Molecular Imaging of NET Using [C-11]MRB-PET in MS

January 29, 2026 updated by: TARUN SINGHAL, Brigham and Women's Hospital

Molecular Imaging of Norepinephrine Transporter (NET) Using [C-11]Methylreboxetine PET in Multiple Sclerosis

This study aims to use [C-11]MRB PET (positron emission tomography) imaging to look at brain injury in patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and healthy individuals. The overarching hypothesis is that there is decreased radioligand binding to the norepinephrine transporter in multiple sclerosis, reflecting injury to the noradrenergic system and that it plays a role in disease pathogenesis, its clinical manifestations and severity. This strategy is targeted to address an unmet need because currently available MRI techniques lack sensitivity and specificity for assessing such changes in the brains of people with MS.

The specific aims of the study are:

  1. To determine norepinephrine transporter binding in the brains of MS patients using [C-11]MRB PET and compare it with age, and sex matched healthy controls.
  2. To determine correlation of norepinephrine transporter binding with clinical severity and MRI parameters in MS.
  3. To determine correlation of norepinephrine transporter binding with fatigue and cognitive impairment in MS patients.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Two groups of subjects will be recruited:

  1. Individuals meeting the definition for Multiple Sclerosis by the International Panel Criteria19, with an Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) less than 6.5
  2. Age- and sex-matched healthy controls

The goal sample size is 12 subjects including 4 healthy controls and 8 subjects with Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

Subjects will be recruited by the PI, one of the other co-investigators, or a staff member listed on the protocol at the Partners MS Center and the Behavioral Neurology Clinic of Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Side Effects Monitoring:

No side effects from the radiopharmaceutical are expected nor have they been reported with C-11 MRB. As this study is conducted under MGH (Massachusetts General Hospital) RDRC (Radioactive Drug Research Committee) oversight, the administered dose of C-11 MRB is well below the known level to cause any pharmacologic effect. Subjects will also be exposed to a small amount of radiation.

Subject Safety:

Subject monitoring during MRI and PET scans will be performed using a 2-way intercom system between the scanner operator and subject and by visual monitoring of the subject through the window into the scan room (the subject is visible to the operator at all times).

Subjects will need to lie still in the PET camera for period of 120 min, and subjects may find it uncomfortable to remain still over this time. Therefore, as mentioned above, subjects will be given the opportunity to take a break for up to 20 minutes after 70 minutes of PET scanning, following which the last 30 minutes of scanning will be completed. A standard head-support device will be used to make the subjects comfortable during the scanning.

If subjects find an arterial line or duration of scanning too uncomfortable, they are free to withdraw from the study at any time.

The MRI scans take place in a confined space that makes some people claustrophobic. Claustrophobic individuals will be excluded from the study. Also during the scan the subject will hear loud banging noises and will therefore wear ear plugs to reduce this noise.

Recruitment Process:

Physicians at the Partners MS Center and the Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) Behavioral Neurology clinic may present the study to a subject during a regular scheduled clinic visit. If the subject is interested in the study, a copy of the consent form will be given. At the time of the subject's initial screening visit, a licensed physician investigator will answer any questions the subject may have regarding the study and subsequently obtain informed consent. In accordance with NIH guidelines, efforts will be made to attain a mix of study participants, in terms of gender and racial/ethnic representation.

Consent Process:

Informed consent will be obtained from the subjects by a licensed physician investigator on the study protocol. If the investigator is a clinician from the MS Center clinic, they will not be allowed to obtain consent from their own patients. Existing MS Center subjects may be sent a letter describing the study and a copy of the consent document. Interested subjects are directed to contact research staff via a telephone number provided in the letter inviting participation in the study to set up a screening visit. They will have the opportunity to discuss the study with research study staff prior to giving consent as outlined above. Subjects approached for participation in the study during a routine clinical visit will have the opportunity to participate in the study at that time or they may choose to return for participation at another time in the future. All subjects will be informed that they are free to withdraw consent from the study at any time without affecting the quality or type of care that they receive at BWH or MGH.

Monitoring and Quality Assurance:

During the study period, subjects will be followed by their clinical neurologists for adverse events and disease progression. If problems are reported to their physicians, they will receive care as is normally performed. In addition, the Principal Investigator (PI) will review all laboratory results of tests undergone by the subjects during the study period and help co-ordinate any necessary care with patient's primary providers.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
19

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Phase 2
  • Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Massachusetts
      • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02115
        • Recruiting
        • Brigham MS Center, 60 Fenwood Road
        • Contact:

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 60 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Individuals meeting the definition for Multiple Sclerosis by the International Panel Criteria, with an Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) less than 7.5
  2. Male and female subjects age 18 to 70 years
  3. Subjects willing to undergo PET and MRI imaging
  4. Subjects willing and able to give informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Individuals with a comorbid severe psychiatric condition such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or post-traumatic stress disorder.
  2. Individuals with a known alternate neurologic disorder, previous head injury, or substance abuse.
  3. Individuals taking tricyclic antidepressants, serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, or norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitors.
  4. Concurrent medical conditions that contraindicate study procedures.
  5. Women who are pregnant or nursing. Also, any woman who is seeking to become pregnant or suspects she is pregnant will be excluded from enrollment.
  6. Claustrophobia
  7. Non-MRI compatible implanted devices
  8. Corticosteroid treatment in the past four weeks

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Diagnostic
  • Allocation: Non-Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Multiple Sclerosis
Subjects meeting the definition for Multiple Sclerosis by the International Panel Criteria, with an Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) less than 6.5.
Drug: [C-11]Methylreboxetine
8 individuals with Multiple Sclerosis and 4 healthy controls will undergo a [C-11]MRB PET scan and a MRI scan.
Other Names:
  • [C-11]MRB
Experimental: Healthy Control
This group will serve as non disease population.
Drug: [C-11]Methylreboxetine
8 individuals with Multiple Sclerosis and 4 healthy controls will undergo a [C-11]MRB PET scan and a MRI scan.
Other Names:
  • [C-11]MRB

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
[C-11]Methylreboxetine area under the curve ratios
Time Frame: Baseline
PET Imaging measurement
Baseline

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Brigham and Women's Hospital

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Tarun Singhal, M.D., Brigham and Women's Hospital

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
October 10, 2017

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
December 31, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
December 31, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
June 30, 2017

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 30, 2017

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
July 2, 2017

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
February 2, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
January 29, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 2017P001099

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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