MRI Estimates of Repeated Demyelination and Tissue Injury as Markers of Progressive Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) can be divided into three clinical phenotypes: relapsing remitting (RRMS), secondary progressive (SPMS) and primary progressive (PPMS). RRMS is characterized by episodic worsening followed by full or partial recovery, whereas SPMS and PPMS are characterized by steady accrual of disability.Progressive MS remains poorly understood and generally fails to respond to therapies that are effective in RRMS. This may be related to fundamental differences in the biology that underlies relapsing vs. progressive disease.Quantitative MRI techniques sensitive to evolution of new MS brain lesions and subtle changes within existing lesions will be obtained in people with MS. Characterizing repeated episodes of damage in existing MS lesions may reveal pathological distinctions between relapsing and progressive MS that are critical for understanding differences in the biology and evolution of these two components of MS. Assessment of injury and repair in repeat lesions may be critical for research, development and validation of drugs targeting processes important for the progressive (degenerative) stage of disease.The proposed project will investigate new potential imaging biomarkers of neurodegeneration and repair important for progression in MS, and integrate these biomarkers into the NeuroRx analysis environment, enabling NeuroRx to perform these analyses in future clinical trials.

Faculty Supervisor:

Sridar Narayanan

Student:

Ian Tagge

Partner:

NeuroRx Research Inc.

Discipline:

Other

Sector:

University:

McGill University

Program: