Molecular Biomarkers in Multiple Sclerosis and Its Related Disorders
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Pathology, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (29 February 2020) | Viewed by 27785
Special Issue Editor
Interests: multiple sclerosis; neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder; neurosarcoidosis; molecular biomarkers; therapeutic trials; mechanism of action; adverse effect; cerebrospinal fluid; blood-brain barrier
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Molecular biomarkers represent a unique accessible window into the human central nervous system (CNS) and continue to shape our understanding of pathophysiology and therapeutic mechanisms of action in autoimmune inflammatory CNS disorders. Molecular biomarkers are being used in routine clinical practice to diagnose these disorders, inform prognosis and guide therapeutic decisions.
To name a few clinically well-established examples, CSF-specific oligoclonal immunoglobulin G bands in multiple sclerosis demonstrate the chronic inflammatory nature of the disease, help to exclude differential diagnoses and are of prognostic relevance. With its reported specificity of 97%, for multiple sclerosis, the intrathecal, polyspecific antiviral immune response strongly supports the diagnosis. Serum immunoglobulin G antibodies against aquaporin-4 and, more recently, myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein both allowed new disease entities distinct from multiple sclerosis to be defined, which has important therapeutic implications. Neurofilament light chain levels in cerebrospinal fluid and, more importantly, in blood may serve as a valid surrogate marker of CNS neuronal damage and will soon be used in clinical practice. Serum immunoglobulin G antibodies against the JC virus are invaluable in guiding treatment decisions in multiple sclerosis patients to be receiving natalizumab.
Undeniably, recent decades have seen myriad molecular biomarker studies in multiple sclerosis resulting in a dead end. The examples above, however, demonstrate the eminent clinical importance that molecular biomarkers have nevertheless gained in the field of autoimmune inflammatory CNS disorders.
I invite authors to submit experimental work or critical reviews that align with the goal of this Special Issue of increasing the understanding of how molecular biomarkers may deepen pathophysiological understanding or inform diagnosis, prognosis and therapeutic management in patients with multiple sclerosis or its related disorders. As a Guest Editor, I guarantee that every manuscript submitted for this Special Issue will undergo rapid but careful evaluation.
Dr. Mathias Buttmann
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- multiple sclerosis
- neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder
- neurosarcoidosis
- molecular biomarker
- diagnosis
- prognosis
- therapy
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