AUTHOR=D’Haese Pierre-François , Ranjan Manish , Song Alexander , Haut Marc W. , Carpenter Jeffrey , Dieb Gerard , Najib Umer , Wang Peng , Mehta Rashi I. , Chazen J. Levi , Hodder Sally , Claassen Daniel , Kaplitt Michael , Rezai Ali R. 

TITLE=β-Amyloid Plaque Reduction in the Hippocampus After Focused Ultrasound-Induced Blood–Brain Barrier Opening in Alzheimer’s Disease

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Human Neuroscience

VOLUME=14

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/human-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2020.593672

DOI=10.3389/fnhum.2020.593672

ISSN=1662-5161

ABSTRACT=<p>The blood–brain barrier (BBB) limits therapeutic delivery in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other neurological disorders. Animal models have demonstrated safe BBB opening and reduction in β-amyloid plaque with focused ultrasound (FUS). We recently demonstrated the feasibility, safety, and reversibility of FUS-induced BBB opening in the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex in six participants with early AD. We now report the effect of BBB opening with FUS treatment on β-amyloid plaque. Six participants underwent <sup>18</sup>F-Florbetaben PET scan at baseline and 1 week after the completion of the third FUS treatment (60 days interval). PET analysis comparing the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex in the treated and untreated hemispheres revealed a decrease in the ratio of <sup>18</sup>F-Florbetaben ligand binding. The standard uptake value ratios (SUVr) reduction ranged from 2.7% to 10% with an average of 5.05% (±2.76) suggesting a decrease in β-amyloid plaque.</p>