Hyperpolarized 13C metabolic imaging of Alzheimer’s Disease: impact of sex, genotype and age in the hAPP-J20 mouse model

Motivation: The accelerating prevalence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) around the world urges the need not only for more effective treatment but also for improved non-invasive monitoring of onset and progression. Goal(s): Our goal is to investigate if the clinically expanding HP 13C MR method could improve diagnosis and monitoring of AD. Approach: hAPP-J20 AD mice and age-/sex-matched wild-type were imaged using HP 13C MR at 2-months-old (presymptomatic) and 14-months-old (amyloid plaques accumulation). The impact of sex, genotype, age, and their interactions, on the derived HP metrics was investigated. Results: HP13C metabolic imaging can provide crucial information on sexual dimorphism and metabolic aging in AD. Impact: Hyperpolarized 13C imaging provides unique metabolic information specific to sex and APP mutational status in an AD model. Upon clinical translation, such method could improve early diagnosis and patient-centric monitoring of AD progression, and potentially assessment of therapeutic response.