Demyelinating Diseases

Tying together the expertise and curiosity of Mayo Clinic autoimmune neurology researchers with eager patients who have rare disease and are looking for answers, the innovative collaboration benefits both patients affected by MOGAD and scientists on the front lines of discovery.

Joe Mondloch and his wife Sue have existed in a grey area of uncertainty due to the unpredictable autoimmune neurological illness Joe has lived with for the last seven years. Rare, incurable, and debilitating, the newly classified disorder can be hard to manage. But thanks to information and direction provided by a rare disease advocacy group, the Mondlochs sought care at Mayo Clinic and received much more than answers.

In this month's "Hot Topic," Eoin Flanagan, M.B., B.Ch., reviews the recent diagnostic criteria for Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein Antibody-associated Disease (MOGAD).

Lying in an ICU bed as sick as he could get, Jon Bratsch thought he was past the point of no return. But when a Mayo Clinic Laboratories’ test revealed the source of his dire symptoms, everything changed. Today, Jon’s back to the life and family he loves.

John Mills, Ph.D., explains Mayo Clinic Laboratories’ approach to MAG antibody testing. The ELISA-based assay uses higher reference ranges and human MAG antigen to detect MAG antibodies, which are associated with a rare, hard-to-treat condition known as DADS neuropathy.

In this month’s “Hot Topic,” Sean Pittock, M.D., explains Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder (NMOSD) and the critical importance of a sensitive and specific AQP4-IgG laboratory test for early diagnosis and treatment.

Antibodies to aquaporin-4 and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) are recently described biomarkers seen in a subset of atypical optic neuritis which have revolutionized our understanding of the condition. In this “Hot Topic,” my colleague, Dr. John Chen, will review these advances and how they impact the clinical care of our patients with optic neuritis.

"This study offers hope to patients, since each attack in NMO can cause loss of visual or motor function," says Sean Pittock, M.D., a Mayo Clinic neurologist and first author.