Emerging Blood Biomarkers for Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosis and Treatment Monitoring

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• Current MS Biomarkers in Clinical Practice
• Neural Filament Light Chain as a Biomarker
• Precision Medicine and Big Data in MS Research
• Future Blood Biomarkers: MicroRNAs and Anti-Lipid Antibodies
• The Path to Widespread Biomarker Commercialization
• Full Transcript

Current MS Biomarkers in Clinical Practice

Dr. Howard Weiner, MD, confirms that biomarkers are already integral to multiple sclerosis management. The MRI scan is a fundamental tool for diagnosing MS and monitoring its progression. Another critical biomarker measures antibodies against the JC virus. Dr. Howard Weiner, MD, explains that this test is vital for assessing the risk of a serious brain infection when considering treatment with the medication natalizumab (Tysabri). These established biomarkers help neurologists make crucial safety and efficacy decisions for their patients.

Neural Filament Light Chain as a Biomarker

A promising new area of research involves neural filament light chain (NfL). Dr. Howard Weiner, MD, identifies this as a key measurement for multiple sclerosis disease activity. Neural filaments are proteins released into the blood and spinal fluid when nerve cells are damaged. Elevated levels of NfL strongly correlate with relapses and ongoing inflammation in the brain and spinal cord. This biomarker offers a potential objective blood test to track MS activity and neuronal injury over time.

Precision Medicine and Big Data in MS Research

The drive for precision medicine in multiple sclerosis is fueling advanced research initiatives. Dr. Howard Weiner, MD, describes a major collaboration with Verily, a company born from Google. This project involves collecting vast amounts of data from MS patients. The goal is to develop a comprehensive blood test profile. Dr. Howard Weiner, MD, states that such a test could precisely determine if a patient's MS is in a relapsing or progressive phase. It could also accurately monitor an individual's response to their specific treatment.

Future Blood Biomarkers: MicroRNAs and Anti-Lipid Antibodies

Research is actively exploring several novel biomarker classes for multiple sclerosis. Dr. Howard Weiner, MD, highlights work on antigen arrays that detect specific antibody patterns. He also emphasizes the significant potential of microRNAs. These small, circulating RNA molecules can rapidly fluctuate with disease activity, making them excellent dynamic markers. Furthermore, Dr. Weiner's team is investigating anti-lipid antibodies and other proteomic markers. These lipid profile-based biomarkers could provide a unique molecular signature for different MS subtypes.

The Path to Widespread Biomarker Commercialization

The ultimate objective of this research is to translate discoveries into clinically available tools. Dr. Howard Weiner, MD, is working to develop these multiple sclerosis biomarkers within a research setting first. The next step is commercialization to make them accessible beyond academic institutions. Dr. Weiner expresses a strong hope for finding reliable biomarkers measurable in a simple blood test. This would empower neurologists and patients with precise, actionable data to guide personalized MS treatment strategies effectively.

Full Transcript

Dr. Anton Titov, MD: Biomarkers and multiple sclerosis: monitoring the multiple sclerosis progression, biomarkers in monitoring of the treatment response. Molecular biomarkers is a hot term in precision medicine today. What are the biomarkers for multiple sclerosis? Maybe biomarkers for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis? Or biomarkers for secondary progressive multiple sclerosis form? You have published extensively on this topic.

Dr. Howard Weiner, MD: Yes, there are biomarkers for multiple sclerosis. We use them extensively. One marker is the MRI scan. We measure antibodies against the JC virus. It allows us to decide whether to give natalizumab.

New biomarkers also are being researched. There is some interest in neural filaments as a multiple sclerosis measurement. We are trying to develop this precision medicine.

We have a collaboration with Verily; this company came from Google. We are getting a lot of data from our multiple sclerosis patients to be able to have a blood test. It will tell you whether your multiple sclerosis is relapsing. Is it a progressive multiple sclerosis form?

Dr. Anton Titov, MD: How is patient responding to treatment of multiple sclerosis?

Dr. Howard Weiner, MD: We are working on multiple sclerosis biomarkers.

Dr. Anton Titov, MD: What kind of multiple sclerosis biomarkers can patients expect to be more widely used? Biomarkers that can be used beyond the research institutions?

Dr. Howard Weiner, MD: We are trying to develop multiple sclerosis biomarkers in our research. Then it could become commercialized. That is what we are working towards. We hope to find biomarkers of multiple sclerosis in the blood that you can measure. We are working on it.

Dr. Anton Titov, MD: Are there specific multiple sclerosis biomarkers in the lipid profile of the multiple sclerosis patients?

Dr. Howard Weiner, MD: One of the biomarkers we are looking at relates to the antigen arrays. There are antibody patterns. We are also looking at microRNAs; we are also looking at anti-lipid antibodies, certain proteomics markers. We are looking at all these types of multiple sclerosis biomarkers and microRNAs.

Obviously, there are very many areas in cancer medication in particular, because microRNAs are circulating and their levels rapidly fluctuate with disease activity.

Exactly, exactly! Precision medicine treatment of multiple sclerosis starts with precise diagnosis at the molecular level. JC virus autoantibodies predict risks of natalizumab (Tysabri) therapy of multiple sclerosis. Lipid profile-based and micro-RNA biomarkers are the cutting-edge in personalizing treatment of multiple sclerosis. Leading MS expert.