UTE MRI: A Novel Biomarker for Remyelination in Multiple Sclerosis Patients
Abstract
Signals are carried across the brain through electrical impulses and are essential to brain function. The connections across the brain rely on the presence of myelin around nerve cells to effectively transmit the impulses. Myelin is a fatty substance that surrounds the axon of neurons and ensures the signals are not lost as well as protecting the neurons. In Multiple Sclerosis (MS), myelin is typically damaged or destroyed, producing potentially debilitating neurologic symptoms. The objective of this project is to apply a new, non-invasive measurement using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for measuring remyelination in multiple sclerosis patients. This technique, called Ultrashort echo time MRI, or UTE MRI, is different from other MRI scans because it can measure signals from the myelin itself, whereas previous techniques measure signals from nearby water. This proposal addresses the FY20 MSRP IIRA Focus Area Central Nervous System Regenerative Potential in Demyelinating Conditions, where a major limitation for developing and evaluating remyelinating therapies is the lack of techniques to accurately measure myelin across the brain. In order to address this limitation, we propose UTE MRI measurements in MS patients undergoing myelin repair therapy. We will compare these measurements to visual evoked potentials (VEPs), which have been proven to measure myelin but are limited to measuring myelin in the visual pathway, whereas MRI can measure myelin across the entire brain. UTE MRI has the potential to provide critical information for MS patients, all of whom have myelin damage and loss. It could help doctors better monitor their disease, looking for permanent versus temporary damage. Patients who are on new treatments, experimental or otherwise, would also benefit by being able to know specifically how the treatment was affecting their brain myelin. These benefits could happen in the short term of less than 5 years, since the UTE MRI technique requires changes only to the software on MRI scanners and can rapidly be moved into wider use to benefit a broad range of multiple sclerosis patients.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Dec 05, 2021
- Source ID
- W81XWH2110399
Entities
People
- Peder Larson
Organizations
- United States Army
- University of California, San Francisco