RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Noninvasive Diagnostic Method to Objectively Measure Olfaction and Diagnose Smell Disorders by a Molecularly Targeted Fluorescence Imaging Agent
JF Journal of Nuclear Medicine
JO J Nucl Med
FD Society of Nuclear Medicine
SP jnumed.123.266123
DO 10.2967/jnumed.123.266123
A1 Adilbay, Dauren
A1 Gonzales, Junior
A1 Zazhytska, Marianna
A1 Demetrio de Souza Franca, Paula
A1 Roberts, Sheryl
A1 Viray, Tara D.
A1 Artschwager, Raik
A1 Patel, Snehal
A1 Kodra, Albana
A1 Overdevest, Jonathan B.
A1 Chow, Chun Yuen
A1 King, Glenn F.
A1 Jain, Sanjay K.
A1 Ordonez, Alvaro A.
A1 Carroll, Laurence S.
A1 Lomvardas, Stavros
A1 Reiner, Thomas
A1 Pillarsetty, Nagavarakishore
YR 2024
UL http://jnm.snmjournals.org/content/early/2024/07/03/jnumed.123.266123.abstract
AB Despite the recent advances in understanding the mechanisms of olfaction, no tools are currently available to noninvasively identify loss of smell. Because of the substantial increase in patients presenting with coronavirus disease 2019–related loss of smell, the pandemic has highlighted the urgent need to develop quantitative methods. Methods: Our group investigated the use of a novel fluorescent probe named Tsp1a-IR800P as a tool to diagnose loss of smell. Tsp1a-IR800P targets sodium channel 1.7, which plays a critical role in olfaction by aiding the signal propagation to the olfactory bulb. Results: Intuitively, we have identified that conditions leading to loss of smell, including chronic inflammation and coronavirus disease 2019, correlate with the downregulation of sodium channel 1.7 expression in the olfactory epithelium, both at the transcript and at the protein levels. We demonstrated that lower Tsp1a-IR800P fluorescence emissions significantly correlate with loss of smell in live animals—thus representing a potential tool for its semiquantitative assessment. Currently available methods rely on delayed subjective behavioral studies. Conclusion: This method could aid in significantly improving preclinical and clinical studies by providing a way to objectively diagnose loss of smell and therefore aid the development of therapeutic interventions.