Glasgow lab develops blood test in major MS detection breakthrough
A Glasgow-based research lab has made a major breakthrough in the treatment of progressive Multiple Sclerosis (MS).
Glasgow Health Solutions (GHS), headed by Dr. Tom Gilhooly, has developed the Tyscore Assay, a blood test which detects the chemicals known to cause deterioration of nerve cells in MS patients.
Dr. Gilhooly said: βThe blood test offers fresh hope to MS sufferers as it can detect when a patient is entering the active phases of the disease. It therefore could be a way of ensuring accurate and timely treatment of patients with the progressive forms of MS. This has the potential to unlock treatment for this group of patients and reduce the uncertainty of the disease, which is often the most difficult aspect for patients to deal with.β
The test is used to measure the level of nitrotyrosine β the indicator of cell damage and inflammation seen in MS sufferers. Nitrotyrosine is then used as a biomarker for peroxynitrite activity which is thought to cause the deteriorating nerve damage in MS.
The Tyscore Assay blood test is the first of its kind to measure nitrotyrosine, offering a low-cost, non-invasive way to monitor levels in patients with progressive MS.
Dr. Gilhooly added: β90% of patients present with clinically obvious signs and are offered treatment in the form of immunmodulators such as interferon and glatiramer.
However, the majority of these patients stop relapsing and move into the secondary progressive phase where there is currently no treatment. This means that the majority of MS patients worldwide are in the progressive stages of the disease and are not offered treatment. This is the group that the Tyscore Assay could give hope to, as it can identify the clinically less obvious active phases in their disease and offer them treatment which may prevent nerve damage.β
Dr. Gilhooly is due to present his findings in Los Angeles later this week (9 October) at the 4th Annual Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) Conference.
The blood test is expected to undergo clinical trials by the end of the year and be made available to MS sufferers by 2009.
