---
title: Map inflammation to guide treatment
nct_id: NCT03457493
phase: PHASE1, PHASE2
status: RECRUITING
sponsor: University of Alabama at Birmingham
study_type: INTERVENTIONAL
canonical_url: "https://parkinsonspathways.com/trial/NCT03457493"
clinicaltrials_gov: "https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03457493"
last_fetched: "2026-05-10T14:03:49.016Z"
source: "Parkinson's Pathways (curated)"
---
# Map inflammation to guide treatment

**Goal (in five words):** Map inflammation to guide treatment

**Official Title:** UAB Neuroinflammation in Parkinson's Disease - TSPO-PET Substudy

**Trial ID:** [NCT03457493](https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03457493)

## Key Facts

- **Phase:** PHASE1, PHASE2
- **Status:** RECRUITING
- **Study Type:** INTERVENTIONAL
- **Sponsor:** University of Alabama at Birmingham
- **Target Enrollment:** 205 participants
- **Start Date:** 2018-03-22
- **Completion Date:** 2028-06
- **Conditions:** Parkinson Disease
- **Interventions:** DPA-714-PET/MRI, 5-year Follow-up DPA-714-PET/MRI, DPA-714 Metabolite Analysis
- **Intervention Types:** DRUG

## Summary For Families

The goal is to map neuroinflammation in Parkinson's by measuring activated immune cells in the brain that may contribute to disease progression. The approach uses an injected PET tracer, [18F]DPA-714, that binds the TSPO protein on activated microglia, paired with MRI and metabolite analysis to show where and how much inflammation is present; because the tracer is only for imaging it does not change or interact with levodopa or other Parkinson's medications. Adults 30 and older already enrolled in UAB's related Parkinson's immune imaging cohorts are eligible, participants must be a high or mixed TSPO binder based on rs6971 genotyping, and people with MRI/PET contraindications, low-affinity binders, or inability to safely undergo imaging are excluded. For the UDALL 5-year follow-up group you must be a UDALL baseline participant with baseline imaging done within the past 6 years.

## Eligibility

- **Minimum age:** 30 Years
- **Sex:** ALL

### Full Criteria

```
Inclusion Criteria for all cohorts:

1. Enrollment in either the UAB Innate and Adaptive Immunity in Parkinson Disease (Clinical Research Core) study or UAB Longitudinal \[18F\]DPA-714 Imaging in a Parkinson Disease Cohort study under the separate UAB-approved research protocols (IRB-300001745 and IRB-300011684 respectively, PI Yacoubian)
2. Negative urine or serum Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) test within 2 days of \[18F\]DPA-714-PET administration in women of childbearing potential. Women who are post-menopausal with at least 1 year since last menses or documented surgical sterilization will not require pregnancy testing.
3. High or mixed affinity binder for TSPO ligands based on genotyping for single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs6971.

Exclusion Criteria for all cohorts:

1. Meets any exclusion criteria for the UAB Innate and Adaptive Immunity in Parkinson's Disease (Clinical Research Core) study or UAB Longitudinal \[18F\]DPA-714 Imaging in a Parkinson's Disease Cohort study.
2. Contraindication to MRI and/or PET imaging
3. Inability to participate in the imaging studies due to severity of PD or other medical comorbidities.
4. Low-affinity binder for TSPO ligands based on genotyping for SNP rs6971.

Inclusion Criteria specific for UDALL 5-year Follow-up Cohort

1\. Parkinson's Disease participant enrolled in UDALL Baseline Cohort. Baseline imaging to be completed no more than 6 years prior.

Inclusion of Women and Minorities

Participants 30 years of age or older will be eligible for study participation. No other discriminatory factors, including age, sex, or ethnic background will be used to determine eligibility. Every effort will be made to ensure that minorities are recruited for study participation.
```

## Locations (1)

- UAB Advanced Imaging Facility, Birmingham, Alabama, United States _(33.5207, -86.8025)_
  - Evan Hudson — (CONTACT) — 205-996-1082 — evanhudson@uabmc.edu

## Central Contacts

- Jonathan McConathy, MD — (CONTACT) — 205-996-7115 — jmcconathy@uabmc.edu
- Evan Hudson — (CONTACT) — 205-996-1082 — evanhudson@uabmc.edu

---

*Canonical: https://parkinsonspathways.com/trial/NCT03457493*  
*HTML version: https://parkinsonspathways.com/trial/NCT03457493*  
*Source data: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03457493*