PET imaging findings support use of intranasal drug delivery for Alzheimer's patients
New PET imaging data could be a game-changer for researchers developing treatments for Alzheimer’s disease.
Experts have identified how an emerging Alzheimer’s treatment—an intranasal insulin spray—reaches specific areas of the brain in real-time. Using PET imaging, researchers tracked the treatment’s passage throughout the brain to key regions associated with memory and cognition.
The discovery is giving researchers vital new information that can be used to develop precision treatments for neurological conditions.
“This study fills a critical gap in our understanding of how intranasal insulin reaches the brain,” Suzanne Craft, PhD, professor of gerontology and geriatric medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and director of the Wake Forest Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, said in a statement. “We needed direct evidence that the drug is able to reach key brain targets. An unexpected finding was the observation that uptake may differ in people with early cognitive decline. This means we’re no longer flying blind; we now have a roadmap directly to the brain.”
For the study, the team recruited a small group of 16 individuals—7 considered cognitively normal and 9 with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Participants were administered a radiotracer, [68Ga]Ga-NOTA-insulin, intranasally to patients before conducting a 40-minute PET scan to follow the tracer uptake throughout the brain.
The team observed the tracer traveling to 11 distinct brain regions related to memory and cognition, with notable uptake in the hippocampus, olfactory cortex, amygdala and temporal lobe. There were variations in uptake between cognitively normal patients and those with MCI; cognitively normal individuals displayed increased uptake and distinct timing patterns, while the MCI cohort showed rapid initial uptake, followed by significantly quicker clearance of the tracer in comparison to the control group.
The spray was well tolerated, with just two individuals reporting headaches after their exams. Their symptoms resolved within 24 hours. This aspect of the study is critical, as current treatments for Alzheimer’s have prompted concerns related to the severity of symptoms experienced by some individuals. The mildness and simplicity of the nasal spray offer researchers an alternative treatment route that these latest findings suggest is effective at targeting specific brain regions.
“One of the biggest challenges in developing treatments for brain diseases is getting agents into the brain,” Craft said. “This study shows we can validate intranasal delivery systems effectively, an essential step before launching therapeutic trials.”
Learn more about the study here.
In addition to her background in journalism, Hannah also has patient-facing experience in clinical settings, having spent more than 12 years working as a registered rad tech. She began covering the medical imaging industry for Innovate Healthcare in 2021.