Neuro MRE (II): Correlation of histology and changes in viscoelastic properties of the brain in animal models

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Elastography is the image-based detection of the mechanical properties of biological soft tissues for medical diagnosis. Elastography of the liver has already become an established clinical modality for the noninvasive staging of hepatic fibrosis. In contrast, the use of elastography for brain imaging is still limited despite initial success of magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) in demonstrating the high sensitivity of neuronal viscoelastic constants to disease.The goal of the proposed project is to test and ultimately establish viscoelasticity as a quantitative biomarker for neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative processes by using MRE in mouse models. The following mouse models will be investigated: (i) Experimental autoimmune encephalitis(EAE) as a model of neuroinflammation induced by multiple sclerosis, and (ii) 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) as an accepted model for enhanced adult neurogenesis and neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease MRE combined with extensive histological investigations will enable us to reveal and systematically analyze disease-related alterations of the viscoelastic matrix of neural tissue, specifically with regard to the following mechanisms: (i) demyelination, (ii) glial activation and distribution of activation patterns, (iii) changes in the extracellular matrix due to inflammatory mechanisms such as lymphocytic infiltration or endothelial alterations, and (iv) proliferation, differentiation, and integration of neurons into the tissue matrix. By addressing these issues, the proposed project is pivotal for the validation and deeper understanding of MRE in humans, which will be investigated in a parallel project. Moreover, Neuro MRE in the mouse serves as the underpinning for any other application of elastography as a structure-sensitive imaging modality.