hope for a new marker to facilitate diagnosis

Multiple sclerosis is a neurological disease in which the immune system attacks its own central nervous system. This disease affects more than 120,000 people in France. Research has just been published on a new marker to diagnose this disease and prevent disability.

Martin Ducret, doctor and journalist Dr. Daly. tells us today about the neurological disease that affects more than 120,000 people in France, multiple sclerosis, and about a new biological blood marker that can help diagnose this pathology…

franceinfo: But before you tell us about this marker, what is multiple sclerosis?

Martin Ducret: It is an autoimmune neurological disease, meaning the immune system attacks its own central nervous system, such as the brain and spinal cord, located in the spine. This disease causes problems with motor skills – such as muscle weakness – sensory disturbances such as numbness, pain or tingling, as well as balance problems or even vision problems.

Multiple sclerosis can cause disability in the medium to long term. Most often it occurs as exacerbations, symptoms appear and then disappear completely or partially. Less commonly, it develops continuously, gradually getting worse.

The problem with this disease is that today there is no specific marker that allows it to be diagnosed. A specialized neurologist does this based on a number of arguments, if there are suggestive neurological symptoms, with the help of MRI images of the brain and spinal cord, or even through a lumbar puncture, an examination that collects cerebrospinal fluid by inserting a thin needle between the lumbar vertebrae.

But could a new blood biomarker help diagnose this disease?

Yes, this is exactly the hope that the results of the study in the journal gave rise to. Natural medicine, in which researchers identified an immunological marker specific for multiple sclerosis present in the blood of approximately 10% of the 250 patients studied. In addition, this marker is present for several years before the first symptoms appear.

For Dr. Clarissa Carra, neurologist at the Multiple Sclerosis Resource and Skills Center (CRC) at Montpellier University Hospital, “this finding is promising, even if other studies need to confirm interest in this serum marker. In some patients, this will allow for an even earlier diagnosis and even replace the need for a lumbar puncture.”

And the sooner a diagnosis is made, the sooner treatment can begin, thereby limiting the occurrence of exacerbations and preventing disability?

Yes, according to Dr. Carr“A biomarker like this could also provide information about disease prognosis, allowing treatment to be selected that is most appropriate for the patient’s profile.”