Scientists Identify 19 Blood Proteins Predicting ALS Up to 5 Years Early
Updated
Updated · Newsweek · Jul 29
Scientists Identify 19 Blood Proteins Predicting ALS Up to 5 Years Early
3 articles · Updated · Newsweek · Jul 29
Summary
A 19-protein blood panel estimated ALS symptom onset with an average error of about 18 months in people at high genetic risk.
Using more than 5,000 measured proteins from 137 Pre-fALS participants, researchers first found 92 early-changing markers, then used machine learning to narrow them to 19, including neurofilament light chain.
The model worked across windows from six months to five years before symptoms and was replicated in UK Biobank data, suggesting relevance beyond inherited ALS alone.
The findings could help time preventive treatment as gene-targeting therapies advance, including trials testing whether tofersen given before symptoms can delay or prevent disease onset.