April 12, 2022 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD New Blood Biomarker Technology May Help to Predict MS Activity Simoa, a technology that detects relevant molecules in samples with up to 1,000 times greater sensitivity than conventional methods, has helped to advance research into a blood biomarker expected to predict future disease activity in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Specifically, Quanterix‘s ultra-sensitive technology allowed an international team…
March 4, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS #ACTRIMS2022 ā Blood NfL Levels May Help Quantify Relapse Severity Measuring levels of the neurofilament light chain (NfL) protein in blood may be a way to “quantify” relapse severity and predict future disability in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). “Higher [blood] NfL levels during periods of active inflammation predicted more [brain] atrophy,” researchers wrote in an abstract titled…
February 23, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS NfL Blood Test May Help Predict MS Activity, Treatment Response Levels of a protein called neurofilament light chain (NfL) in the blood can be used to predict the risk of future disease activity in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new study. The results also suggest that changes in NfL levels could be used to deduce the extent…
November 11, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS sNfL Levels Linked to Relapse-free Disability Progression, Move to SPMS Measuring levels of the protein serum neurofilament light chain (NfL)Ā can help to identify people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) at higher risk of relapse-free disability progression or conversion to secondary-progressive disease, according to a study from Germany. The study, “NfL predicts relapse-free progression in a longitudinal…
August 3, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Trials Support NfL Levels as Marker of Disease Activity in Relapsing MS Larger declines with treatment in blood levels of neurofilament light chain (NfL), a marker of nerve cell damage, are associated with fewer brain lesions, less brain shrinkage, and lower relapse rates in people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosisĀ (MS), a study reported. These results, based on a post-hoc analysis…
April 20, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS #AANAM ā Measuring Blood Proteins Could Predict Disability in SPMS Editorās note: The Multiple Sclerosis News Today team is providing in-depth coverage of the 2021 Virtual AAN Annual Meeting, April 17ā22. GoĀ here to read the latest stories from the conference. Among people with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) without active disease, high blood levels of the…
January 28, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS NfL Mirrors Some Life Quality Aspects Felt by Patients, More Work Needed Levels of neurofilament light (NfL), a protein marker of neuronal damage, appear to capture some aspects of patientāperceived physical and functional abilities withĀ multiple sclerosis (MS), as well as theirĀ utilization of select healthcare services, a real-world study suggests. Its researchers, however, stress that more work is needed before NfL levels…
January 7, 2021 News by Diana Campelo Delgado CXCL13, Inflammatory Marker, May Be Good at Predicting Likely MS Activity CXCL13, an inflammatory biomarker, may be a good marker of likely future disease activity in people with multiple sclerosisĀ (MS), a study suggests. The study, āIntrathecally produced CXCL13: A predictive biomarker in multiple sclerosis,ā was published in the Multiple Sclerosis Journal ā Experimental, Translational and Clinical. Clinicians caring…
November 12, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Neurofilament Light Levels at First MS Event Can Predict Long-term Brain Atrophy The levels of the protein neurofilament light chain (NfL) in the blood when a person experiences a first demyelinating event associated with multiple sclerosis (MS) can predict brain atrophy up to a decade later, a new study shows. Titled “Association of Serum Neurofilament Light Levels…
September 23, 2020 News by Teresa Carvalho, MS Siemens Healthineers, Novartis Partner to Develop NfL Diagnostic Test The development of a diagnostic test using neurofilament light chain (NfL) ā a biomarker for nerve cell damage ā for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) will be part of a collaboration program between Siemens HealthineersĀ and Novartis. The goal of this new collaboration is to design, develop,…
July 29, 2020 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD CHI3L1 Protein Levels May Mark Neurologic Disability in PPMS, Study Suggests Levels of a protein linked to inflammation and neurodegeneration in multiple sclerosis (MS) ā called chitinase 3-like-1 (CHI3L1) ā may prove to be a cerebrospinal fluidĀ biomarker of neurologic disability in primary progressive MS (PPMS), a pilot study suggests. Higher CHI3L1 levels at PPMS diagnosis showed a…
July 20, 2020 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: COVID-19 Website, Testing MS Progression, RIS, Alternative Treatments MSAA Opens āCOVID-19 and MS Pathfinderā Online Informative Platform Information about MS and COVID-19 is dynamic and regularly changing. This has been particularly true about how to handle disease-modifying therapies (DMTs). The website mentioned in this story tries to keep up with these changes while covering multiple subjects ranging…
July 15, 2020 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD High Levels of NfL Protein Linked to Disability, Faster Disease Progression in MS High levels of neurofilament light chain (NfL) protein circulating in the blood of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) at an early stage of the disease are linked to higher disability and faster disease progression, a study has found. According to researchers, these findings suggest that NfL ā a…
May 27, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Higher Blood NfL Levels Predict Worse Disability Over Time in MS, Study Suggests Higher blood levels of theĀ neurofilament light chain (NfL) protein at diagnosis are predictive of worse disability over time in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a large population study from Sweden suggests. The study, “Plasma neurofilament light levels are associated with the risk of disability in…
March 11, 2020 News by Ana Pena PhD Blood NfL Potential Marker of MS Therapies’ Effectiveness, Study Suggests Starting treatment with aĀ disease-modifying therapy (DMT) reduces blood levels of neurofilament light chain (NfL) ā a potential biomarker of disease progression and activity ā to varying degrees depending on the therapy used, according to a large real-world study of patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). The findings support…
November 7, 2019 News by Ana Pena PhD Siemens Healthineers Joins with Quanterix to Develop Blood Tests for NfL Levels Siemens Healthineers has signed a license and supply agreement with Quanterix that helps it in developing blood tests for neurofilament light chain (NfL) to aid in early disease detection, evidence of progression, and measuring treatment response in people with neurological disorders such asĀ multiple sclerosis (MS). Siemens Healthineers…
October 23, 2019 News by Alejandra Viviescas, PhD NfL and CHI3L1 Work as Biomarkers of Disease Activity and Progression in MS, Study Says The levels ofĀ neurofilament light chainĀ (NfL) and chitinase3-like1 (CHI3L1) in the cerebrospinal fluid ā the liquid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord ā serve as respective biomarkers of disease activity and progression in multiple sclerosis (MS), a study reports. Measuring levels of both proteins also helps to…
October 2, 2019 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Profiling Inflammatory Markers in Cerebrospinal Fluid of Importance in Active MS, Case Study Finds Careful profiling of inflammatory markers in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of multiple sclerosis patients, coupled with standard exams and scans, helps in understanding disease evolution and treatment response, a case report suggests. It followed aĀ relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patient whose inflammatory markers in the CSF remained high over time, and…
September 27, 2019 News by Mary Chapman Michiganās Memorial Healthcare First in US to Test NfL in MS Patients Memorial Healthcare Institute for Neurosciences and Multiple SclerosisĀ announced it will become the first U.S. hospital to test a nerve cell-derived component known as neurofilament light chain (NfL) in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Led by the Owosso, Michigan, hospitalās chief of neurology and MS director, Rany Aburashed, DO,…
September 17, 2019 News by Ana Pena PhD #ECTRIMS2019 ā Ofatumumab Superior to Aubagio in Lowering Relapse Rates and Lesions, Data Show Monthly under-the-skin injections of ofatumumab are superior to AubagioĀ (teriflunomide) to treat relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS), leading to over 50% reduction in relapse rates, and more than a 90% reduction in active brain lesions, compared with Aubagio, results from ASCLEPIOS I…
September 16, 2019 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD #ECTRIMS2019 ā Glia Score May Differentiate Progressive MS from RRMS, Study Suggests Patients with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) have higher levels of protein markers of activated glial cells than those with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) or patients with other neurological disorders, according to a new study. The findings also indicated that scoring the extent of glial involvement in relation to nerve…
September 16, 2019 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD #ECTRIMS2019 – Nerve Cell Damage May Be Evident Years Before Symptoms Are Damage to nerve cells appears to occur years before people with multiple sclerosis (MS) begin to show symptoms and is evident in a likely biomarker, new data suggest. Researchers found raised levels of neurofilament light chain (NfL), a protein associated with nerve cell damage, in blood samples collected six years…
September 16, 2019 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD #ECTRIMS2019 – Anti-epileptic May Help to Stop Disability Progression, Study Suggests Oxcarbazepine, an anti-epileptic medicine, given in combination with a disease-modifying therapy (DMT) may help to stop disability progression in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, results of Phase 2 trial suggest. Monica Marta, PhD, withĀ Queen Mary University of LondonĀ and Barts Health NHS Trust/The Royal London HospitalĀ presented the data at the…
September 11, 2019 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD #ECTRIMS2019 – Real-world Data Supports Serum Neurofilament Light as Potential MS Biomarker Serum neurofilament light chain (sNfL) in the blood ā a proposed biomarker for multiple sclerosis (MS) ā is linked with worse neurologic function at levels above a certain threshold, according to data from a large, real-world study. Kathryn Fitzgerald, assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins School of…
July 8, 2019 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD Mayzent Boosts Cognitive Processing Speed in SPMS Patients, Phase 3 Trial Data Show Treatment with Mayzent (siponimod) led to significant improvement in cognitive processing speed in patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS), according to updated results of a Phase 3 trial. Novartisā findings, presented at the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) congressĀ that ran June 29āJuly 2 in Oslo,…
May 15, 2019 News by Marisa Wexler, MS #AANAM – Biogen Offers Update on Development Plans for MS Therapies At the 2019 annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN),Ā Multiple Sclerosis News TodayĀ sat down with Bernd Kieseier, MD, global head of multiple sclerosis at Biogen, to discuss the company’s portfolio, latest data, and therapeutic development plans in the field of multiple sclerosis (MS). Kieseier said…
February 15, 2019 News by Jonathan Grinstein Neurofilament Light Chain Levels in Blood of Value as Biomarker of MS Activity and Treatment Response, Study Finds Blood levels of a nerve cell-derived component known as neurofilament light chain (NfL) could be used as a biomarker of disease severity and treatment response in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), a new study shows. The research article, āBlood neurofilament light chain as a biomarker of MS…
November 8, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Blocking Protein Called SARM1 Seen to Protect Nerve Cells from Damage Linked to MS Blocking SARM1, a protein identified as a central mediator of nerve cell degeneration, works to prevent damage to axons ā nerve cell fibers essential in cell-to-cell communication ā and may be a way of treating neurodegenerative diseases like multiple sclerosisĀ (MS), data from Disarm Therapeutics shows. Specially, genetically deleting…
October 17, 2018 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD #ECTRIMS2018 – Serum Neurofilament Light Show Promise as Biomarker, But Not There Yet, Neurologists Say Despite its lack of specificity to multiple sclerosis (MS) in particular, monitoring patients with a blood biomarker ā serum neurofilament light (sNfL) ā may hold promise as a relatively easy way to assess treatment response and brain damage, according to MS experts. But there’s considerable work still to be…
October 17, 2018 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD #ECTRIMS2018 – Blood Level of Neurofilament Light Chain May Predict Brain Atrophy in Progressive MS, Study Suggests Measuring the blood level of neurofilament light chain (NfL) may predict brain shrinkage in primary progressive (PPMS) and secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS), according to a new study. The findings also show that NfL levels are associated with brain lesion load in these patients. The research, ā…