ARMOUR-MS
An Observational Remyelination Study in People with Demyelinating Diseases
BACKGROUND
At present, the tests employed for the diagnosis and monitoring of MS and other demyelinating conditions of the nervous system are not sensitive to detecting changes in myelin or the long-term loss of nerve cells that occurs. The ARMOUR-One study was designed to understand the feasibility of introducing measures of myelin and axonal health to routine clinical practice. An additional focus was on understanding the differences in remyelination with age, and so this study includes paedatric cases of MS, as well as people of more advanced age that are living with MS.
STUDY DESIGN
This is an observational study, meaning no drugs are being tested and participants continue with their usual clinical care. The additional assessments are non-invasive and carry no known risks. Participants attend between one and three study visits over a 12-month period, with each visit lasting up to 3–4 hours.
Remyelination is assessed by measuring changes over time using a combination of eye movement tests, blood samples, and MRI brain scans, comparing results from the first and final visits.
PROGRESS UPDATE
Over two years, our team recruited 109 participants, including 58 healthy volunteers and 51 people living with MS.
The dataset is now being analysed across several complementary research streams, including understanding how age influences remyelination and evaluating new, sensitive measures to track myelin repair.