MS – New Blood Test Can Identify Types of MS and if Treatments are Working

MS – New Blood Test Can Identify Types of MS and if Treatments are Working

Patients with multiple sclerosis will soon have access to a new test which can tell them exactly what type of MS they have and how well their medications are working.

At the moment, patients have to have an array of expensive tests to determine what kind of MS they have.

The study, published in Nature scientific reports, shows a blood test could greatly simplify and speed up this process, allowing doctors to adapt a patient’s treatment more accurately and rapidly.

Neuroscience Professor Gilles Guillemin from Macquarie University said the discovery was the culmination of 12 years’ hard work in the lab.

“We can tell you which sub-type of MS you have and if you respond to treatment,” he said.

At the moment, patients have to wait weeks on a medication to see if it is effective.

“If you can have the blood test and see the marker not working, and this treatment doesn’t work, the clinician will be able to realise very quickly change to another therapy,” Professor Guillemin said.

MS is a debilitating disorder of the central nervous system that affects more than 23,000 Australians and 2.3 million people worldwide.

Mike Hemingway was diagnosed with MS 15 years ago, but doctors could not tell him which form of the disease he had.

He was pleased to hear about the new test.

“It will make a substantial difference. For me, yes I would have liked to know ‘this is what I have got’,” he said.

Doctors hope if patients are put on the right drug earlier they will not be affected by MS as much as patients like Mr Hemingway have been.

“The earlier you can have those treatments the less damage there is going to be to your central nervous system and things like cognitive problems and walking problems vision problems hopefully will become over time things of the past,” Mr Hemingway said.

By Sophie Scott and Meredith Griffiths

ABC News

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The industry news information and articles are for informational purposes only, and are not intended to represent any trends, partnerships, commitments, or research of the Consortium of MS Centers or any of it's members in any way whatsoever, nor should any party be libel in any way to the reader or to any other person, firm or corporation reading this industry news section. Although the CMSC site includes links providing direct access to other Internet sites, CMSC takes no responsibility for the content or information contained on those other sites, and does not exert any editorial or other control over those other sites. CMSC is providing information and services on the Internet as a benefit and service in furtherance of CMSC's nonprofit and tax-exempt status. CMSC makes no representations about the suitability of this information and these services for any purpose.

Elizabeth Porco

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CMSC provides leadership in clinical research and education; develops vehicles to share information and knowledge among members; disseminates information to the health care community and to persons affected by MS.

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