Alterity Therapeutics (ASX: ATH, NASDAQ: ATHE), a biotechnology company dedicated to developing disease modifying treatments for neurodegenerative diseases, has announced the publication of research featuring an innovative neuroimaging measure from its bioMUSE Natural History Study in the journal Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology. The study focuses on Multiple System Atrophy (MSA).
The publication, titled “The MSA Atrophy Index (MSA-AI): An Imaging Marker for Diagnosis and Clinical Progression in Multiple System Atrophy,” details the use of deep learning methods to define the neuroanatomy of key brain regions. It describes the development of a novel brain atrophy measure, the MSA Atrophy Index (MSA-AI), for tracking disease progression in MSA patients over a one-year period. Researchers correlated these results with clinical measures of disease severity observed during the same timeframe.
According to Alterity CEO Dr. David Stamler, this research utilises advanced technology that goes beyond traditional MRI methods for assessing brain volume in MSA patients. The MSA-AI offers an objective, quantifiable measure of brain atrophy in regions commonly affected by MSA. This streamlines the evaluation of disease progression and treatment response, and provides a phenotype-independent assessment, applicable to both MSA-P and MSA-C, despite differing atrophy patterns.
The study captured a broad spectrum of clinical severity and atrophy patterns by leveraging longitudinal and cross-sectional cohorts. MSA patients exhibited significantly lower MSA-AI scores compared to other diagnostic groups, effectively distinguishing MSA from related synucleinopathies, such as Parkinson’s disease and Dementia with Lewy Bodies. The full publication is accessible on Alterity’s website. Alterity is initially focused on developing disease modifying therapies in Parkinson’s disease and related disorders.
