Blood Test Shows Multiple Sclerosis Worsening 1 to 2 Years Before It Happens; Possible Window for Intervention

Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients whose blood tests reveal elevated NfL (neurofilament light chain), a biomarker of nerve damage, could see worsening disability one to two years later, according to a new study spearheaded by researchers at the University of California-San Francisco (UCSF). The study is the first to quantify the timeframe preceding disability worsening in which injury to the central nervous system takes place, said co-first author Ahmed Abdelhak, MD, of the UCSF Department of Neurology and the Weill Institute for Neurosciences.