Recruiting

Brain imaging to measure a protein in aging and neurological diseases

Plain-English translation of NCT07380204 on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗ · Source last updated February 2026 · Translation generated June 2026 · How we translate trials

This study doesn't follow the usual testing phases — it may be an observational study or a different type of research.

What is this trial?

This trial tests a new imaging method called [11C]HSP990 PET scanning to measure a protein called Hsp90 in the human brain. Hsp90 is a protein that helps other proteins in your brain stay healthy and work properly. The study involves healthy volunteers and people diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) to see if this imaging method can detect differences in Hsp90 levels between healthy and diseased brains.

In diseases like Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and ALS, proteins in the brain misfold and clump together, damaging nerve cells. Scientists believe that Hsp90 could be a key target for new treatments to prevent this protein damage. This imaging method could help doctors measure Hsp90 levels in patients' brains and test whether new medications designed to boost this protective protein actually work.

Do you qualify?

You likely qualify if…

you are between 18 and 85 years old (exact age range depends on which part of the study you join)
you are in good overall health with no major neurological, heart, liver, or kidney disease (for healthy volunteer groups)
you have been clinically diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, or ALS (for patient groups)
you are able to understand the study information and provide written consent
you are willing to use effective birth control during the study (if applicable)

You likely don't qualify if…

you have a history of major diseases such as uncontrolled diabetes, heart disease, liver disease, kidney disease, or most cancers
you have a current serious psychiatric or neurological condition (other than the study condition)
you are pregnant or breastfeeding
you have had certain brain changes on MRI scans that exceed acceptable limits (for some age groups)

What participation looks like

If you are a healthy volunteer, you will have one or more PET/CT brain imaging scans that last about 2 hours total, with possible breaks during the scan. Some participants will also have blood samples taken from an artery to measure how the tracer moves through your body. If you have Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, or ALS, you will undergo similar brain imaging scans. All scans are non-invasive and painless, though you will receive a small injection of the radioactive tracer beforehand.

Brain imaging to measure a protein in aging and neurological diseases

What is this trial?

Do you qualify?

What participation looks like

Trial locations(1 site)