Sensitivity of Volumetric Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy to Progression of Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 1.

Background: Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) causes progressive degeneration of the cerebellum and brainstem. Volumetric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was shown to be more sensitive to disease progression than the most sensitive clinical measure, the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA), in longitudinal studies, and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) was shown to detect neurochemical abnormalities with high sensitivity cross-sectionally in SCA1.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to compare the sensitivities to change of volumetric MRI, MRS, and SARA in a 3-year longitudinal study in SCA1.

Imaging and modification of the tumor vascular barrier for improvement in magnetic nanoparticle uptake and hyperthermia treatment efficacy.

The predicted success of nanoparticle based cancer therapy is due in part to the presence of the inherent leakiness of the tumor vascular barrier, the so called enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect. Although the EPR effect is present in varying degrees in many tumors, it has not resulted in the consistent level of nanoparticle-tumor uptake enhancement that was initially predicted. Magnetic/iron oxide nanoparticles (mNPs) have many positive qualities, including their inert/nontoxic nature, the ability to be produced in various sizes, the ability to be activated by a deeply penetrating and nontoxic magnetic field resulting in cell-specific cytotoxic heating, and the ability to be successfully coated with a wide variety of functional coatings.