Compounds for imaging amyloid-β deposits in an Alzheimer's brain: a patent review

Introduction: beta-amyloid (A beta) plaques in the brain are regarded as a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD), and the imaging of A beta is a critical step for early diagnosis. Extensive research has been done to develop probes for targeting A beta with available imaging modalities. Areas covered: In this review, the authors give an overview of published patents and papers about the discovery and development of compounds possessing potential utilization in imaging A beta for the diagnosis of AD. SciFinder is the main electronic database for patent study in this review. Expert opinion: Despite achievements in A beta imaging, there is still a need to develop innovative compounds with selectivity and high affinity to A beta. Positron emission tomography imaging agents will still be the trend in the field in the short term. Due to the low costs for single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and the excellent nuclear properties of Tc-99m, substantial research should be conducted on the development of the probes for SPECT. Refining the current imaging techniques and in the meantime developing new efficient imaging multimodality and compounds would be a promising approach to imaging A beta.