Characterization of the Underlying Pathophysiology of Myelinated Cerebral White Matter MRI Lesions in Multiple Sclerosis
Abstract
Project description: It is traditionally believed that demyelination in the cerebral white matter is the major driving force for disease and disability in multiple sclerosis. However, researchers have recently discovered a group of MS patients who have no evidence of cerebral white matter demyelination but profound disease and disability. This type of MS has been termed myelocortical MS. Our project focuses on this group of patients and uses advanced genetic and imaging techniques to determine what is causing disease in these patients. Understanding what causes disease in multiple sclerosis outside demyelination will allow us to develop more effective treatments for all the aspects of MS disease progression. It is clinically important that we are able to differentiate between myelinated brain lesions and demyelinated brain lesions. It s important because there is ongoing research into remyelination therapies that relies upon markers of disease activity. Remyelination drugs work by repairing the myelin damaged in MS and transforming these myelinated areas. Imaging technology that allows us to differentiate between demyelinated and myelinated regions will allow us to determine whether our remyelination drugs work. Our project attempts to improve our MRI imaging technology by developing an imaging algorithm that can differentiated between myelinated myelocortical MS patients and demyelinated typical MS patients. What types of patients could it potentially help? Our project has the potential to help all patients with MS. Advancing our fundamental understanding of the processes causing disease in MS will allow us to develop more effective treatments and guide future research in beneficial directions. This will be particularly helpful for MS patients with progressive disease, in which they have ongoing disease activity without evidence of ongoing demyelination. Improving our imaging technology will allow us to design clinical trials to test remyelination therapies. This will lead to quicker and more effective new treatments. What are the potential clinical applications, benefits, and risks? Our project is likely to demonstrate new molecular pathways underlying myelinated disease. We will be able to identify the specific genes and proteins causing disease in myelinated patients. This will allow us a greater understanding of MS, which will lead to new targets for treatment, new biomarkers for disease, and new methods for tracking disease progression and repair. What is the projected time it may take to achieve a patient-related outcome? We anticipate patient-related outcomes from our research in 5-10 years. Our imaging optimization will likely improve the technology used in remyelination clinical trials that are currently being conducted. Broadening our understanding of the underlying disease processes of MS will lead to new targets for biomarkers and drug treatment, which will hopefully yield new diagnostics and therapies.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Dec 28, 2022
- Source ID
- W81XWH2210492
Entities
People
- Jameson Holloman
Organizations
- Cleveland Clinic
- United States Army