rs6971 TSPO polymorphism in Parkinson's disease

Mitochondrial translocator protein (TPSO) PET imaging is widely used to study neuroinflammation in vivo. TSPO, located on the outer mitochondrial membrane, is upregulated in microglia in association with neuroinflammation1, with increased binding observed in Parkinson’s disease (PD)2. The first-generation TSPO ligand [11C]PK11195 has important limitations due to low signal-to-noise ratio, and a high production failure rate. Second generation TSPO ligands (e.g. [11C]PBR28 /[18F]DPA714) offer improved binding affinity, specificity and bioavailability3, making them valuable in clinical studies as an index of brain inflammation. Since chronic neuroinflammation emerges early in PD and potentially drives disease progression4, TSPO-PET imaging can help evaluate the effectiveness of anti-inflammatory therapies and support the development of disease-modifying therapies.