In Vivo Measurements of Neural Stem and Progenitor Cells (NPCs) in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis and Normal Controls, Using MRS and LCModel

Claudiu Schirda^1,2, Christopher Magnano¹, E. Ann Yeh², Bianca Weinstock-Guttman², Allison S. Drake², Jennifer L. Cox^1,2, Robert Zivadinov^1,2

Neural stem and progenitor cells (NPCs) have self-renewing capabilities, thus rendering them an attractive biomarker for monitoring repair of damaged nerve tissue. Recently, NPCs have been associated with the 1.28ppm resonance and MRS measurements in normal controls (NC) have been demonstrated, using a single value decomposition technique for quantification. We are presenting results of MRS in vivo NPCs measurements conducted in NC and multiple sclerosis (MS) patients at different ages and disease stages, using the well established LCModel to quantify the 1.28ppm biomarker.