Imperial College London

ProfessorPaoloMuraro

Faculty of MedicineDepartment of Brain Sciences

Professor of Neurology - Neuroimmunology and Immunotherapy
 
 
 
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Contact

 

p.muraro Website

 
 
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Assistant

 

Mrs Gearoidin Beazley +44 (0)20 7594 7047

 
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Location

 

E415Burlington DanesHammersmith Campus

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Summary

 

Publications

Publication Type
Year
to

242 results found

Scalfari A, Pisani AI, Romualdi C, Muraro P, Nicholas R, Calabrese Met al., 2018, Early predictors of brain atrophy among MS patients, 34th Congress of the European-Committee-for-Treatment-and-Research-in-Multiple-Sclerosis (ECTRIMS), Publisher: SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD, Pages: 219-220, ISSN: 1352-4585

Conference paper

Rhone E, Nicholas R, Olavarria E, Gabriel I, Kazmi M, Silber E, Muraro Pet al., 2018, Autologous stem cell transplantation in multiple sclerosis: the London experience, 34th Congress of the European-Committee-for-Treatment-and-Research-in-Multiple-Sclerosis (ECTRIMS), Publisher: SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD, Pages: 270-271, ISSN: 1352-4585

Conference paper

Sridharan S, Raffel J, Nandoskar A, Record C, Brooks D, Owen D, Sharp D, Muraro P, Gunn R, Nicholas Ret al., 2018, Confirmation of specific binding of the 18 kDa translocator protein (TSPO) radioligand [<SUP>18</SUP>F]GE-180: a blocking study using XDB173 in multiple sclerosis, 34th Congress of the European-Committee-for-Treatment-and-Research-in-Multiple-Sclerosis (ECTRIMS), Publisher: SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD, Pages: 421-422, ISSN: 1352-4585

Conference paper

Cencioni MT, Yang C-Y, Abrahamsson S, Nicholas R, Muraro Pet al., 2018, Mechanisms of dysfunction of regulatory B cell activity in multiple sclerosis, 34th Congress of the European-Committee-for-Treatment-and-Research-in-Multiple-Sclerosis (ECTRIMS), Publisher: SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD, Pages: 599-599, ISSN: 1352-4585

Conference paper

Scalfari A, Romualdi C, Magliozzi R, Mattoscio M, Muraro P, Nicholas R, Calabrese Met al., 2018, Early cortical pathology and early relapses predict the risk of developing secondary progressive MS., 34th Congress of the European-Committee-for-Treatment-and-Research-in-Multiple-Sclerosis (ECTRIMS), Publisher: SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD, Pages: 57-58, ISSN: 1352-4585

Conference paper

Muraro P, 2018, Immunological rationale., 34th Congress of the European-Committee-for-Treatment-and-Research-in-Multiple-Sclerosis (ECTRIMS), Publisher: SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD, Pages: 68-68, ISSN: 1352-4585

Conference paper

Lozano S, Woolley P, Gabriel I, Palanicawandar R, Cencioni MT, Muraro P, Nicholas R, Omar M, Thomas S, Dlamini T, Elio R, Olavarria Eet al., 2018, Peripheral blood stem cell mobilisation with Cyclophosphamide and G-CSF in patients with Multiple Sclerosis: A safe and predictable procedure, 44th Annual Meeting of the European-Society-for-Blood-and-Marrow-Transplantation (EBMT), Publisher: NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP, Pages: 207-208, ISSN: 0268-3369

Conference paper

Alexander T, Farge D, Badoglio M, Lindsay JO, Muraro PA, Snowden JA, Autoimmune Diseases Working Party ADWP of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation EBMTet al., 2018, Hematopoietic stem cell therapy for autoimmune diseases - Clinical experience and mechanisms, Journal of Autoimmunity, Vol: 92, Pages: 35-46, ISSN: 0896-8411

With accumulating evidence and improved outcomes along with recognition that modern biological therapies are not universally effective, require chronic administration and have high acquisition costs, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) has become an emerging direction for cell therapy in autoimmune diseases (ADs). The goal of this therapy is to induce medication-free remissions by resetting the immune system into a naïve and self-tolerant state through eradication of the autoreactive immunologic memory and profound re-configuration of the immune system induced by the transplant procedure. Safety of HSCT has generally improved by implementing internal quality management and external accreditation. Inter-disciplinary guidelines for patient selection, transplant technique and supportive care along with greater center experience should optimize safe and appropriate delivery of HSCT in specific ADs. In this review, we discuss the current role and future perspectives of HSCT in AD, focusing on recent published clinical and scientific studies and recommendations in the field.

Journal article

Snowden JA, Sharrack B, Akil M, Kiely DG, Lobo A, Kazmi M, Muraro PA, Lindsay Jet al., 2018, Autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (aHSCT) for severe resistant autoimmune and inflammatory diseases - a guide for the generalist, CLINICAL MEDICINE, Vol: 18, Pages: 329-334, ISSN: 1470-2118

Journal article

Scalfari A, Romualdi C, Nicholas RS, Mattoscio M, Magliozzi R, Morra A, Monaco S, Muraro PA, Calabrese Met al., 2018, The cortical damage, early relapses, and onset of the progressive phase in multiple sclerosis, NEUROLOGY, Vol: 90, Pages: E2107-E2118, ISSN: 0028-3878

Objective To investigate the relationship among cortical radiologic changes, the number of early relapses (ERs), and the long-term course of multiple sclerosis (MS).Methods In this cohort study, we assessed the number of cortical lesions (CLs) and white matter (WM) lesions and the cortical thickness (Cth) at clinical onset and after 7.9 mean years among 219 patients with relapsing remitting (RR) MS with 1 (Low-ER), 2 (Mid-ER), and ≥3 (High-ER) ERs during the first 2 years. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses investigated early factors influencing the risk of secondary progressive (SP) MS.Results Fifty-nine patients (27%) converted to SPMS in 6.1 mean years. A larger number of CLs at onset predicted a higher risk of SPMS (hazard ratio [HR] 2.16, 4.79, and 12.3 for 2, 5, and 7 CLs, respectively, p < 0.001) and shorter latency to progression. The High-ER compared to the Low-ER and Mid-ER groups had a larger volume of WM lesions and CLs at onset, accrued more CLs, experienced more severe cortical atrophy over time, and entered the SP phase more rapidly. In the multivariate model, older age at onset (HR 1.97, p < 0.001), a larger baseline CL (HR 2.21, p = 0.005) and WM lesion (HR 1.32, p = 0.03) volume, early changes of global Cth (HR 1.36, p = 0.03), and ≥3 ERs (HR 6.08, p < 0.001) independently predicted a higher probability of SP.Conclusions Extensive cortical damage at onset is associated with florid inflammatory clinical activity and predisposes to a rapid occurrence of the progressive phase. Age at onset, the number of early attacks, and the extent of baseline focal cortical damage can identify groups at high risk of progression who may benefit from more active therapy.

Journal article

Muraro PA, Scolding NJ, Fox RJ, 2018, Rare side effects of alemtuzumab remind us of the need for postmarketing surveillance, NEUROLOGY, Vol: 90, Pages: 819-820, ISSN: 0028-3878

Journal article

Sousa ADPA, Johnson K, Zhu J, Ohayon J, Muraro P, Jacobson Set al., 2018, Deep sequencing of TCR ß-chain repertoire reveals an TCR expansion in patients with HTLV-I Associated Myelopathy/Tropical Spastic Paraparesis and an immune profile signature in patients with Multiple Sclerosis, Joint Meeting of the International-Society-for-NeuroVirology (ISNV) and the Society-on-NeuroImmune-Pharmacology (SNIP), Publisher: SPRINGER, Pages: S22-S22, ISSN: 1355-0284

Conference paper

Sousa ADPA, Johnson K, Zhu J, Ohayon J, Muraro P, Jacobson Set al., 2018, Deep sequencing of TCR β-chain repertoire reveals an TCR expansion in patients with HTLV-I Associated Myelopathy/Tropical Spastic Paraparesis and an immune profile signature in patients with Multiple Sclerosis, Publisher: SPRINGER, Pages: S22-S22, ISSN: 1557-1890

Conference paper

Mancardi G, Sormani MP, Muraro PA, Boffa G, Saccardi Ret al., 2018, Intense immunosuppression followed by autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation as a therapeutic strategy in aggressive forms of multiple sclerosis, Multiple Sclerosis, Vol: 24, Pages: 245-255, ISSN: 1352-4585

In the majority of relapsing multiple sclerosis patients, the disease can be quite easily controlled by already available, approved therapies. There are, however, some aggressive cases who continue to have clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) activity in spite of the treatment. These are the cases who may now receive benefit from intense immunosuppression followed by autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (aHSCT). In this review, we describe the method and the rationale of aHSCT, the more recently published studies that demonstrate its efficacy in selected multiple sclerosis cases, the problems related to safety and the transplant-related mortality risk of the procedure. A description of the ideal patient who can take advantage of aHSCT is outlined and, finally, the ongoing studies which are near to completion or are close to starting are briefly reported.

Journal article

Magliozzi R, Roncaroli F, Muraro P, Howell O, Reynolds R, Friede T, Nicholas Ret al., 2017, The impact of high level of perivenular inflammation on active white matter lesions and disease progression in multiple sclerosis, 7th Joint European-Committee-for-Treatment-and-Research-in-Multiple-Sclerosis (ECTRIMS)-Americas-Committee-for-Treatment-and-Research-in-Multiple-Sclerosis (ACTRIMS), Publisher: SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD, Pages: 172-172, ISSN: 1352-4585

Conference paper

Cencioni MT, Magliozzi R, Nicholas R, Ali R, Malik O, Reynolds R, Borsellino G, Battistini L, Muraro PAet al., 2017, Programmed death 1 is highly expressed on CD8(+) CD57(+) T cells in patients with stable multiple sclerosis and inhibits their cytotoxic response to Epstein-Barr virus., Immunology, Vol: 152, Pages: 660-676, ISSN: 0019-2805

Growing evidence points to a deregulated response to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in the central nervous system of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) as a possible cause of disease. We have investigated the response of a subpopulation of effector CD8(+) T cells to EBV in 36 healthy donors and in 35 patients with MS in active and inactive disease. We have measured the expression of markers of degranulation, the release of cytokines, cytotoxicity and the regulation of effector functions by inhibitory receptors, such as programmed death 1 (PD-1) and human inhibitor receptor immunoglobulin-like transcript 2 (ILT2). We demonstrate that polyfunctional cytotoxic CD8(+) CD57(+) T cells are able to kill EBV-infected cells in healthy donors. In contrast, an anergic exhaustion-like phenotype of CD8(+) CD57(+) T cells with high expression of PD-1 was observed in inactive patients with MS compared with active patients with MS or healthy donors. Detection of CD8(+) CD57(+) T cells in meningeal inflammatory infiltrates from post-mortem MS tissue confirmed the association of this cell phenotype with the disease pathological process. The overall results suggest that ineffective immune control of EBV in patietns with MS during remission may be one factor preceding and enabling the reactivation of the virus in the central nervous system and may cause exacerbation of the disease.

Journal article

Rhone E, Silber E, Mccormick J, Nicholas R, Malik O, Muraro P, Pagliuca A, Kazmi Met al., 2017, Autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplant in multiple sclerosis: Updated results from the Pan-London MS group, 43rd Annual Meeting of the European-Society-for-Blood-and-Marrow-Transplantation (EBMT), Publisher: NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP, Pages: S482-S483, ISSN: 0268-3369

Conference paper

Monsalvo S, Gabriel I, Sevillano B, Palanicawandar R, Innes A, Milojkovic D, Macdonald D, Chaidos A, Jakob C, Pavlu J, Nicholas R, Malik O, Kazmi M, Silber E, Kanfer E, Muraro P, Apperley JF, Olavarria Eet al., 2017, Exacerbation of multiple sclerosis symptoms in patients undergoing autologous stem cell transplantation, 43rd Annual Meeting of the European-Society-for-Blood-and-Marrow-Transplantation (EBMT), Publisher: NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP, Pages: S419-S420, ISSN: 0268-3369

Conference paper

Rhone E, Silber E, Mccormick J, Nicholas R, Malik O, Muraro P, Pagliuca A, Kazmi Met al., 2017, Investigating frequency of EBV reactivation following autologous HSCT in patients with multiple sclerosis, 43rd Annual Meeting of the European-Society-for-Blood-and-Marrow-Transplantation (EBMT), Publisher: NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP, Pages: S495-S495, ISSN: 0268-3369

Conference paper

Muraro PA, Martin R, Mancardi GL, Nicholas R, Sormani MP, Saccardi Ret al., 2017, Autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation for treatment of multiple sclerosis, Nature Reviews Neurology, Vol: 13, Pages: 391-405, ISSN: 1759-4758

Autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) is a multistep procedure that enables destruction of the immune system and its reconstitution from haematopoietic stem cells. Originally developed for the treatment of haematological malignancies, the procedure has been adapted for the treatment of severe immune-mediated disorders. Results from ~20 years of research make a compelling case for selective use of AHSCT in patients with highly active multiple sclerosis (MS), and for controlled trials. Immunological studies support the notion that AHSCT causes qualitative immune resetting, and have provided insight into the mechanisms that might underlie the powerful treatment effects that last well beyond recovery of immune cell numbers. Indeed, studies have demonstrated that AHSCT can entirely suppress MS disease activity for 4–5 years in 70–80% of patients, a rate that is higher than those achieved with any other therapies for MS. Treatment-related mortality, which was 3.6% in studies before 2005, has decreased to 0.3% in studies since 2005. Current evidence indicates that the patients who are most likely to benefit from and tolerate AHSCT are young, ambulatory and have inflammatory MS activity. Clinical trials are required to rigorously test the efficacy, safety and cost-effectiveness of AHSCT against highly active MS drugs.

Journal article

Sormani MP, Schiavetti I, Signori A, Muraro PA, Saccardi R, Mancardi Get al., 2017, Autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation in multiple sclerosis: a meta-analysis, 32nd Congress of the European-Committee-for-Treatment-and-Research-in-Multiple-Sclerosis (ECTRIMS), Publisher: SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD, Pages: 374-374, ISSN: 1352-4585

Conference paper

Sormani MP, Muraro PA, Schiavetti I, Signori A, Laroni A, Saccardi R, Mancardi GLet al., 2017, Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in multiple sclerosis A meta-analysis, Neurology, Vol: 88, Pages: 2115-2122, ISSN: 1526-632X

Objective: To summarize the evidence on immunoablative therapy followed by autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (aHSCT) to manage severe and treatment-refractory multiple sclerosis (MS).Methods: We collected all the published studies of aHSCT in any form of MS from 1995 to 2016, carefully excluding reports that were updated in subsequent studies. Endpoints were transplant-related mortality (TRM), rate of disease progression, and no evidence of disease activity (NEDA) status. A weighted metaregression based on a Poisson model was run, assessing whether there were study-specific characteristics with an effect on TRM and progression.Results: Fifteen studies including 764 transplanted patients were pooled in the meta-analysis. The pooled estimate of TRM was 2.1% (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.3%–3.4%). TRM was higher in older studies (p = 0.014) and in studies with a lower proportion of patients with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) (p = 0.028). A higher baseline Expanded Disability Status Scale (p = 0.013) was also significantly associated with a higher TRM. Pooled rate of progression was 17.1% at 2 years (95% CI 9.7%–24.5%) and 23.3% (95% CI 16.3%–31.8%) at 5 years. Lower 2-year progression rate was significantly associated with higher proportions of patients with RRMS (p = 0.004). The pooled proportion of NEDA patients at 2 years was 83% (range 70%–92%) and at 5 years was 67% (range 59%–70%).Conclusions: The emerging evidence on this therapeutic approach in MS indicates that the largest benefit/risk profile form this therapeutic approach can be obtained in patients with aggressive MS with a relapsing-remitting course and who have not yet accumulated a high level of disability.

Journal article

Muraro PA, Pasquini M, Atkins HL, Bowen JD, Farge D, Fassas A, Freedman MS, Georges GE, Gualandi F, Hamerschlak N, Havrdova E, Kimiskidis VK, Kozak T, Mancardi GL, Massacesi L, Moraes DA, Nash RA, Pavletic S, Ouyang J, Rovira M, Saiz A, Simoes B, Trneny M, Zhu L, Badoglio M, Zhong X, Sormani MP, Saccardi Ret al., 2017, Long-term Outcomes After Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for Multiple Sclerosis, JAMA Neurology, Vol: 74, Pages: 459-469, ISSN: 2168-6149

Importance: Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) may be effective in aggressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) that fail to respond to standard therapies.Objective: To evaluate the long-term outcomes in patients who underwent AHSCT for the treatment of MS in a large multicenter cohort.Design, Setting, and Participants: Data were obtained in a multicenter, observational, retrospective cohort study. Eligibility criteria were receipt of AHSCT for the treatment of MS between January 1995 and December 2006 and the availability of a prespecified minimum data set comprising the disease subtype at baseline; the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score at baseline; information on the administered conditioning regimen and graft manipulation; and at least 1 follow-up visit or report after transplant. The last patient visit was on July 1, 2012. To avoid bias, all eligible patients were included in the analysis regardless of their duration of follow-up. Data analysis was conducted from September 1, 2014 to April 27, 2015.Exposures: Demographic, disease-related, and treatment-related exposures were considered variables of interest, including age, disease subtype, baseline EDSS score, number of previous disease-modifying treatments, and intensity of the conditioning regimen.Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcomes were MS progression-free survival and overall survival. The probabilities of progression-free survival and overall survival were calculated using Kaplan-Meier survival curves and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression analysis models.Results: Valid data were obtained from 25 centers in 13 countries for 281 evaluable patients, with median follow-up of 6.6 years (range, 0.2-16 years). Seventy-eight percent (218 of 281) of patients had progressive forms of MS. The median EDSS score before mobilization of peripheral blood stem cells was 6.5 (range, 1.5-9). Eight deaths (2.8%; 95% CI, 1.0%-4.9%) were reported within 100 da

Journal article

Collins F, Kazmi M, Muraro PA, 2017, Progress and prospects for the use and the understanding of the mode of action of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in the treatment of multiple sclerosis, Expert Review of Clinical Immunology, Vol: 13, Pages: 611-622, ISSN: 1744-666X

Introduction: A substantial proportion of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) do not respond to pharmacological treatments and no currently approved therapy has been convincingly demonstrated to prevent or stop disease progression. With MS widely believed to be an auto-immune disease, immunoablative therapy followed by autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (I/AHSCT) is being investigated as an alternative therapeutic option.Areas covered: With the results of phase III comparative trials only a few years away, this article reviews animal and clinical trials of I/AHSCT in the treatment of MS and discusses possible immunological mechanisms behind its action.Expert commentary: I/AHSCT can induce long-term suppression of inflammatory disease activity and can halt or reverse neurological deterioration even in progressive stages of the disease, altering the fundamental disease course. However, toxicity of the therapy remains a problem and longer term follow up is required. Immunological investigations of the reconstituting immune system have discovered that qualitative changes take place at the cellular and molecular levels, which support the hypothesis of a ‘resetting’ of the immune system towards a tolerant and anti-inflammatory state.

Journal article

Nash RA, Hutton GJ, Racke MK, Popat U, Devine SM, Steinmiller KC, Griffith LM, Muraro PA, Openshaw H, Sayre PH, Stuve O, Arnold DL, Wener MH, Georges GE, Wundes A, Kraft GH, Bowen JDet al., 2017, High-dose immunosuppressive therapy and autologous HCT for relapsing-remitting MS, Neurology, Vol: 88, Pages: 842-852, ISSN: 0028-3878

Objective: To evaluate the safety, efficacy, and durability of multiple sclerosis (MS) disease stabilization after high-dose immunosuppressive therapy (HDIT) and autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT).Methods: High-Dose Immunosuppression and Autologous Transplantation for Multiple Sclerosis (HALT-MS) is a phase II clinical trial of HDIT/HCT for patients with relapsing-remitting (RR) MS who experienced relapses with disability progression (Expanded Disability Status Scale [EDSS] 3.0–5.5) while on MS disease-modifying therapy. The primary endpoint was event-free survival (EFS), defined as survival without death or disease activity from any one of: disability progression, relapse, or new lesions on MRI. Participants were evaluated through 5 years posttransplant. Toxicities were reported using the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (AE).Results: Twenty-five participants were evaluated for transplant and 24 participants underwent HDIT/HCT. Median follow-up was 62 months (range 12–72). EFS was 69.2% (90% confidence interval [CI] 50.2–82.1). Progression-free survival, clinical relapse-free survival, and MRI activity-free survival were 91.3% (90% CI 74.7%–97.2%), 86.9% (90% CI 69.5%–94.7%), and 86.3% (90% CI 68.1%–94.5%), respectively. AE due to HDIT/HCT were consistent with expected toxicities and there were no significant late neurologic adverse effects noted. Improvements were noted in neurologic disability with a median change in EDSS of −0.5 (interquartile range −1.5 to 0.0; p = 0.001) among participants who survived and completed the study.Conclusion: HDIT/HCT without maintenance therapy was effective for inducing long-term sustained remissions of active RRMS at 5 years.

Journal article

Newbould R, Muraro P, Bishop C, Waldman Aet al., 2016, Analysis of ageing-associated grey matter volume in patients with multiple sclerosis shows excess atrophy in subcortical regions, NeuroImage-Clinical, Vol: 13, Pages: 9-15, ISSN: 2213-1582

Age of onset in multiple sclerosis (MS) exerts an influence on the course of disease. This study examined whether global and regional brain volumes differed between “younger” and “older” onset MS subjects who were matched for short disease duration, mean 1.9 years and burden as measured by the MS Severity Score and relapses.21 younger-onset MS subjects (age 30.4 ± 3.2 years) were compared with 17 older-onset (age 48.7 ± 3.3 years) as well as age-matched controls (n = 31, 31.9 ± 3.5 years and n = 21, 47.3 ± 4.0 years). All subjects underwent 3D volumetric T1 and T2-FLAIR imaging. White matter (WM) and grey matter (GM) lesions were outlined manually. Lesions were filled prior to tissue and structural segmentation to reduce classification errors.Volume loss versus control was predominantly in the subcortical GM, at > 13% loss. Younger and older-onset MS subjects had similar, strong excess loss in the putamen, thalamus, and nucleus accumbens. No excess loss was detected in the amygdala or pallidum. The hippocampus and caudate showed significant excess loss in the younger group (p < 0.001) and a strong trend in the older-onset group.These results provide a potential imaging correlate of published neuropsychological studies that reported the association of younger age at disease onset with impaired cognitive performance, including decreased working memory.

Journal article

Scalfari A, Romualdi C, Mattoscio M, Muraro P, Nicholas R, Calabrese Met al., 2016, Early relapses and cortical damage predict the risk of developing secondary progressive MS, 32nd Congress of the European-Committee-for-Treatment-and-Research-in-Multiple-Sclerosis (ECTRIMS), Publisher: SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD, Pages: 197-198, ISSN: 1352-4585

Conference paper

Lema A, Bishop C, Malik O, Mattoscio M, Ali R, Nicholas R, Muraro PA, Matthews PM, Waldman AD, Newbould RDet al., 2016, A compararison of magnetization transfer methods to assess brain and cervical cord microstructure in multiple sclerosis, Journal of Neuroimaging, Vol: 27, Pages: 221-226, ISSN: 1552-6569

BACKGROUND: Demyelination is a core pathological feature of multiple sclerosis (MS) and spontaneous remyelination appears to be an important mechanism for repair in the disease. Magnetization transfer ratio imaging (MTR) has been used extensively to evaluate demyelination, although limitations to its specificity are recognized. MT saturation imaging (MTsat) removes some of the T1 dependence of MTR. We have performed a comparative evaluation of MTR and MTsat imaging in a mixed group of subjects with active MS, to explore their relative sensitivity to pathology relevant to explaining clinical outcomes. METHODS: A total of 134 subjects underwent MRI of their brain and cervical spinal cord. Isotropic 3-dimensional pre- and postcontrast T1-weighted and T2-weighted fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) volumes were segmented into brain normal appearing white matter (NAWM), brain WM lesions (WML), normal appearing spinal cord (NASC), and spinal cord lesions. Volumes and metrics for MTR and MTsat histograms were calculated for each region. RESULTS: Significant Spearman correlations were found with the Expanded Disability Status Scale and timed 25-foot walk for the whole brain and WML MTR, but not in that from the NAWM or any cervical spinal cord region. By contrast, the MTsat was correlated with both disability metrics in all these regions in both the brain and spine. CONCLUSIONS: This study extends prior work relating atrophy and lesion load with disability, by characterization of MTsat parameters. MTsat is practical in routine clinical applications and may be more sensitive to tissue damage than MTR for both brain and cervical spinal cord.

Journal article

Colasanti A, Guo Q, Giannetti P, Wall M, Newbould R, Bishop C, Onega M, Nicholas R, Ciccarelli O, Muraro P, Malik O, Owen D, Young A, Gunn R, Piccini P, Matthews P, Rabiner Eet al., 2016, Neuroinflammation and genesis of affective symptoms in multiple sclerosis: integrating evidence from TSPO PET and resting state FMRI, Bipolar Disorders, Vol: 18, Pages: 84-84, ISSN: 1398-5647

Journal article

Sormani MP, Muraro PA, Saccardi R, Mancardi Get al., 2016, NEDA status in highly active MS can be more easily obtained with autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation than other drugs., Multiple Sclerosis Journal, ISSN: 1477-0970

The no evidence of disease activity (NEDA) composite measure has emerged as one attractive new target of therapies in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), consisting of the following features: (1) no relapses, (2) no disability progression, and (3) no magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) activity (new or enlarging T2 lesions or Gd-enhancing lesions). Achievement of NEDA status in patients receiving a disease-modifying therapy (DMT) seems to be an ambitious but ideal goal for therapies in RRMS. Recently, published post hoc analyses of clinical trials reported percentages of RRMS patients maintaining the NEDA status after 2 years of therapy ranging between 13% and 46%. Long-term assessment of NEDA patients in real-life settings showed very low probability to be NEDA in the long run. Against this scenario, immunoablative therapy followed by autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (aHSCT) demonstrated the potential to maintain a much higher proportion of NEDA patients at 2 years (ranging from 78% to 83%) and also at 5 years (ranging from 60% to 68%). This is even more relevant when considering that MS patients who underwent aHSCT are much more active than patients usually enrolled in clinical trials. The emerging evidence of the efficacy of this therapeutic approach in early aggressive and treatment-resistant RRMS calls for the organization of a randomized comparative trial to fully evaluate the risk-benefit profile of aHSCT in patients with highly active MS not responding to DMTs.

Journal article

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