Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40040273›Full record

ArticleNMR in biomedicine2025

Validation of qMT and CEST MRI as Biomarkers of Response to Treatment After Lumbar Spinal Cord Injury in Rats.

Chaoqi Mu, Jamie L Reed, Feng Wang, Xinqiang Yan, Ming Lu, John C Gore, Li Min Chen

Abstract readValidation Study
In one paragraph

Article in NMR in biomedicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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  4. Review
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Chaoqi MuVanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7082-9242
Jamie L ReedVanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
Feng WangVanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8965-7708
Xinqiang YanVanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
Ming LuVanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
John C GoreVanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
Li Min ChenVanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.

Funding

Tumor Immunology and Microenvironment Research ProgramP30CA068485 · NCI · VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER · PI STACIE B DUSETZINA · 1995 to 2026
$172.8M
Upgrade of a 9.4T MRI Animal ScannerS10OD025085 · OD · VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER · PI GORE, JOHN C · 2020 to 2020
$600k
PET System for Preclinical ResearchS10OD016245 · OD · VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY · PI PETERSON, TODD E · 2013 to 2013
$584k
Dedicated Small-animal SPECT SystemS10RR023784 · NCRR · VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY · PI PETERSON, TODD E · 2007 to 2007
$449k
Multi-parametric MRI and PET imaging of rat spinal cord injuryF31NS135949 · NINDS · VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY · PI MU, CHAOQI CHASE · 2024 to 2025
$79k
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health F31 NS113949NCI NIH HHS P30 CA068485NCRR NIH HHS S10 RR023784NIH HHS S10 OD016245NIH HHS S10 OD025085NINDS NIH HHS F31 NS135949Office of Research Infrastructure Programs, National Institutes of Health 1S10OD016245-01Office of Research Infrastructure Programs, National Institutes of Health 1S10OD025085Office of Research Infrastructure Programs, National Institutes of Health 1S10RR023784-01U.S. Department of Defense SC190134
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The progression and repair of a traumatically injured spinal cord (SCI) involves multifactored processes. Noninvasive, mechanism-informative objective biomarkers could greatly facilitate the translation of findings from preclinical animal models to patient applications. We aimed to develop and validate multiparametric chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) and quantitative magnetization transfer (qMT) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) biomarkers for assessing SCI severity, demyelination, and neuroinflammation, as well as the response to neuroprotective drug treatment riluzole. Changes in CEST and qMT MRI metrics before and after a moderate contusion injury at the L1 level of the lumbar spinal cord were compared between two groups of rats that received either the riluzole or a vehicle treatment over 8 weeks. The specificity of these MRI biomarkers was validated by postmortem immunohistology. The functional relevance of these biomarkers was evaluated by correlation with hindlimb sensorimotor and pain behavior. The pool size ratio (PSR) maps from qMT acquisitions of the SCI region in riluzole-treated rats showed increased white matter macromolecular content compared to the HBC vehicle-treated group, suggesting increased myelin levels and possible remyelination of the injured spinal cord. CEST APT pool (3.5 ppm) amplitude decreased at the region rostral to the injury in riluzole-treated rats compared to the vehicle group, indicating potentially reduced neuroinflammatory activity. MRI metrics correlated temporally with behavioral measures of injury severity and recovery. Histological analysis spatially validated MRI-revealed myelination and neuroinflammation status and confirmed differences between the drug and vehicle treatment groups. Quantitative MRI is well suited for monitoring and quantifying the efficacy of pharmacological treatments in preclinical spinal cord injury models. Multiparametric MRI changes in white matter myelination (qMT PSR) and neuroinflammation (CEST APT) in the injured spinal cord were related to injury severity, behavioral deficits, and recovery progression over time. Both imaging metrics captured enhanced recovery from the neuroprotective drug riluzole, supporting the practical utility of these MRI biomarkers.

Indexed as

Lumbar VertebraeMagnetic Resonance ImagingSpinal Cord InjuriesAnimalsBiomarkersFemaleRatsRats, Sprague-DawleyReproducibility of ResultsRiluzoleBiomarkersRiluzolechemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST)imaging biomarkerMRIneuroprotective treatmentpreclinical imagingquantitative magnetization transfer (qMT)spinal cord injury

Identifiers

PMID40040273
PMCPMC11880742

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.