Novel MRI techniques for the Assessment of Activated Innate Immunity in Progressive Multiple Sclerosis

While the specific pathologic mechanisms that underpin ongoing axonal loss in progressive forms of MS are not fully characterized, ongoing innate immune activation in chronic MS lesions, particularly activated microglia and macrophages, has been proposed to be a prevailing mechanism of axonal loss in the progressive phase of disease. Ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide particles have been introduced as a potential MRI biomarker for macrophage activity in focal MS lesions. This work presents a Feromoxytol enhanced MRI to measure perilesional activated microglia and macrophages in progressive MS. which is anticipated to reflect risk for ongoing loss of CNS axons and neurons.