Findings from an experimental model show that researchers were able to effectively identify bone marrow cancer (myelofibrosis) using MRI, which could result in how this disease is diagnosed moving forward.

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) designed and tested whether a T2-weighted MRI could detect bone marrow fibrosis in an experimental model. The current diagnosis of myelobibrosis is made through an invasive bone marrow biopsy and histophatology to assess cellularity and reticulin deposition in the marrow.

"Our study provides proof-of-concept that this non-invasive modality can detect pre-fibrotic stages of the disease," said Katya Ravid, PhD, professor of medicine and biochemistry at BUSM. "It is intriguing to speculate that future pre-biopsy MRI of the human pathology might guide in some cases decisions on if and where to biopsy.” 

Data from the study suggests that MRI was able to clearly detect a pre-fibrotic state of the disease, in addition to progressive myelofibrosis. Researchers proposed that the heavy amount of "large megakaryocytes added to the signal, since in T2-weighted MR-images, increased water/proton content, as in increased cellularity, yield high (bright) MR-signal intensity." 

Myeloproliferative Neoplasms Research Foundation and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute were in support of this study.