7-Tesla in vivo 1H-MRS-measured prefrontal glutathione increases during oral fumarate therapy in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease that damages the central nervous system. Oxidative stress, thought to play a role in MS-related pathophysiology, can be modulated in the cell by endogenous antioxidants such as glutathione (GSH), hypothesized to participate in the therapeutic effect of MS disease-modifying therapy dimethyl fumarate. We used proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H MRS) to measure in vivo cortical glutathione concentrations in individuals with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RR-MS) before and during 12 months of dimethyl fumarate therapy and observed a significant positive effect of time on prefrontal cortex glutathione. No such change was shown in healthy controls.