Molecular Biomarkers in Multiple Sclerosis

Abstract

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic immune-modulated disorder of the central nervous system (CNS) affecting mainly young adults. Due to the complexity and heterogenic etiology of this disease diagnosis, treatment, and estimations concerning the future course of the disease for the individual patient are challenging. To encounter the variability in phenotype, disease progression and response to treatments, various new drugs are in development to complement existing treatment options. Since years intensive efforts are directed to identify biomarkers that are associated with various aspects of MS on different levels of the organizational hierarchy of the human body (e.g. DNA, RNA, proteins, cells).We researched the last ten years of literature to identify those proposed candidates that had been repeatedly published as being associated with MS etiology, clinical manifestation, disease course, and treatment response.Here, we present a categorized overview over molecular biomarkers in MS.However, despite of the large sum of studies and the long list of candidate markers, today only very few biomarkers are of clinical value. This is mostly due to lack of comparability and statistical power in most studies. However, there are recent advances in the field of applicable molecular biomarkers in MS: For example measurement of anti-AQP4 levels allows differentiation between neuromyelitis optica (NMO) and MS.

MicroRNA Expression Changes during Interferon-Beta Treatment in the Peripheral Blood of Multiple Sclerosis Patients

“…These findings provided important insights into the pathophysiology of MS and opened a new avenue in biomarker research. If miRNA levels in the blood or brain of MS patients correlate with disease stage and progression of disability, they may also support early diagnosis and effective treatment in future [25]. …”