Label-free X-ray estimation of brain amyloid burden

Eshan Dahal; Bahaa Ghammraoui; Meijun Ye; J Carson Smith; Aldo Badano

doi:10.1038/s41598-020-77554-5

Label-free X-ray estimation of brain amyloid burden

Sci Rep. 2020 Nov 25;10(1):20505. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-77554-5.

Authors

Eshan Dahal^{1

2}, Bahaa Ghammraoui¹, Meijun Ye³, J Carson Smith⁴, Aldo Badano^{5

6}

Affiliations

¹ Division of Imaging, Diagnostics and Software Reliability, Office of Science and Engineering Laboratories, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, 20993, USA.
² Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA.
³ Division of Biomedical Physics, Office of Science and Engineering Laboratories, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, 20993, USA.
⁴ School of Public Health, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA.
⁵ Division of Imaging, Diagnostics and Software Reliability, Office of Science and Engineering Laboratories, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, 20993, USA. aldo.badano@fda.hhs.gov.
⁶ Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA. aldo.badano@fda.hhs.gov.

Abstract

Amyloid plaque deposits in the brain are indicative of Alzheimer's and other diseases. Measurements of brain amyloid burden in small animals require laborious post-mortem histological analysis or resource-intensive, contrast-enhanced imaging techniques. We describe a label-free method based on spectral small-angle X-ray scattering with a polychromatic beam for in vivo estimation of brain amyloid burden. Our findings comparing 5XFAD versus wild-type mice correlate well with histology, showing promise for a fast and practical in vivo technique.

Publication types

Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

Amyloid beta-Peptides / metabolism*
Animals
Brain / diagnostic imaging*
Brain / metabolism*
Mice, Transgenic
Scattering, Small Angle
X-Ray Diffraction
X-Rays

Substances

Amyloid beta-Peptides