# Method for Large-scale Quantitative Analysis of Myelin in Living Animals

> **NIH NIH SC1** · HUNTER COLLEGE · 2020 · $351,000

## Abstract

Abstract
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a demyelinating disease of the central nervous system affecting more than 2.3 million
people worldwide. The pathogenic mechanism is not well understood and the diagnosis does not occur early
enough to prevent further neurodegeneration. Evidence suggests that demyelination in the cerebrum is an
important lesion of MS correlating well with cognitive defects in the disease. However, the clinical significance
has not been fully established because cortical myelin cannot be observed in vivo over a long period. Here we
propose to develop optical methods for studying cortical myelin in living animals. A new imaging modality will
be employed, namely third-harmonic generation microscopy (THGM), which we recently demonstrated for
label-free visualization of myelin in intact nerves of the peripheral nervous system. Powerful imaging
capabilities will be developed suitable for advancing our knowledge of cortical myelination. First, THGM will be
validated for probing cortical demyelination and remyelination in living MS animal models. Second, wavefront
control will be implemented to facilitate large-scale THGM imaging of cortical myelin in deep mouse brain.
Third, super-resolution THGM morphometry will be achieved by image restoration and probabilistic modeling.
Upon successful completion, this project will open a new field of investigations in basic science as well as
translational medicine to elucidate the axon-glial cell interaction underlying cortical demyelination and
remyelination.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9934244
- **Project number:** 5SC1GM121198-04
- **Recipient organization:** HUNTER COLLEGE
- **Principal Investigator:** Hyungsik Lim
- **Activity code:** SC1 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $351,000
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-06-01 → 2022-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9934244

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9934244, Method for Large-scale Quantitative Analysis of Myelin in Living Animals (5SC1GM121198-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9934244. Licensed CC0.

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