Discovery of new MS subtypes paves way for tailored care plans

Scientists have discovered two new subtypes of multiple sclerosis with the aid of artificial intelligence, paving the way for personalised treatments and better outcomes for patients.

- Andrew Gregory

Millions of people have the disease globally but treatments are mostly selected on the basis of symptoms and may not be effective because they do not target the underlying biology of the patient.

Now, scientists have detected two new biological strands of MS using AI, a blood test and MRI scans. Experts said the “exciting” breakthrough could revolutionise treatment of the disease worldwide.

In research involving 600 patients, led by University College London (UCL) and Queen Square Analytics, researchers looked at blood levels of a protein called serum neurofilament light chain (sNfL). The protein can help indicate levels of nerve cell damage and signal how active the disease is.

The sNfL results and scans of the patients’ brains were interpreted by a machine learning model, called SuStaln. The results, published in medical journal Brain, revealed two distinct types of MS: early sNfL and late sNfL.