The Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative and the role and contributions of the Private Partners Scientific Board (PPSB)

Abstract

The Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) Private Partners Scientific Board (PPSB) encompasses members from industry, biotechnology, diagnostic, and non-profit organizations that have until recently been managed by the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) and provided financial and scientific support to ADNI programs. In this article, we review some of the major activities undertaken by the PPSB, focusing on those supporting the most recently completed National Institute on Aging grant, ADNI3, and the impact it has had on streamlining biomarker discovery and validation in Alzheimer's disease. We also provide a perspective on the gaps that may be filled with future PPSB activities as part of ADNI4 and beyond. HIGHLIGHTS: The Private Partners Scientific board (PPSB) continues to play a key role in enabling several Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) activities. PPSB working groups have led landscape assessments to provide valuable feedback on new technologies, platforms, and methods that may be taken up by ADNI in current or future iterations.

Keywords: Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative; Alzheimer's disease clinical trials; biomarkers; neuroimaging.

FIGURE 1

ADNI 3 Core denoted in green (left) and PPSB working groups denoted in blue (right) with year of establishment of working groups indicated. ADNI, Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative; MRI, magnetic resonance imaging; PET, positron emission tomography; PPSB, Private Partners Scientific Board; RARC, Resource Allocation Review Committee; WG, working group.

FIGURE 2

A, Cartoon illustrating the concept of early frames and late frames PET acquisition, for a theoretical time‐activity curve from one region of interest (gray dashed line). Both early and late frame signals are most simply summarized by calculating the average over a given time window, and conventionally expressed as the standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR) by dividing the average value in each voxel or region of interest by the average value in a reference region. Of note, the reference region may be different for early (perfusion) and late (amyloid) frames analyses. The time windows illustrated here correspond to those used in ADNI 3 sub‐study for ¹⁸F‐florbetaben. B, Illustrative examples of LFA and EFA perfusion maps from one CU and one MCI participant scanned with FBB, compared to ¹⁸F‐FDG PET scans from the same individuals, from the ADNI 3 sub‐study. These examples illustrate similar EFA (perfusion) and [¹⁸F]‐FDG (glucose metabolism) profiles in the same participants, including pronounced temporoparietal hypoperfusion and hypometabolism in the MCI case (red arrows). In contrast, the LFA scans reflect amyloid burden and show greater cortical signal in the MCI participant. ADNI, Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative; CU, cognitively unimpaired; EFA, early frames amyloid; FBB, ¹⁸F‐florbetaben; FDG, fluorodeoxyglucose; LFA, late frames amyloid; MCI, mild cognitive impairment; PET, positron emission tomography.

FIGURE 3

Process of the residual CSF sample protocol review and sample distribution. CSF, cerebrospinal fluid; FNIH, Foundation for the National Institutes of Health; IVD, in vitro diagnostics; LONI, Laboratory of Neuro Imaging; PPSB, Private Partners Scientific Board.

FIGURE 4

Activities within ADNI 3 Genetics Core: The ADNI3 Genetics Core collects genomic DNA, RNA, PBMCs, and red blood cell fractions. Several datasets have been generated using these ADNI resources (yellow box), and PPSB contributions are highlighted in brown boxes. ADNI, Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative; APOE, apolipoprotein E; PBMC, peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

FIGURE 5

Process of landscape assessment undertaken by PPSB WGs to review and evaluate tests, assays, procedures, and companies. FNIH, Foundation for the National Institutes of Health; PPSB, Private Partners Scientific Board; RARC, Resource Allocation Review Committee; WG, working group.