Positron emission tomography in multiple sclerosis - straight to the target

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Radiology
• Immunology

Background:

• Multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment has advanced for relapsing-remitting forms.
• Progressive MS requires treatments to prevent irreversible neuro-axonal degeneration.
• Understanding disease mechanisms is crucial for developing progressive MS therapies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the contribution of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) to understanding MS pathogenesis.
• To explore PET's role in elucidating extraneuronal and intraneuronal mechanisms of neuro-axonal damage in MS.
• To discuss challenges and future directions for PET in developing neuroprotective MS treatments.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on PET imaging in multiple sclerosis.
• Focus on PET's application in studying neuro-axonal degeneration mechanisms.
• Discussion of current and emerging PET tracers for MS research.

Main Results:

• PET imaging enables in vivo measurement of pathological processes in MS.
• PET provides insights into the clinical relevance and sequence of neurodegenerative mechanisms.
• The review highlights PET's potential in identifying therapeutic targets for progressive MS.

Conclusions:

• PET is a valuable tool for understanding the mechanisms of irreversible neuro-axonal damage in MS.
• Addressing challenges in PET application is necessary for clinical translation.
• Emerging PET tracers and applications hold promise for developing effective neuroprotective therapies for MS.