The authors of this study report that RNA profiling can be used to subdivide multiple sclerosis patients into two groups that exhibit different levels of disease activity. The first group, which exhibited higher expression of molecules involved in lymphocyte signaling, was more likely to have new inflammatory events while on glatiramer acetate or interferon-β. There is increased likelihood of demyelinating events in this group. The authors suggest that RNA profiling may have application for diagnosis and treatment, as well as providing new understanding of the pathophysiology of this disorder.

Ottoboni L, Keenan BT, Tamayo P, Kuchroo M, Mesirov JP, Buckle GJ, Khoury SJ, Hafler DA, Weiner HL, De Jager PL: An RNA Profile Identifies Two Subsets of Multiple Sclerosis Patients Differing in Disease Activity. Science Translational Medicine 4(153): p.153ra131 (2012).

http://stm.sciencemag.org/content/4/153/153ra131.abstract?sid=84944f32-ac62-4b9c-a514-03547b3a8dec

Commentary in: Nature Reviews Neurology, | doi:10.1038/nrneurol.2012.217

http://www.nature.com/nrneurol/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nrneurol.2012.217.html