In vivo MRI of spinal cord lesions in EAE mice

描述（由申请人提供）：脑和脊髓白质脱髓鞘病变是自身免疫性疾病多发性硬化症（MS）的病理标志。活动性病变，在钆（Gd）增强T1加权MRI中观察到，组织学检查显示不同程度的炎症、脱髓鞘和轴突损伤。本研究的目的是确定炎症、脱髓鞘和轴突损伤的时间过程及其对病变形成和进展的影响。将使用MRI对患有实验性自身免疫性脑脊髓炎（EAE） （MS模型）的小鼠脊髓进行纵向体内研究。炎症和血脑屏障的破坏将分别使用磁负载t细胞和gd增强进行评估（目的1）。使用弥散张量成像评估脱髓鞘和轴突损伤的程度（目的2）。所有体内MRI结果将与神经功能障碍相关，并通过体外MRI和组织学分析进行验证。本研究将加强对脑脊髓炎和多发性硬化动态病理变化的认识，并将评估DTI作为诊断工具的使用。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Demyelinated lesions in the white matter of the brain and spinal cord are the pathological hallmark of the autoimmune disorder Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Active lesions, as observed in gadolinium (Gd) enhanced T1- weighted MRI, exhibit varying degrees of inflammation, demyelination, and axonal damage upon histological examination. The objective of the proposed study is to determine the time-course of inflammation, demyelination, and axonal damage and their contribution to lesion formation and progression. A longitudinal, in vivo investigation of the spinal cord in mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a model of MS, will be examined using MRI. Inflammation and breakdown of the blood-brain barrier will be assessed using magnetically loaded T-cells and Gd-enhancement, respectively (Aim 1). The extent of demyelination and axonal damage will be assessed using diffusion tensor imaging (Aim 2). All in vivo MRI findings will be correlated with neurological disability and validated with ex vivo MRI and histological analysis. The research will enhance the understanding of the dynamic pathological changes in EAE and MS and will assess the use of DTI as a diagnostic tool.