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Glitter in the Darkness? Nonfibrillar β-Amyloid Plaque Components Significantly Impact the β-Amyloid PET Signal in Mouse Models of Alzheimer Disease
Biechele G, Monasor LS, Wind K, Blume T, Parhizkar S, Arzberger T, Sacher C, Beyer L et al.. Journal of nuclear medicine : official publication, Society of Nuclear Medicine, 2021-05-20
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Neither fibrillar nor nonfibrillar Aβ content alone sufficed to explain the Aβ PET findings in either AD model. However, a regression model compiling fibrillar and nonfibrillar Aβ together with the estimate of individual heterogeneity and age at scanning could explain a 93% of variance of the Aβ PET signal ( P App NL-G-F mice and 25% ± 12% in APPPS1 mice. Corresponding results in separate groups of APPPS1/Trem2 -/- and APPPS1/Trem2 +/+ mice validated the calculated regression factors and revealed that the altered fibrillarity due to Trem2 knockout impacts the Aβ PET signal. Taken together, the in vivo Aβ PET signal derives from the composite of fibrillar and nonfibrillar Aβ plaque components. Although fibrillar Aβ has inherently higher PET tracer binding, the greater abundance of nonfibrillar Aβ plaque in AD-model mice contributes importantly to the PET signal.
Key findings
- Neither fibrillar nor nonfibrillar Aβ content alone sufficed to explain the Aβ PET findings in either AD model.
- However, a regression model compiling fibrillar and nonfibrillar Aβ together with the estimate of individual heterogeneity and age at scanning could explain a 93% of variance of the Aβ PET signal ( P App NL-G-F mice and 25% ± 12% in APPPS1 mice.
- Corresponding results in separate groups of APPPS1/Trem2 -/- and APPPS1/Trem2 +/+ mice validated the calculated regression factors and revealed that the altered fibrillarity due to Trem2 knockout impacts the Aβ PET signal.
- Taken together, the in vivo Aβ PET signal derives from the composite of fibrillar and nonfibrillar Aβ plaque components.
- Although fibrillar Aβ has inherently higher PET tracer binding, the greater abundance of nonfibrillar Aβ plaque in AD-model mice contributes importantly to the PET signal.
Why it matters
In mouse models, the amyloid PET signal came from both fibrillar and nonfibrillar amyloid plaque components, not fibrillar amyloid alone. This is animal imaging research and does not show any treatment, cure, or prevention for people.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Blood tests & biomarkers →
Study details
- Study designlongitudinal study
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 53/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a longitudinal study following the same people over time. Scored zero for sample size, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of nuclear medicine : official publication, Society of Nuclear Medicine) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Journal of Nuclear Medicine: journal h-index 230 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 7 / 12 | A longitudinal study following the same people over time |
| Strength of evidence | 3 / 5 | Rated “moderate” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 3 / 5 | 2022 — within 6 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Laboratory or animal study (title names “mouse”) — scores zero |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 3 / 7 | Cited 21 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 3.5 citations a year over 6 year(s) since 2022 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 2.1× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 1 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 9 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Matthias Brendel: h-index 56 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Washington University in St. Louis: institution h-index 1,962 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 3 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 12 institution(s) in 4 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 34016733) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 53 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.2967/jnumed.120.261858
- PubMed: 34016733
- Original source →
- Free full text: Journal of Nuclear Medicine →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Biechele, G., Monasor, L. S., Wind, K., Blume, T., Parhizkar, S., Arzberger, T., et al. (2022). Glitter in the Darkness? Nonfibrillar β-Amyloid Plaque Components Significantly Impact the β-Amyloid PET Signal in Mouse Models of Alzheimer Disease. Journal of nuclear medicine : official publication, Society of Nuclear Medicine. https://doi.org/10.2967/jnumed.120.261858
Vancouver
Biechele G, Monasor LS, Wind K, Blume T, Parhizkar S, Arzberger T, et al. Glitter in the Darkness? Nonfibrillar β-Amyloid Plaque Components Significantly Impact the β-Amyloid PET Signal in Mouse Models of Alzheimer Disease. Journal of nuclear medicine : official publication, Society of Nuclear Medicine. 2022. doi:10.2967/jnumed.120.261858. PMID: 34016733.
BibTeX
@article{biechele2022-34016733,
author = {Biechele, G. and Monasor, L. S. and Wind, K. and Blume, T. and Parhizkar, S. and Arzberger, T. and Sacher, C. and Beyer, L. and others},
title = {{Glitter in the Darkness? Nonfibrillar β-Amyloid Plaque Components Significantly Impact the β-Amyloid PET Signal in Mouse Models of Alzheimer Disease}},
journal = {Journal of nuclear medicine : official publication, Society of Nuclear Medicine},
year = {2022},
doi = {10.2967/jnumed.120.261858},
pmid = {34016733},
url = {https://doi.org/10.2967/jnumed.120.261858}
}
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