limitations, as well as translational potential for future application of TSPO radiopharmaceuticals. This review aims to not only present the challenges in current TSPO PET imaging, but to also provide a new perspective on TSPO targeted PET tracer discovery efforts. Addressing these challenges will facilitate the translation of TSPO in clinical studies of neuroinflammation associated with central nervous system diseases.

Indexed as

AD, Alzheimer's diseaseALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosisAm, molar activitiesAMPA, α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acidANT, adenine nucleotide transporterBBB, blood‒brain barrierBcTSPO, Bacillus cereus TSPOBMSC, bone marrow stromal cellsBP, binding potentialBPND, non-displaceable binding potentialCBD, corticobasal degenerationCNS, central nervous systemCNS disordersCRAC, cholesterol recognition amino acid consensus sequenced.c. RCYs, decay-corrected radiochemical yieldsDLB, Lewy body dementiasdMCAO, distal middle cerebral artery occlusionEP, epilepsyfP, plasma free fractionFTD, frontotemporal dementiaHAB, high-affinity bindingHD, Huntington's diseaseHSE, herpes simplex encephalitisIMM, inner mitochondrial membraneKA, kainic acidLAB, low-affinity bindingLPS, lipopolysaccharideMAB, mixed-affinity bindingMAO-B, monoamine oxidase BMCI, mild cognitive impairmentMDD, major depressive disorderMicroglial activationMMSE, mini-mental state examinationMRI, magnetic resonance imagingMSA, multiple system atrophyMS, multiple sclerosisNAA/Cr, N-acetylaspartate/creatinen.d.c. RCYs, non-decay-corrected radiochemical yieldsNeuroinflammationOCD, obsessive compulsive disorderOMM, outer mitochondrial membraneP2X7R, purinergic receptor P2X7PAP7, RIa-associated proteinPBR, peripheral benzodiazepine receptorPCA, posterior cortical atrophyPDD, PD dementiaPD, Parkinson's diseasePET, positron emission tomographyp.i., post-injectionPKA, protein kinase APositron emission tomography (PET)PpIX, protoporphyrin IXPRAX-1, PBR-associated protein 1PSP, progressive supranuclear palsyQA, quinolinic acidRCYs, radiochemical yieldsROS, reactive oxygen speciesRRMS, relapsing remitting multiple sclerosisSAH, subarachnoid hemorrhageSAR, structure–activity relationshipSA, specific activitySCIDY, spirocyclic iodonium ylideSNL, selective neuronal lossSNR, signal to noise ratioSUVR, standard uptake volume ratioSUV, standard uptake volumeTBAH, tetrabutyl ammonium hydroxideTBI, traumatic brain injuryTLE, temporal lobe epilepsyTSPOTSPO, translocator proteinVDAC, voltage-dependent anion channelVT, distribution volume

Identifiers

PMID33643818
PMCPMC7893127
OpenAlexW3080984528

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.