Neurology

New ECTRIMS/EAN recommendations for vaccination in MS patients

 

The European Committee for Treatment and Research in MS (ECTRIMS) and the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) have published their first recommendations on vaccination in people with MS (Otero-Romero et al. Eur J Neurol 2023;30:2144-2176). The following is a summary of key recommendations for patients receiving higher-efficacy disease-modifying therapies (DMTs). Read More

MicroRNAs – their potential as MS biomarkers

 

MicroRNAs are short (21-25 nucleotides) non-coding RNA molecules that regulate gene expression by activating or repressing mRNA transcription. About 2000 have been identified thus far (Kozomara et al. Nucleic Acids Res 2019;47:155-162), and many have potential utility as biomarkers in the diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of multiple sclerosis. Read More

Novel biomarkers in development for MS

 

Neurofilament-light chain (NfL) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) are two of the main fluid biomarkers currently being examined for their clinical utility in evaluating disease activity, progression and treatment response. However, there are a number of other biomarkers under investigation. The following is a summary of some of the more promising candidates (reviewed in Maroto-Garcia et al. Clin Chim Acta 2023;548:117471). Read More

sNfL a useful alternative to gadolinium

 

The prospective REDUCE-GAD study reports that higher serum neurofilament-light chain (NfL) levels are associated with the presence of contrast-enhancing (CE) lesions, which may enable clinicians to forego contrast agents for follow-up MRIs (Schaefer et al. Eur J Neurol 2023;30:2393-2400). Read More