Possible MS biomarker found

A team of researchers from Poland may have found a very good biomarker for MS -- a protein called Nogo. As its name suggests, Nogo is a growth inhibitor that prevents axons from uncontrolled growth during development, which is a good thing, but it also impedes regeneration. The research team examined CSF samples from 114 people with RRMS and SPMS, as well as from 153 controls with other neurologic or CNS autoimmune diseases, including neuromyelitis optica. A particular form of Nogo was found in 96% of the MS CSF samples but none of the control samples. It was also found in the CNS tissue from three MS subjects but not in tissue from two controls. This information may help in the diagnosis of MS, and may also provide clues about the axonal damage seen in MS.