Application of Biomarkers in Spinal Muscular Atrophy

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a fatal motor neuron disease characterized by five clinical subtypes, each presenting with different rates of disease progression and varying responses to recently approved therapies. The identification of reliable biomarkers is essential for improving diagnosis and prognosis, monitoring disease progression, enabling personalized treatment strategies, and evaluating therapeutic responses. In this review, we conducted a comprehensive literature search using PubMed and Web of Science with the keywords "spinal muscular atrophy", "biomarker" and advanced technologies such as "single-cell omics", "nanopore and long-read sequencing" and "epigenetics" to identify and summarize current advances in SMA biomarker discovery and application. We begin with a brief overview of SMA and its current treatment barriers. We then conclude with well-established and emerging molecular and non-molecular biomarkers, followed by a conclusion of emerging technologies in biomarker discovery. In the meantime, we highlight the application of biomarkers in key areas, including early diagnosis and disease stratification, monitoring of disease progression, and prediction of treatment response. Finally, we summarize biomarker-targeted therapies, addressing current challenges in biomarker research, with the goal of improving clinical outcomes for patients with SMA.