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The matrix and the vision: new perspectives for imaging neuroinflammation

Carmen Infante Duarte

Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Germany)

10 Mar 2023 13:00

Aketxe Room, Sede Building, Leioa

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The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a complex and specialized compartment composed of a network of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), proteoglycans and glycoproteins that mediates diverse cellular and molecular processes. In multiple sclerosis (MS), the brain matrix has emerged as an important player in disease pathogenesis. Thus, we hypothesize that inflammation-related ECM alterations are excellent targets to in-vivo image tissue pathology in the course of autoimmune neuroinflammatory disorders, such as MS and its animal model of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE).

In our previous work, we showed that, during brain inflammation, very small superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (VSOP) bind to modified GAGs on activated brain endothelial cells and ECM. Furthermore, we showed that non-invasive multifrequency magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) detect and quantify in vivo neuropathological changes based on the biomechanical properties of brain tissue.

Our more recent data indicates that MRE senses sex-specific features of the brain tissue as well as specific alterations of the CNS matrix during brain inflammation, which are also visualized by VSOP but not by gadolinium-based contrast agents. Currently, we are investigating the nature and reversibility of ECM modifications occurring during brain inflamation as well as the suitability of these new defined matrix-related imaging markers for monitoring progression and treatment response in neuroinflammatory disorders.

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