This volume explores the recent advances in the study of translational paths in central inflammation and focuses on ongoing pathophysiological processes and the transition between inflammatory stages and progressive states with neurodegeneration. Chapters cover topics such as pathophysiological hallmarks of neuroinflammation from tissue damage to reorganization; connecting studies of mouse models; and investigations of humans with multiple sclerosis. In the Neuromethods series style, chapters include the kind of detail and key advice from the specialists needed to get successful results in your laboratory. Cutting-edge and practical, Translational Methods for Multiple Sclerosis Research is a valuable resource for researchers who want to learn more about this chronic ad progressive disease, and pave the way for new advancements.
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic and often disabling disease of the nervous system, affecting about 1 million people worldwide. Even though it has been known for over a hundred years, no cause or cure has yet been discovered-but now there is hope. New therapies have been shown to slow the disease progress in some patients, and the pace of discoveries about the cellular machinery of the brain and spinal cord has accelerated. This book presents a comprehensive overview of multiple sclerosis today, as researchers seek to understand its processes, develop therapies that will slow or halt the disease and perhaps repair damage, offer relief for specific symptoms, and improve the abilities of MS patients to function in their daily lives. The panel reviews existing knowledge and identifies key research questions, focusing on: Research strategies that have the greatest potential to understand the biological mechanisms of recovery and to translate findings into specific strategies for therapy. How people adapt to MS and the research needed to improve the lives of people with MS. Management of disease symptoms (cognitive impairment, depression, spasticity, vision problems, and others). The committee also discusses ways to build and financially support the MS research enterprise, including a look at challenges inherent in designing clinical trials. This book will be important to MS researchers, research funders, health care advocates for MS research and treatment, and interested patients and their families.
Nervous system diseases and disorders are highly prevalent and substantially contribute to the overall disease burden. Despite significant information provided by the use of animal models in the understanding of the biology of nervous system disorders and the development of therapeutics; limitations have also been identified. Treatment options that are high in efficacy and low in side effects are still lacking for many diseases and, in some cases are nonexistent. A particular problem in drug development is the high rate of attrition in Phase II and III clinical trials. Why do many therapeutics show promise in preclinical animal models but then fail to elicit predicted effects when tested in humans? On March 28 and 29, 2012, the Institute of Medicine Forum on Neuroscience and Nervous System Disorders convened the workshop "Improving Translation of Animal Models for Nervous System Disorders" to discuss potential opportunities for maximizing the translation of new therapies from animal models to clinical practice. The primary focus of the workshop was to examine mechanisms for increasing the efficiency of translational neuroscience research through discussions about how and when to use animal models most effectively and then best approaches for the interpretation of the data collected. Specifically, the workshop objectives were to: discuss key issues that contribute to poor translation of animal models in nervous system disorders, examine case studies that highlight successes and failures in the development and application of animal models, consider strategies to increase the scientific rigor of preclinical efficacy testing, explore the benefits and challenges to developing standardized animal and behavioral models. Improving the Utility and Translation of Animal Models for Nervous System Disorders: Workshop Summary also identifies methods to facilitate development of corresponding animal and clinical endpoints, indentifies methods that would maximize bidirectional translation between basic and clinical research and determines the next steps that will be critical for improvement of the development and testing of animal models of disorders of the nervous system.
Quantitative Magnetic Resonance Imaging is a 'go-to' reference for methods and applications of quantitative magnetic resonance imaging, with specific sections on Relaxometry, Perfusion, and Diffusion. Each section will start with an explanation of the basic techniques for mapping the tissue property in question, including a description of the challenges that arise when using these basic approaches. For properties which can be measured in multiple ways, each of these basic methods will be described in separate chapters. Following the basics, a chapter in each section presents more advanced and recently proposed techniques for quantitative tissue property mapping, with a concluding chapter on clinical applications. The reader will learn: - The basic physics behind tissue property mapping - How to implement basic pulse sequences for the quantitative measurement of tissue properties - The strengths and limitations to the basic and more rapid methods for mapping the magnetic relaxation properties T1, T2, and T2* - The pros and cons for different approaches to mapping perfusion - The methods of Diffusion-weighted imaging and how this approach can be used to generate diffusion tensor - maps and more complex representations of diffusion - How flow, magneto-electric tissue property, fat fraction, exchange, elastography, and temperature mapping are performed - How fast imaging approaches including parallel imaging, compressed sensing, and Magnetic Resonance - Fingerprinting can be used to accelerate or improve tissue property mapping schemes - How tissue property mapping is used clinically in different organs - Structured to cater for MRI researchers and graduate students with a wide variety of backgrounds - Explains basic methods for quantitatively measuring tissue properties with MRI - including T1, T2, perfusion, diffusion, fat and iron fraction, elastography, flow, susceptibility - enabling the implementation of pulse sequences to perform measurements - Shows the limitations of the techniques and explains the challenges to the clinical adoption of these traditional methods, presenting the latest research in rapid quantitative imaging which has the possibility to tackle these challenges - Each section contains a chapter explaining the basics of novel ideas for quantitative mapping, such as compressed sensing and Magnetic Resonance Fingerprinting-based approaches
Translational Neuroscience offers a far-reaching and insightful series of perspectives on the effort to bring potentially revolutionary new classes of therapies to the clinic, thereby transforming the treatment of human nervous system disorders. Great advances in the fields of basic neuroscience, molecular biology, genomics, gene therapy, cell therapy, stem cell biology, information technology, neuro devices, rehabilitation and others over the last 20 years have generated unprecedented opportunities to treat heretofore untreatable disorders of the nervous system. This book provides a wide-ranging yet detailed sample of many of these efforts, together with the methods for pursuing clinical translation and assessing clinical outcomes. Among the topics covered are Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, motor neuron disease, pain, inborn errors of metabolism, brain tumors, spinal cord injury, neuroprosthetics, rehabilitation and clinical trial design/consideration. Translational Neuroscience is aimed at basic neuroscientists, translational neuroscientists and clinicians who seek to gain a perspective on the nature and promise of translational therapies in the current era. Both students and established professionals will benefit from the content.
Because autoimmune disorders can wreak havoc in both humans and animals, these disorders are now the objects of intense and focused research. This book details specific animal models for a variety of autoimmune disorders. The contributors are recognized authorities who deal with the panoply of experimentally induced autoimmune disorders, including encephalomyelitis, allergic neuritis, uveoretinitis, myocarditis, and hepatitis. Also included are discussions of spontaneously appearing diseases such as autoimmune thyroiditis and systemic lupus erythematosus. Many other disorders are also covered in this comprehensive guide. Certain to be an aid in the planning of individual experiments and broader research programs, this book will be a valuable addition to the library of all practicing immunologists interested in immune system function and dysfunction.
The field of neurology is being transformed, from a therapeutically nihilistic discipline with few effective treatments, to a therapeutic specialty which offers new, effective treatments for disorders of the brain and spinal cord. This remarkable transformation has bridged neuroscience, molecular medicine, and clinical investigation, and represents a major triumph for biomedical research. This book, which contains chapters by more than 29 internationally recognized authorities who have made major contributions to neurotherapeutics, tells the stories of how new treatments for disabling disorders of the nervous system, such as stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and migraine, were developed, and explores evolving themes and technologies that offer hope for even more effective treatments and ultimately cures for currently untreatable disorders of the brain and spinal cord. The first part of this book reviews the development of new therapies in neurology, from their inception in terms of basic science to their introduction into the clinical world. It also explores evolving themes and new technologies. This book will be of interest to everyone – clinicians and basic scientists alike – interested in diseases of the brain and spinal cord, and in the quest for new treatments for these disorders.* Presents the evolution of the field of neurology into a therapeutic discipline * Discusses lessons learned from past successes and applications to ongoing work* Explores the future of this field
Conn's Translational Neuroscience provides a comprehensive overview reflecting the depth and breadth of the field of translational neuroscience, with input from a distinguished panel of basic and clinical investigators. Progress has continued in understanding the brain at the molecular, anatomic, and physiological levels in the years following the 'Decade of the Brain,' with the results providing insight into the underlying basis of many neurological disease processes. This book alternates scientific and clinical chapters that explain the basic science underlying neurological processes and then relates that science to the understanding of neurological disorders and their treatment. Chapters cover disorders of the spinal cord, neuronal migration, the autonomic nervous system, the limbic system, ocular motility, and the basal ganglia, as well as demyelinating disorders, stroke, dementia and abnormalities of cognition, congenital chromosomal and genetic abnormalities, Parkinson's disease, nerve trauma, peripheral neuropathy, aphasias, sleep disorders, and myasthenia gravis. In addition to concise summaries of the most recent biochemical, physiological, anatomical, and behavioral advances, the chapters summarize current findings on neuronal gene expression and protein synthesis at the molecular level. Authoritative and comprehensive, Conn's Translational Neuroscience provides a fully up-to-date and readily accessible guide to brain functions at the cellular and molecular level, as well as a clear demonstration of their emerging diagnostic and therapeutic importance. - Provides a fully up-to-date and readily accessible guide to brain functions at the cellular and molecular level, while also clearly demonstrating their emerging diagnostic and therapeutic importance - Features contributions from leading global basic and clinical investigators in the field - Provides a great resource for researchers and practitioners interested in the basic science underlying neurological processes - Relates and translates the current science to the understanding of neurological disorders and their treatment
