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The peripheral benzodiazepine receptor (Translocator protein 18kDa) in microglia: from pathology to imaging
Venneti S, Lopresti BJ, Wiley CA.. Progress in neurobiology, 2006-12-06
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Microglia constitute the primary resident immune surveillance cell in the brain and are thought to play a significant role in the pathogenesis of several neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease and HIV-associated dementia. Measuring microglial activation in vivo in patients suffering from these diseases may help chart progression of neuroinflammation as well as assess efficacy of therapies designed to modulate neuroinflammation. Recent studies suggest that activated microglia in the CNS may be detected in vivo using positron emission tomography (PET) utilizing pharmacological ligands of the mitochondrial peripheral benzodiazepine receptor (PBR (recently renamed as Translocator protein (18kDa)).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Venneti, S., Lopresti, B. J., & Wiley, C. A. (2006). The peripheral benzodiazepine receptor (Translocator protein 18kDa) in microglia: from pathology to imaging. Progress in neurobiology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pneurobio.2006.10.002
Vancouver
Venneti S, Lopresti BJ, Wiley CA. The peripheral benzodiazepine receptor (Translocator protein 18kDa) in microglia: from pathology to imaging. Progress in neurobiology. 2006. doi:10.1016/j.pneurobio.2006.10.002. PMID: 17156911.
BibTeX
@article{venneti2006-17156911,
author = {Venneti, S. and Lopresti, B. J. and Wiley, C. A.},
title = {{The peripheral benzodiazepine receptor (Translocator protein 18kDa) in microglia: from pathology to imaging}},
journal = {Progress in neurobiology},
year = {2006},
doi = {10.1016/j.pneurobio.2006.10.002},
pmid = {17156911},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pneurobio.2006.10.002}
}
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Key findings
- Measuring microglial activation in vivo in patients suffering from these diseases may help chart progression of neuroinflammation as well as assess efficacy of therapies designed to modulate neuroinflammation.
- Recent studies suggest that activated microglia in the CNS may be detected in vivo using positron emission tomography (PET) utilizing pharmacological ligands of the mitochondrial peripheral benzodiazepine receptor (PBR (recently renamed as Translocator protein (18kDa)).
- Beginning with the molecular characterization of PBR and regulation in activated microglia, we examine the rationale behind using PBR ligands to image microglia with PET.
- Current evidence suggests these findings might be applied to the development of clinical assessments of microglial activation in neurological disorders.
Why it matters
This review discusses using PET imaging with ligands of the peripheral benzodiazepine receptor, now called translocator protein 18kDa, to detect activated microglia in living patients. It is about a possible way to measure neuroinflammation and does not report any treatment, cure or prevention of Alzheimer's disease.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 45/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Progress in neurobiology) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Progress in Neurobiology: journal h-index 325 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2006 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| 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 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 371 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 16.9 citations a year over 22 year(s) since 2006 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 11.1× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 3 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 20 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Clayton A. Wiley: h-index 66 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University of Pittsburgh: institution h-index 1,470 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 17156911) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 45 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2006.10.002
- PubMed: 17156911
- Original source →
- Free full text: PubMed Central →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
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