2024 Alzheimer's Association Research Grant to Promote Diversity (AARG-D)
Brain metabolism and genetic risk factors: An imaging study in AD Mice
Can brain imaging detect changes in energy production associated with Alzheimer’s?
Chalermchai Khemtong, Ph.D.
University of Florida
Gainsville, FL - United States
Background
Research suggests that the brain changes associated with Alzheimer’s start decades before memory loss and other clinical signs become evident, opening an opportunity to intervene earlier and prevent symptoms.
Recent studies indicate that specialized structures inside cells called mitochondria – the powerhouse of energy generation for cells – may undergo damage early on in Alzheimer's.
A new kind of brain imaging, called Hyperpolarized 13C magnetic resonance imaging (13C MRI), may be able to detect subtle changes in the fuel (sugar and fat) that is involved in mitochondria’s energy production. This could be a non-invasive way to detect early brain changes in Alzheimer’s.
Research Plan
Dr. Chalermchai Khemtong will use 13C MRI to measure two things in the brains of mice that have been engineered with Alzheimer’s-like brain changes as well as mice that do not have these changes to ask: (1) how the brain uses a specific type of sugar (pyruvate) and (2) how it uses a specific type of fat (Acetoacetate or AcAc). They want to see if these measurements can help understand how energy is used in the brains of mice without Alzheimer’s, and compare these measurements to those from 13C MRI given to genetically-engineered Alzheimer’s-like mice.
By evaluating markers of Alzheimer’s in the genetically-engineered Alzheimer’s-like mice, they plan to determine if there's a connection between the early stages of Alzheimer’s and problems with energy production in the brain, detected via 13C MRI.
Impact
The results of this project could identify a method for detecting brain changes linked to early brain changes in Alzheimer’s. If successful, the results could also be used to help diagnose Alzheimer’s at an early stage.