Push-pull benzothiazole derivatives as probes for detecting beta-amyloid plaques in Alzheimer's brains.

We synthesized push-pull benzothiazole derivatives and evaluated their potential as beta-amyloid imaging probes. In binding experiments in vitro, the benzothiazoles showed excellent affinity for synthetic Abeta(1-42) aggregates. beta-Amyloid plaques in the mouse and human brain were clearly visualized with the benzothiazoles, reflecting the results in vitro. These compounds may be a useful scaffold for the development of novel PET/SPECT and fluorescent tracers for detecting beta-amyloid in Alzheimer's brains.