Antibodies detected in blood of 10% of MS patients years before diagnosis

Scientists have pinpointed a unique set of self-reactive antibodies present in the bloodstream years before the initial symptoms of MS emerge. This discovery holds promise for earlier diagnosis of the condition.

The study was called ‘An autoantibody signature predictive for multiple sclerosis,’ was published in Nature Medicine.

The antibodies were detected in roughly 10 per cent of individuals who later developed MS and proved to be nearly 100 per cent predictive of an eventual MS diagnosis. Notably, these antibodies target a protein sequence similar to those found on prevalent pathogens infecting humans, such as the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), which has been increasingly recognised as a primary risk factor for MS

“Over the last few decades, there’s been a move in the field to treat MS earlier and more aggressively with newer, more potent therapies,” Michael Wilson, MD, professor at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) and a senior author on the study, said. “A diagnostic result like this makes such early intervention more likely, giving patients hope for a better life.”