# Clinical Core

> **NIH NIH U19** · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · 2020 · $780,806

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
This Clinical Core will implement first in human PET imaging with new radiotracers targeting α-synuclein (α-syn)
and 4 repeat tau (4R tau). Radiotracers will be developed pre-clinically in the Med Chem Core and in Projects
1 and 2 focusing on α-syn and 4R tau, respectively. We will focus α-syn radiotracers on two synucleinopathies,
Parkinson disease (PD) and Multiple Systems Atrophy (MSA), and focus 4R tau radiotracers on two different
tauopathies, progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and familial frontotemporal dementias (FTD) due to mutation
in Microtubule Associated Protein Tau (MAPT) gene. We will draw participants and interact with multiple ongoing
clinical cohorts of FTD, PSP, PD and MSA.
The Clinical Core functions include interaction with the Executive Committee to determine when to start human
studies, coordinate required regulatory activities for radiotracer candidates, carry out early safety assessments
including whole body dosimetry studies at Penn; coordinate patient selection criteria, centrally collect and serve
all imaging and demographic data, coordinate tracer kinetic methods development and validation for human
imaging, and coordinate all data to efficiently enable GO-NOGO decisions for candidate radiotracers.
Radiotracers for α-syn will be tested in two different synucleinopathies, PD and MSA whereas, 4R tau
radiotracers will be tested in PSP and FTD patients. As a final check on diagnosis and specificity of candidate
radiotracers, we will request all patient participants to permit postmortem brain donation for autoradiography of
relevant radiotracers on fresh frozen brain tissues. Additionally, this Core will interact with multiple ongoing
studies with cohorts studying PD, MSA, PSP and FTD. Finally, a robust data sharing plan facilitates collaboration
and use of support documents and imaging data.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10023218
- **Project number:** 5U19NS110456-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
- **Principal Investigator:** JOEL Synes PERLMUTTER
- **Activity code:** U19 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $780,806
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-09-24 → 2024-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10023218

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10023218, Clinical Core (5U19NS110456-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10023218. Licensed CC0.

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