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Updated: Dec 26, 2025
06:02
Experimental Approaches for Biochemical Analysis of Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein and Its Disease-associated Variants
Published on: November 28, 2025
171
Neurofilaments in disease: what do we know?
1Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis, MO, USA; Psychological & Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, MO, USA.
Current Opinion in Neurobiology
|March 11, 2020
Summary
Neurofilament proteins indicate neuronal damage and disease activity. Measuring neurofilament light chain (NfL) and heavy chain (NfH) in blood and cerebrospinal fluid aids in tracking neurodegenerative diseases.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Biochemistry
- Biomarker Discovery
Background:
- Neurofilaments are key neuronal cytoskeletal proteins.
- Elevated neurofilament levels signal neuronal damage and disease progression.
- Recent advancements enable neurofilament measurement in cerebrospinal fluid and blood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the behavior of neurofilament light chain (NfL) and phosphorylated neurofilament heavy chain (NfH) in neurodegenerative diseases.
- To explore the relationship between these neurofilament biomarkers and in vivo white matter pathology.
- To examine how NfL and NfH levels correlate with each other across various neurological conditions.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies measuring NfL and NfH.
- Analysis of neurofilament levels in cerebrospinal fluid and blood.
- Correlation of biomarker levels with white matter pathology in neurodegenerative diseases.
Main Results:
- Abnormal levels of NfL and NfH are observed in numerous neurodegenerative diseases.
- Neurofilament levels serve as indicators of disease activity and therapeutic response.
- Understanding the interplay between NfL, NfH, and white matter pathology is crucial.
Conclusions:
- NfL and NfH are promising biomarkers for neurodegenerative diseases.
- Measuring these neurofilaments can help monitor disease progression and treatment efficacy.
- Further research is needed to fully elucidate their role in white matter pathology.
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