carbon-11 Pittsburgh compound B

Carbon-11 Pittsburgh compound B (carbon C 11 Pittsburgh compound B, or ^11C-PiB) is a radiopharmaceutical used primarily as a positron emission tomography (PET) imaging agent for the in vivo detection of beta-amyloid plaques in the brain. It is a carbon‑11 labeled derivative of thioflavin T, specifically designed to cross the blood-brain barrier and bind with high affinity and specificity to fibrillar amyloid-beta aggregates found in neuritic plaques—a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease pathology[1][3][4][7]. The development of ^11C-PiB at the University of Pittsburgh enabled noninvasive imaging and quantification of amyloid deposition, revolutionizing research into Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis, progression, and therapeutic monitoring[7]. The mechanism involves selective binding to insoluble Aβ40 and Aβ42 fibrils; it does not significantly bind soluble or nonfibrillar forms nor neurofibrillary tangles[4]. After intravenous administration, PET scans can visualize regional retention corresponding to amyloid plaque burden.

Other names

Pittsburgh compound BPIBN-methyl-[11C]-2-(4'-methylaminophenyl)-6-hydroxybenzothiazole2-(4'-(methylamino)phenyl)-6-hydroxybenzothiazole