7-Tesla MRI Use in Research: Jemima Akinsanya, DO, and Daniel Reich, MD, PhD
The duo from the National Institutes of Health discussed the advantages of the ultra-high resolution imaging technology in research.
“There are some places, like specialty MS clinics, where the 7-T is used as the primary MRI scan for the patients in that clinic. And I imagine that if we see that 7-T really offers a much better look at the imaging features of relevance to patients then that usage will grow over time. And this is one area where that might be the case.”
A new phase 2a clinical trial paradigm using 7-Tesla magnetic resonance imagining (MRI) to evaluate paramagnetic rim lesions (PRL) in multiple sclerosis (MS) is underway.1 The 2 open-label studies investigating anakinra (NCT04025554) and tolebrutinib were presented at the Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) Forum 2021, February 25-27, by first author Jemima Akinsanya, DO, neuroimmunology clinical fellow, National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Anakinra was approved by the FDA for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and neonatal-onset multisystem inflammatory disease in 2001.2 It is a recombinant human interleukin-1 receptor antagonist, and its study is underway. Tolebrutinib is an investigational, orally available, brain-penetrant Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor and its study is currently enrolling.
NeurologyLive spoke with Akinsanya and Daniel Reich, MD, PhD, senior investigator, National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH to learn more about their investigations as well as the use of 7-Tesla MRIs in research and clinical practice. They discussed the potential of the technology and future usage.
For more coverage of ACTRIMS Forum 2021, click here.
