Towards molecular imaging of multiple sclerosis

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has had a profound impact on both research and clinical management of multiple sclerosis (MS), but signal changes reflect underlying neuropathology only indirectly and often non-specifically. Positron emission tomography (PET) offers the potential to complement MRI with quantitative measures of molecularly specific markers of cellular and metabolic processes. PETradiotracers already available promise new insights into the dynamics of the innate immune response, neuronal function, neurodegeneration and remyelination. Because PET is an exquisitely sensitive technique (able to image even picomolar concentrations), only microdoses of radioligand (< 10 mu g) are needed for imaging. This facilitates rapid implementation of novel radioligands because extensive toxicology data is not required. In the future, molecular imaging could assist clinical decision-making with patient stratification for optimization of treatment selection.