# No-Gd MRI for Monitoring Disease Status in Multiple Sclerosis

> **NIH NIH R01** · WEILL MEDICAL COLL OF CORNELL UNIV · 2020 · $512,585

## Abstract

Our
patients
objective is to eliminate gadolinium (Gd) injections i n routine follow-up MRI of multiple sclerosis (MS)
using quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) asa direct response to the calls issued by the NIH
and FDA to re-evaluate repetitive Gd administration to patients. We have pioneered QSM that is generated by
processing the often-discarded phase data from gradient echo MRI (GRE). We have discovered that iron-
containing proinflammatory microglia often accumulate at the MS lesion rim. We have initiated applications of
QSM in studying multiple sclerosis, and have demonstrated that QSM can detect iron rims around MS lesions.
We have obtained preliminary data in MS patients that the susceptibility increase as measured on QSM can
accurately indicate BBB closure, as supported by the biophysics of myelin digestion, myelin debris removal,
and iron accumulation. Totranslate our pathophysiologic and biophysical insights into patient care,we propose
a no-Gd MRI using QSM to follow up MS patients. We will perform an economical multicenter study by adding
a 5 min GRE sequence to the current MS MRI follow-up protocol without incurring any scan costs to the NIH.
We will employ a hierarchical approach to assess the technical efficacy, diagnostic accuracy, diagnostic
thinking, and therapeutic efficacy of the proposed QSM based no-Gd MRI. Accordingly, we plan to achieve our
objective through the following specific aims: Aim 1: Establish susceptibility increase due to myelin digestion by
macrophages. Aim 2: Optimize the technical efficacy of no-Gd MRI to follow up MS patients. Aim 3: Evaluate
the diagnostic accuracy, diagnostic thinking, and therapeutic efficacy of QSM based no-Gd MRI.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10022346
- **Project number:** 5R01NS105144-03
- **Recipient organization:** WEILL MEDICAL COLL OF CORNELL UNIV
- **Principal Investigator:** Susan A Gauthier
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $512,585
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-09-30 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10022346

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10022346, No-Gd MRI for Monitoring Disease Status in Multiple Sclerosis (5R01NS105144-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10022346. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*