Multiple Sclerosis Detectives

Ever wish you could stop a disease before it starts?

This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.

Multiple sclerosis, or M-S, causes our immune systems to attack our brains and spinal cords. Terrifying. Over time, it can cause fatigue, vision loss, and trouble moving.

Colin Zamecnik and team at  U-C San Francisco wondered – could we spot M-S before it starts? 

They studied blood samples from two hundred fifty people who eventually developed M-S. These samples had a unique immune pattern, showing up years before symptoms!

And get this – the early warning sign showed up most often in young adults. 

M-S leaves clues in the blood long before it causes problems. This could help us catch and treat M-S much sooner!

Now, that’s prevention at its finest!


Reference: Zamecnik, C.R., Sowa, G.M., Abdelhak, A. et al. An autoantibody signature predictive for multiple sclerosis. Nat Med 30, 1300–1308 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-024-02938-3