MSBase Imaging Repository (MSBIR)

Supporting the global MS Community – Clinically-enabled neuro-imaging data that advances innovative research and improves outcomes for people with MS.

As of September 2024, MSBIR contains >50,000 MRI scans from >5,000 subjects from 15 clinics/sites in 5 countries. Compatible MRI brain scans have been successfully analysed by iQ-MS. There are 7 active research collaborations underway using MSBIR data.

The MSBase Imaging Repository (MSBIR) is a collaborative project between the Computational Neuroimaging Team at the University of Sydney’s Brain and Mind Centre, Sydney Neuroimaging Analysis Centre and MSBase, a neuroimmunology registry containing over 110,000 MS patient records from over 180 clinics in 43 countries around the world.

The MSBIR is a unique, global multi-site image sharing and analysis platform that is accelerating clinical-imaging MS research in conjunction with MSBase. Built on customized XNAT (an extensible open-source imaging informatics software platform dedicated to imaging-based research) instances deployed globally on Amazon Web Services (AWS) servers, MSBIR has filtering, search, and analytics capabilities that facilitate “big data” demands of global MS research initiatives, especially in the field of advanced imaging biomarkers.

In collaboration with the Sydney Neuroimaging Analysis Centre (SNAC), the MSBIR provides individual researchers with standardized structural analytics for uploaded MRI scans meeting specific acquisition criteria. This data is made available to MS researchers through the MSBase platform.

The administration, operation, and maintenance of the MSBIR is overseen by a Project Control Board, which is comprised of researchers and personnel from The University of Sydney and MSBase. The basic governance of the MSBase Imaging Repository (MSBIR) mirrors that of the existing MSBase Registry platform in terms of data ownership, custodianship, and usage.

MSBase registered sites are invited to upload their de-identified imaging data in DICOM format to the MSBIR. Data can be ingested both as bulk ingestion and/or in real-time as radiographers complete their scans. Transfer of data to the MSBIR does not imply any change in legal ownership or governance of any data or datasets. The ownership of the data remains with the local site principal investigator (PI). MSBIR acts as an enabling infrastructure, working with data owners to facilitate the transfer, management, storage, and access to data for research.

The MSBIR Project Control Board is committed to ensuring that the platform meets the data protection and privacy requirements of MSBase researchers and contributors. Identifiable patient information will not be held within the MSBIR ecosystem. Data may not be removed without the written approval from the relevant PI/owner and the MSBIR administration. Data storage regulations will be adhered to with regard to the length of time that the data is stored.

The use of the imaging data in MSBIR can only be requested and accessed through the MSBase Registry portal request system. By registering to use the MSBase portal, end-users agree to use the data in accordance with the privacy and security statements set by the MSBase Registry.

The MSBIR will store all uploaded DICOM imaging datasets from MBase member sites for future collaborative research. However, a basic minimum acquisition is required to facilitate standardized analytics that will be routinely provided through the MSBIR. Recommended minimum sequences that are required for brain structural analytics (lesion metrics and brain volumetrics) powered by SNAC include:

3D-T1 (pre-contrast)
3D-Fluid Attenuated Inversion Recovery

These sequences are a subset of those currently recommended by MAGNIMS, the Consortium of MS Centers and the Observatoire Français de la Sclérose en Plaques OSEP.

Structural change metrics observed over time will only be provided to MSBase researchers where imaging acquisition protocols and parameters remain longitudinally stable between scans uploaded to the MSBIR.

For further information, or for advice on specific MS MRI protocols and parameters, MSBase researchers may contact the MSBIR team at msbir.research@sydney.edu.au.

MSBIR – Conference Presentations

Poster 1 – PACTRIMS 2021 – Poster Presentation
Poster 2 – PACTRIMS 2022 – Poster Presentation P86
Poster 3 – ANZAN 2023 – Poster Presentation 2685
Poster 4 – ECTRIMS 2023 – Poster Presentation P674

MSBase Imaging Repository (MSBIR)

Supporting the global MS Community – Clinically-enabled neuro-imaging data that advances innovative research and improves outcomes for people with MS.

SPONSORS