Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are linked to chronic brain inflammation driven by immune cells called microglia. This project will develop new noninvasive brain imaging tools to study a microglial protein called FLAP (encoded by the ALOX5AP gene), which is elevated in AD and may contribute to disease progression. We will develop and test small-molecule compounds that selectively bind to FLAP and can be detected with PET brain scans. These imaging tools will help reveal how microglia contribute to inflammation in AD and may ultimately guide the development of new therapies that target immune pathways in neurodegenerative disease.
