Abstract: Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, cancer and cerebrovascular disease are known as the four leading killers of the elderly, seriously affect people’s health and become a heavy burden for the family and society. The change of α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor(α7 nAChR) density in brain is one of the main causes of Alzheimer’s disease. It is of great significance to develop a high affinity, specific and selective α7 nAChR radiotracer for the early diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. In this paper we summarized the main causes of Alzheimer’s disease and the development of therapeutic drugs. We also give a brief introduction of several radiotracers targeting α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.