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Updated: Apr 11, 2026
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Comprehensive Autopsy Program for Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis
Published on: July 19, 2019
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Progressive multiple sclerosis exhibits decreasing glutamate and glutamine over two years
E L MacMillan1, R Tam2, Y Zhao3
1Division of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada erin.macmillan@ubc.ca.
Multiple Sclerosis (Houndmills, Basingstoke, England)
|May 28, 2015
Summary
Glutamate and glutamine show significant annual declines in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS). These metabolites are promising biomarkers for tracking disease progression in clinical trials.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Biochemistry
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Identifying sensitive biomarkers for multiple sclerosis (MS) progression is crucial for clinical trials.
- Existing biomarkers often lack sensitivity within typical trial timeframes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) biomarkers for disease progression in secondary progressive MS (SPMS).
Main Methods:
- 47 SPMS patients underwent annual MRI scans for two years.
- MRS measured metabolite concentrations (N-acetylaspartate, creatine, choline, myo-inositol, glutamate, glutamine) in white matter.
Main Results:
- Glutamate and glutamine showed significant annual decreases: glutamate -4.2%, glutamine -7.3%.
- The combined glutamate+glutamine also declined by -5.2% annually.
- Metabolite changes were more pronounced than clinical or atrophy measures.
Conclusions:
- Rapid changes in glutamate and glutamine suggest their potential as novel biomarkers for MS progression.
- These findings highlight MRS metabolites for monitoring SPMS in research settings.
