William E. Klunk, Professor
Director, Laboratory of Molecular Neuropharmacology
MD, PhD Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 1984
Email: klunkwe@upmc.edu
Research Interest:
My lab is interested in imaging and treatment in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Along with close collaborations in Radiology (Chet Mathis, PhD), our group has developed the first widely used PET amyloid imaging agent, commonly known as PiB (Pittsburgh Compound-B). We are currently studying normal elderly and subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and mild-severe AD. We also have studies in special populations such as early-onset autosomal dominant familial AD and Down syndrome. We are currently developing newer F-18-labeled imaging agents as well as amyloid imaging agents that can be detected by near-infrared imaging. The other major interest is the development of small molecule amyloid-beta binding agents as therapeutic drugs for AD. We are synthesizing and testing novel agents in transgenic mouse models of AD.
Recent Publication
Klunk WE, Engler H, Nordberg A, Wang Y, Blomqvist G, Holt DP, Bergstr?m M, Savitcheva I, Huang G-F, Estrada S, Aus¨Śn B, Debnath ML, Barletta J, Price JC, Sandell J, Lopresti BJ, Wall A, Koivisto P, Antoni G, Mathis CA and L?ngstr?m,B. Imaging brain amyloid in Alzheimer's disease with Pittsburgh Compound-B (PIB). Annals of Neurology 2004;55:306-319.
Klunk WE, Lopresti BJ, Ikonomovic MD, Lefterov IM, Koldamova RP, Abrahamson EE, Debnath ML, Holt DP, Huang G-F, Shao Li, DeKosky ST, Price JC, Mathis CA. The Binding of the PET Tracer, Pittsburgh Compound-B (PIB), reflects the Amount of A in Alzheimer's Disease Brain, but not in PS1/APP Mouse Brain. Journal of Neuroscience 2005;25:10598 -10606.
Ikonomovic MD, Abrahamson EE, Isanski BA, Mathis CA, DeKosky ST, Klunk WE. X-34, a histofluorescent marker of abnormal protein aggregates with amyloid structure, in neuropathological studies of preclinical and clinical Alzheimer's disease. Meth Enzymol 2006:412:123-144.
