REDUCING BARRIERS TO PET NEUROIMAGING RESEARCH USING ACCESSIBLE AND TRANSLATABLE TOOLS

Molecular imaging is a critical tool for the management of neurodegenerative disease. In particular, positron emission tomography (PET) has provided new ways to identify distinct subtypes in Alzheimer’s Disease, inform disease management, and monitor treatment progress. However, the power of PET imaging is challenged by limitations to accessibility that hinder its adoption. Opportunities to reduce risk of failure and improve the efficiency of PET research are of high priority, given the high costs of conducting a PET study and the urgent need for improved imaging techniques and interventions. This dissertation describes the design, development, and implementation of custom research tools to improve efficiency for pre-clinical PET imaging. A modular multi-rodent imaging bed was designed and validated for high throughput PET/MR, then de-risked for commercialization. Commercialization activities included evaluation of candidate materials for interference in pre-clinical imaging modalities, a value-in-use study, and incorporation of desirable features identified through informational interviews with end users. Anatomically derived 3D-printed phantoms were used to develop methods to track nose-to-brain transfer of radioactive imaging agents by PET, which were then applied in nonhuman primates. Using this approach, we were able to quantitatively determine the distribution of F-18-FB-insulin throughout the brain of Cynomolgus Macaques following nose-to-brain delivery. Clinically relevant dosing tools were prioritized to facilitate rapid translation to humans for evaluation of nose-to-brain insulin as a therapeutic for Alzheimer’s Disease. Together, these methods are anticipated to reduce barriers to conducting and advancing PET neuroimaging research.