ARMOUR One: Assessing Remyelinating Measures v1.0
Research type
Research Study
Full title
ARMOUR One: Assessing Remyelinating Measures with the Objective of Understanding Repair in MS and in demyelinating conditions of the central nervous system
IRAS ID
313164
Contact name
Nick Cunniffe
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Cambridge
Duration of Study in the UK
4 years, 2 months, 26 days
Research summary
Nerve fibres in the brain and spinal cord are surrounded by a protective layer known as myelin. Myelin allows messages to smoothly travel along nerve fibres. In multiple sclerosis (MS) and in other demyelinating and inflammatory conditions of the central nervous system (CNS), the immune system attacks the myelin surrounding and protecting fibres of the brain and the spinal cord. This leads to difficulties with walking, balance, vision, as well as accumulating disability. To avoid this happening, we are trying to understand remyelination – the process by which myelin is regenerated – as this could reverse and prevent disability progression. To be able to understand remyelination, however, we need appropriate measures that can quantify the extent of myelin repair, and any potential factors driving it. Currently, the tests used for the diagnosis and monitoring of MS and other demyelinating conditions of the CNS (particularly standard MRI brain scans) are not sensitive to detecting the repair of myelin-related damage. We therefore are conducting a study that will assess the feasibility of introducing a combination of assessments sensitive to myelin repair to routine clinical practice: these include specialised MRI scans, tests of the eyes called visual evoked potentials and optical coherence tomography, and blood tests. We therefore hope to understand the feasibility (from a patient and clinical perspective) of using such tests in routine practice to measure repair of myelin and additionally hope to be able to use the data generated from this study to begin to understand why some people with MS and demyelinating conditions repair damage to their nerves better than others. We aim to recruit up to 250 people (100 adult patients with MS and other demyelinating conditions, up to 50 adult healthy volunteers, up to 50 paediatric patients with MS and other demyelinating conditions, and up to 50 paediatric controls).
REC name
North West - Greater Manchester East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/NW/0340
Date of REC Opinion
15 Dec 2022
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion