Clinical Research Directory

Hyperpolarized Carbon Metabolic Imaging in Multiple Sclerosis

The main purpose of this study is to assess whether hyperpolarized carbon imaging in relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) patients can be used to predict response to anti-CD20 disease modifying therapy. Study procedures will include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) assessments with a hyperpolarized pyruvate sequence, clinical assessment as well as blood markers of disease progression. This method of imaging utilizes the Warburg effect, where innate immune cells utilize a metabolic shift to glycolysis instead of oxidative phosphorylation. In pre-clinical data, increased hyperpolarized lactate production has been found to be associated with increased microglial/macrophage infiltration in the brain. Although hyperpolarized carbon imaging in humans has been established and used in the field of oncology, this will be one of the first applications of hyperpolarized carbon the study of neuroinflammation in humans. We predict that hyperpolarized carbon imaging may have the potential to monitor and evaluate neuroinflammation in MS, and in particular the innate immune activation state that plays a role in MS progression. This imaging method may provide non-invasive monitoring of disease progression and therapy response for MS patients.

Multicenter Prospective Study Analyzing the Occurrence of Multiple Sclerosis Relapses Without Radiological Evidence: Myth or Reality?

The MYTH-MS study is a multicenter prospective study investigating the occurrence of clinical relapses in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) in the absence of radiological activity on MRI. While MS relapses are typically associated with gadolinium-enhancing lesions on MRI, some patients present with acute neurological symptoms without radiological correlates, referred to as acute clinical events with stable MRI (ACES). The frequency, mechanisms, and clinical relevance of these events remain unclear due to limitations in previous studies. The primary objective is to determine the proportion of RRMS patients experiencing a relapse without gadolinium-enhancing lesions on early brain and spinal MRI. Secondary objectives include identifying clinical, radiological, biological, and psychological predictors, assessing neurologists' diagnostic accuracy, and evaluating clinical outcomes such as disability, cognition, and quality of life over a 6-month follow-up. A total of 136 patients with recent neurological exacerbations will be included. Each participant will undergo clinical assessment, cognitive and psychological evaluation, and early MRI, with follow-up at 6 months. An ancillary study will explore blood biomarkers (NfL, GFAP, and circulating DNA) to help differentiate true inflammatory relapses from ACES. This study aims to improve the understanding and diagnosis of MS exacerbations and to optimize patient management by reducing misdiagnosis and unnecessary treatments.

Effectiveness of the Combination Strategy of Disease-Modifying Therapy and the Yishen Daluo Yin Modified Formula for Multiple Sclerosis

This study was designed to investigate the effectiveness of a combined strategy utilizing disease-modifying therapy and the modified Yishen Daluo Yin formula for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) through a prospective, multicenter, observational comparative study.