Neuromyelitis Optica

Research

Mayo Clinic doctors developed a test that detects the antibody NMO-IgG. This test often identifies NMO in the early symptom stage and helps distinguish NMO from the more common disease multiple sclerosis (MS), which causes very similar symptoms. Researchers at Mayo Clinic are:

• Developing and validating new, more sensitive tests for the NMO antibody
• Determining the prevalence of the NMO antibody among different ethnic groups who have inflammatory neurological diseases of unknown cause
• Developing and validating new laboratory tests that may predict NMO severity
• Seeking the cause or causes of NMO through genetic, pathologic and immunologic studies
• Determining the mechanisms through which the NMO antibody initiates the cascade of events that leads to the disease via studies of genes, proteins, components of the immune system and animal models

Mayo Clinic publications

See a list of publications by Mayo Clinic doctors on NMO on PubMed, a service of the National Library of Medicine.