Under construction – not a live service
Sign in
Taking people in BelgiumPhase 1

Brain scan tracer to measure Hsp90 in healthy adults and neurodegenerative disease

Tests a PET scan tracer for Hsp90 in healthy adults and patients.

Key facts

Who runs it
Universitaire Ziekenhuizen KU Leuven
Where
Leuven, BelgiumSee the site
Registry title
Quantification of Hsp90 in the Human Brain
Status
Recruiting
Phase
Phase 1
People taking part
48 people, planned
Started
4 Sept 2024
Expected to end
Dec 2027
Type of study
Interventional, 3 groups
Treatments tested
  • [11C]HSP990 PET dosimetry
  • [11C]HSP990 PET test-retest
  • [11C]HSP990 simplified scan protocol
Record updated
2 February 2026

Who can take part

AI summary

From the trial's eligibility criteria. Machine-read from the registry text on this page, so it can be wrong. The registry text below and the trial team decide who can take part.

The trial is looking for healthy volunteers and for people with Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). They will have a brain PET scan with a new tracer, [11C]HSP990.

Age
Healthy volunteers: 18-55, 18-40 or 40-70 years, depending on the study part. Parkinson's and Alzheimer's: 45-85 years. ALS: 20-85 years.
Sex
All sexes can join.
Disease stage
Parkinson's: clinically established disease, Hoehn-Yahr stage I-III in the "on" medication state. Alzheimer's: probable Alzheimer's disease, MoCA score below 26. ALS: at least possible ALS by El Escorial and Awaji-Shima criteria.
Earlier treatment
Healthy volunteers cannot have taken part in a trial of an investigational medicine or device.
Biomarker or test result
Parkinson's: a previous abnormal DaT-scan. Alzheimer's: an amyloid PET scan or CSF test showing the Alzheimer's process.

Main reasons for not taking part

  • Other brain, nerve or mental illness besides the studied condition
  • Major other illness, such as diabetes or heart disease
  • Kidney problems (eGFR below 60 ml/min)
  • Cannot have an MRI scan, or cannot lie still for 70 minutes in the scanner
  • Pregnant or breastfeeding

The registry criteria, word for word

Show all 57 criteriaShow less

Who can take part

  • Healthy controls
  • Voluntary written informed consent of the participant or their legally authorized representative has been obtained prior to any screening procedures
  • Use of highly effective methods of birth control; defined as those that, alone or in combination, result in low failure rate (i.e., less than 1% per year) when used consistently and correctly; such as implants, injectables, combined oral contraceptives, some IUDs, true sexual abstinence (i.e. refraining from heterosexual intercourse during the entire period of risk associated with the Trial treatment(s)) or commitment to a vasectomised partner
  • Male or female subjects, age between 18-55 (Part 1, n = 3), 18-40 (Part II, n = 5) or 40-70 (Part III, 40-55 n = 5, 55-70 n = 5) years old
  • Subject is judged to be in good health by the investigator on the basis of medical history, physical examination including vital signs, clinical laboratory test and urinalysis
  • No history or evidence of current major neurological, internal or psychiatric disorder, based on the medical assessment as described hereabove and neuropsychological assessment (SCL-90)
  • (Part II and III only: ) In subjects < 60 years of age, a normal structural MRI scan as assessed by expert radiologist. In subjects >= 60 years of age white matter hyperintensities corresponding to a white matter lesion (WML) Fazekas score < 2 on the Age-Related White Matter changes scale are acceptable; Parkinson's disease
  • Age 45-85 years
  • Patient has clinically established PD based on the Movement Disorder Society (MDS) diagnostic criteria and is in Hoehn-Yahr stage I-III in the "on" medication state
  • Patient has had a previous abnormal DaT-scan confirming the clinical diagnosis
  • Patient is able to understand the patient information brochure and give written informed consent; Alzheimer's disease
  • Age 45-85 years
  • MoCA score < 26
  • Patient has a diagnosis of probable AD with evidence of the AD pathophysiological process (amyloid PET scan or CSF determination) according to the consensus criteria [McKahn et al 2011, Alzh Dement]
  • Patient is able to understand the patient information brochure and give written informed consent; Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
  • Age 20-85 years
  • Subjects will be recruited at the Neurology department of University Hospitals Leuven and must meet revised El Escorial Criteria and Awaji-Shima criteria for at least possible ALS
  • Patient is able to understand the patient information brochure and give written informed consent

Who cannot take part

  • Any prior or concomitant treatment(s) that might jeopardise the participant's safety or that would compromise the integrity of the Trial
  • Participant has a history of any major disease that may interfere with the investigations or make the subject unfit for participation according to the interpretation by the investigator (especially diabetes mellitus, heart disease, liver and kidney disease, or most forms of cancer)
  • Evidence of cognitive impairment
  • Subject has a history or evidence of psychiatric disease
  • Subject is currently a user (including ''recreational use'') of any illicit drugs, including cannabis, or has a history of drug or alcohol abuse
  • Subject has a known hypersensitivity to any of the excipients that are present in the radiopharmaceutical preparations or to any of the excipients listed in the IMPD for [11C]HSP990
  • (Part II and III only: ) An abnormal Allen test or hypersensitivity/allergy to lidocaine
  • (Part II and III only: ) Anticoagulant therapy is an exclusion criterium for undergoing arterial sampling as part of the study. Subjects that have anticoagulant therapy can participate in the study parts without arterial sampling; Parkinson's disease:
  • Neuropsychiatric diseases other than the cohort inclusion condition
  • Major internal medical comorbidity, in particular diabetes or heart disease
  • History of alcohol abuse or current alcohol abuse (chronic use of more than 15 units per week) or drug use
  • Subject has a known hypersensitivity to any of the excipients that are present in the radiopharmaceutical preparations or to any of the excipients listed in the IMPD for [11C]HSP990
  • Anticoagulant therapy is an exclusion criterium for undergoing arterial sampling as part of the study. Subjects that have anticoagulant therapy can participate in the study parts without arterial sampling; Alzheimer's disease:
  • cf. Parkinson's Disease exclusion criteria; Amytorphic lateral sclerosis:
  • cf. Parkinson's Disease exclusion criteria
  • Subject has renal impairment with eGFR < 60 ml/min
  • Subject has renal impairment with eGFR < 60 ml/min
  • Healthy controls
  • Participation in an interventional Trial with an investigational medicinal product (IMP) or device
  • (Part II and III only: ) Subject has a contra-indication for MRI scanning
  • Subject suffers from claustrophobia or cannot tolerate confinement during PET-MRI scanning procedures. Subject cannot lie still for at least 70 minutes inside a scanner
  • Subject is unwilling to avoid unusual, unaccustomed, or strenuous physical activity (i.e., weightlifting, running, bicycling) from the time of the pre-study visit until the end of scanning
  • Subject does not understand the study procedures
  • Subject is unwilling or unable to perform all of the study procedures or is considered unsuitable in any way by the principal investigator
  • Subject is pregnant (according to Ulti Med hCG urine test) or is breastfeeding
  • Subject is a woman of childbearing potential who does not agree to apply appropriate contraception methods during study participation and continues to do so for at least 6 months after study completion. For WOCBP: contraception methods with a relatively high Pearl index (natural methods, minipill outside postpartum period, spermicides or condoms in monocontraception or no usage of contraception when sexually active) are not accepted
  • Subject is a man with a pregnant or non-pregnant WOCBP partner, who does not agree to use a condom and continue to do so until 90 days after study completion. In addition, the non-pregnant WOCBP partner should use a highly effective method of contraception
  • Subject does not agree that incidental findings are communicated to the general practitioner and to the participant him/herself
  • White matter lesion load on FLAIR Fazekas score 2 or higher or other relevant MRI abnormalities
  • Contraindications for MR
  • Subject suffers from claustrophobia or cannot tolerate confinement during PET scanning procedures; subject cannot lie still for 70 minutes inside the scanner
  • Subject is unwilling to avoid unusual, unaccustomed, or strenuous physical activity (i.e., weightlifting, running, bicycling) from the time of the pre-study visit until the end of scanning
  • Subject does not understand the study procedures or does not have a guardian who understands the study procedures
  • Subject (or guardian) is unwilling or unable to perform all of the study procedures or is considered unsuitable in any way by the principal investigator
  • Subject does not agree that incidental findings are communicated to the general practitioner and to the participant him/herself
  • Subject is pregnant (according to Ulti Med hCG urine test) or breastfeeding
  • Subject is a woman of childbearing potential who does not agree to apply appropriate contraception methods during study participation and continues to do so for at least 6 months after study completion. For WOCBP* : contraception methods with a relatively high Pearl index (natural methods, minipill outside postpartum period, spermicides or condoms in monotherapy or no usage of contraception when sexually active) are not accepted
  • Subject is a man with a pregnant or non-pregnant WOCBP partner, who does not agree to use a condom and continue to do so until 90 days after study completion. In addition, the non-pregnant WOCBP partner should use a highly effective method of contraception
  • Subject has confined upper motor neuron involvement (i.e. primary lateral sclerosis) or confined lower motor neuron involvement (i.e. progressive muscular atrophy)

Check if you might fit

Answer for yourself. This is not a decision: only the study team can say whether you can take part.

  • Are you between 18 and 70 years old?

Where in Belgium

  • UZ LeuvenLeuven, BelgiumTaking people

About the trial

What the trial wants to find out

This study tests the radiolabeled molecule ("tracer"), [¹¹C]HSP990, using positron emission tomography (PET) imaging to assess whether it can be used to measure levels of Heat Shock Protein 90 (Hsp90). The protein Hsp90 plays an important role in how proteins in the brain fold into their three-dimensional structure and how this protein helps maintain cellular homeostasis. Since neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are characterized by disrupted three-dimensional protein folding resulting in protein aggregation, we also aim to measure Hsp90 levels in patients with these conditions.

Read full original descriptionShow less

[¹¹C]HSP990 is a promising tracer for this purpose and has already been extensively tested in animal models with safe and favorable results. The investigator now aims to evaluate this tracer in the human brain in healthy volunteers as well as in patients with Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The investigator expects that Hsp90 protein levels will be present at reduced concentrations in patients, possibly in different brain regions depending on the distribution of the disease-causing proteins associated with these disorders.

Since the discovery of the important role of Hsp90 in neurodegenerative diseases, several candidate drugs targeting Hsp90 have been developed in recent years. The imaging method used in this study may support the development of Hsp90-targeting medications by enabling measurement of Hsp90 levels in the brain and assessment of the effects of these drugs.

The 3 groups in the trial

  • 1: Biodistribution and dosimetryTreatment being tested

    In this part of the study, three healthy volunteers (2 male / 1 female, aged 18-55 years) will undergo consecutive whole-body PET/CT scans over a period of 120 minutes to measure the biodistribution in the body and the radiation exposure of \[¹¹C\]HSP990 in humans.

    Treatment: [11C]HSP990 PET dosimetry

  • 2: Kinetics and variability in the brainTreatment being tested

    In this part of the study, five young healthy volunteers (male/female, aged 18-40 years) will undergo a PET/CT brain scan with a total duration of 120 minutes (70 minutes of scanning - 20 minutes break - 30 minutes scanning). During the scan, the amount of tracer reaching the brain via the bloodstream will be determined using blood samples taken from an artery. In addition, the breakdown of the tracer by the liver and the formation of by-products ("metabolite" analysis) will be measured in order to determine how much intact tracer reaches the brain. This is necessary to quantify the amount of Hsp90 protein in the brain based on the tracer concentration. If possible, a simplified approach will be developed to minimize the physical burden of the study for participants in Part 3 of the study. All five volunteers will also undergo a retest scan within an interval of one week in order to determine the precision (test-retest reliability).

    Treatment: [11C]HSP990 PET test-retest

  • 3: Comparison with patient groupTreatment being tested

    In this part of the study, 30 patients (10 with Parkinson's disease \[PD\], 10 with Alzheimer's disease \[AD\], and 10 with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis \[ALS\]) and 10 healthy controls will undergo a dynamic simultaneous PET/CT brain scan, using the least invasive protocol as established in Part 2, to investigate whether the (regional) brain uptake of the tracer \[¹¹C\]HSP990 differs between healthy aging and patients with neurodegenerative disease.

    Treatment: [11C]HSP990 simplified scan protocol

Questions to ask the study team

  1. How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
  2. Are travel costs paid?
  3. Can I keep my own doctor?
  4. What happens if I want to stop?

Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations

Print a page for my doctor

Data and sources

Registry record
Listed on ClinicalTrials.gov and on the EU's official list of trials (CTIS).
Official title
In Vivo Quantification of Hsp90 in the Human Brain in Healthy Aging and Neurodegeneration Using the Novel PET Radioligand [11C]HSP990
Plain-language title
Brain scan tracer to measure Hsp90 in healthy adults and neurodegenerative diseaseGenerated from the registry record. The registry title is the official one.
AI summary
From the trial's eligibility criteria. Read by machine on 13 November 2026.
Fit questions
Built from NCT07380204, who can take part
Record updated
2 February 2026