Blood marker tracks hidden progression in multiple sclerosis
Modern therapies have transformed care for people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Yet the disease continues to progress in a substantial proportion of patients, even in the absence of relapses. Detecting and treating this gradual worsening of disability remains one of the greatest challenges in MS care. Researchers from the University of Basel, Switzerland, now report on a blood marker that could…
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease that progresses differently in many patients, even without relapses. Researchers from the University of Basel have identified a blood marker, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), that may help track disease progression and monitor treatment response. GFAP is released by astrocytes, support cells in the brain, when they become activated or injured.
While the established biomarker neurofilament light chain (NfL) reflects inflammatory disease activity and relapse risk, GFAP provides additional insights into progression independent of relapses. In a study of over 2,300 MS patients, higher GFAP levels were associated with greater risk of disability progression in both the short and long term.
Importantly, a decline in GFAP after starting progressive disease treatments was linked to a lower risk of future disability. These findings suggest GFAP may reflect biological processes influencing the disease's future course and could help monitor disease progression, assess treatment response, and accelerate development of new therapies targeting progressive MS.
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