Spinal cord temperature as a measure of neuroinflammation in the human spinal cord

The lack of effective treatment options for neurological disorders underlines the critical need to identify new drug targets. Neuroinflammation is one of the most common disease mechanisms in various neurological disorders, which makes it a promising target for novel therapies. One of the major barriers facing the development of effective therapies that improve function in individuals with neurological disorders, such as spinal cord injury and multiple sclerosis, is the lack of suitable biomarkers. To address this issue, we aim to develop “spinal cord thermometry” or SCT. SCT can be done in awake individuals using data acquired from a non-invasive MRI scan. SCT, we believe, may provide valuable information on the degree of inflammation ongoing in the injured spinal cord. This is, conceptually, very similar to how body temperature indicates if you have an infection. Our study will develop the necessary methods to measure SCT, first in healthy individuals, before application in individuals with spinal cord injury and multiple sclerosis. Our research will provide a novel biomarker of neuroinflammation in the spinal cord and help identify ways to treat diseases associated with neuroinflammation.