Aclarion Technology Demonstrates Potential Beyond Surgical Planning in New Immune-Biomarker Study
- Award-winning, NIH funded study indicates that immune-associated biological signatures may play a role in some cases of back pain
- Nociscan's underlying MRS technology enabled measurement of intradiscal propionic acid to uncover immune-linked patient subtypes
- Latest findings point to potential clinical applications of Nociscan beyond surgical decision support, expanding the future scope of precision spine care
BROOMFIELD, Colo., June 01, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aclarion, Inc., ("Aclarion" or the "Company") (NASDAQ:ACON, ACONW)), a commercial-stage healthcare technology company that is leveraging biomarkers and proprietary augmented intelligence (AI) algorithms to help physicians identify the location of chronic low back pain, today announced that its Nociscan® magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) technology was used in a new research study exploring the biological factors associated with back pain in patients with Modic type 1 (MC1) changes, a condition marked by inflammation near the spinal disc.
The study, which received the 2026 ISSLS Best Paper Award, by investigators at University of Zurich, UCSF and the REACH Center, used Nociscan's underlying MRS methodology to non-invasively measure propionic acid (PA) — a metabolic byproduct associated with Cutibacterium acnes (a bacteria) — inside lumbar discs. Elevated PA levels were shown to identify a subgroup of MC1 patients with distinct systemic immune activation, particularly involving B-cells.
"Chronic low back pain affects 266 million people worldwide, and one of the biggest challenges is that standard imaging often cannot tell us what is actually causing a patient's pain," said Jeff Thramann, M.D., Executive Chairman of Aclarion. "This research is significant because it demonstrates that Nociscan's platform technology may be able to go further — helping clinicians understand not just which disc is painful, but whether that pain has a mechanical, inflammatory, or immune-associated origin. While we are still in the early stages, these findings may open a compelling avenue for expanding what Nociscan can ultimately offer to physicians and patients."
Expanding the Clinical Value of Nociscan Beyond Surgical Decision Support
Nociscan is commercially available as a decision-support tool that provides physicians with objective biochemical data for evaluating chronic low back pain. While its primary use today is helping surgeons understand which discs are likely to be painful according to the algorithm, this new research highlights additional potential applications of the underlying technology.
In this study, researchers used Nociscan technology to quantify intradiscal PA. Their findings suggest that biochemical signatures inside the disc may help clinicians:
- Differentiate between biochemical signatures associated with mechanical, inflammatory, and infection-related processes in disc pain
- Identify patients whose back pain may involve an immune or autoimmune component
- Stratify MC1 patients into biologically distinct subgroups
- Inform future research into personalized treatment strategies, including use of anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, or immune-modulating therapies
The significance of this research can be summarized as follows:
- Some people with chronic low back pain have changes in the bone near the disc (Modic type 1)
- Scientists have long suspected that these changes may involve inflammation, immune activation, or even low-grade bacterial involvement
- Using the same type of chemical analysis that powers Nociscan, researchers measured a naturally occurring acid (propionic acid) inside the disc
- Higher levels of this acid were linked to a specific pattern in the patient's immune system, especially activation of B-cells — the cells that make antibodies
Importantly, these findings suggest that back pain in some patients may be associated with an immune response, not just wear-and-tear or structural degeneration. In the future, Nociscan's platform technology may help clinicians understand not just which disc is painful but what type of biological process is driving a patient's pain, opening the door to more personalized spine care.
To find a Nociscan center, view our site map here.
For more information on Nociscan, please email: info@aclarion.com
About Aclarion, Inc.
Aclarion is a healthcare technology company that leverages Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ("MRS"), proprietary signal processing techniques, biomarkers, and augmented intelligence algorithms to optimize clinical treatments. The Company is first addressing the chronic low back pain market with Nociscan, the first, evidence-supported, SaaS platform to noninvasively help physicians distinguish between painful and nonpainful discs in the lumbar spine. Through a cloud connection, Nociscan receives magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) data from an MRI machine for each lumbar disc being evaluated. In the cloud, proprietary signal processing techniques extract and quantify chemical biomarkers demonstrated to be associated with disc pain. Biomarker data is entered into proprietary algorithms to indicate if a disc may be a source of pain. When used with other diagnostic tools, Nociscan provides critical insights into the location of a patient's low back pain, giving physicians clarity to optimize treatment strategies. For more information, please visit www.aclarion.com.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 about the Company's current expectations about future results, performance, prospects and opportunities. Statements that are not historical facts, such as "anticipates," "believes" and "expects" or similar expressions, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on the current plans and expectations of management and are subject to a number of uncertainties and risks that could significantly affect the Company's current plans and expectations, as well as future results of operations and financial condition. Forward-looking statements in this release include, among others, statements regarding the use of Nociscan beyond surgical planning, that findings from the above mentioned study may open a compelling avenue for expanding what Nociscan can ultimately offer to physicians and patients, inform future research into personalized treatment strategies, including use of anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, or immune-modulating therapies, and In the future, Nociscan's platform technology may help clinicians understand not just which disc is painful but what type of biological process is driving a patient's pain, opening the door to more personalized spine care. These and other risks and uncertainties are discussed more fully in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Readers are encouraged to review the section titled "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, as well as other disclosures contained in the Prospectus and subsequent filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are made as of this date and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Investor Contacts:
Kirin M. Smith
PCG Advisory, Inc.
ksmith@pcgadvisory.com
Media Contacts:
Jennie Kim
SPRIG Consulting
jennie@sprigconsulting.com
