Innovating neurological research



At the Abdelhak Lab, we leverage state-of-the-art biomarker technologies to bridge the gap between clinical practice and research, focusing on advancing the understanding of neurological conditions like multiple sclerosis.

technology

Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (Elisa)

ELISA is a classic and widely utilized immunoassay technique that detects and quantifies target proteins, peptides, or antibodies through specific antigen-antibody interactions. It employs an enzyme-conjugated detection antibody and a colorimetric, fluorescent, or chemiluminescent substrate to produce a measurable signal proportional to the analyte level. ELISA is known for its robustness, relative simplicity, and versatility across a wide range of applications, making it a staple in clinical diagnostics and research laboratories.

Electrochemiluminescence (ECL) Assay

Electrochemiluminescence (ECL) assays harness an electrical stimulus to excite a luminescent label on detection antibodies, generating a light signal that is directly proportional to the amount of target present. Platforms like MSD (Meso Scale Discovery) use this approach to offer high sensitivity, wide dynamic range, and low background noise. The electrochemiluminescent readout is particularly advantageous for multiplexing, allowing researchers to simultaneously measure multiple analytes in a single sample.

Single Molecule Array (simoa)

Simoa technology revolutionizes immunoassays by enabling the detection of individual protein molecules through a digital readout system. This ultrasensitive approach traps individual beads—each capturing a single target molecule—within thousands of micro-wells and uses fluorescence to detect positive signals one bead at a time. As a result, Simoa delivers exceptionally low limits of detection and precise quantification for biomarkers, making it invaluable in translational research and early disease detection.

Proximity Extension Assay (PEA – Olink platform)

Olink’s Proximity Extension Assay (PEA) leverages pairs of antibodies linked to unique DNA oligonucleotides, which hybridize only when the antibody pair binds in close proximity to the target protein. The resulting DNA duplex is amplified and quantified using real-time PCR or next-generation sequencing methods. This process enables highly specific and multiplexed protein measurements, providing detailed protein profiling in limited sample volumes with excellent sensitivity and specificity.

Successive Proximity Extension Amplification Reaction (SPEAR)

SPEAR enables ultra-sensitive protein biomarker detection. Unlike conventional proximity extension assays, SPEAR employs a successive two-step extension process before generating an amplifiable qPCR signal, vastly reducing non-specific background noise. This results in exceptionally low limits of detection from small sample volumes (~10 µL).

Collaborators

Funding

Publications

  1. Protein Predictors of Worsening Cerebral Edema in Traumatic Brain Injury in Critically Ill Patients. bioRxiv. 2026 May 26.
  2. Genetic-Proteomic Integration Identifies Predictive Plasma Proteins for Multiple Sclerosis. Ann Neurol. 2026 May 22.
  3. Proteomic Age Acceleration in Multiple Sclerosis Precedes Symptom Onset and Associates with Severity. medRxiv. 2026 Apr 20.
  4. Clemastine fumarate promotes myelin repair in a nonhuman primate model of demyelination characterized by absent spontaneous remyelination. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2026 Feb 24
  5. Anti-CD320 Autoantibodies and Central Nervous System Vitamin B12 Deficiency in Idiopathic Myelopathy. medRxiv. 2026 Jan 30.
  6. Age-Specific Control and Alzheimer Disease Reference Curves and z-Scores for Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein in Blood. Clin Chem. 2025 Dec 02
  7. Serum Neurofilament Light Chain Level as an Indicator of Axonal Injury in Parsonage-Turner Syndrome (Neuralgic Amyotrophy). J Peripher Nerv Syst. 2025 Dec
  8. GFAP and NfL as predictors of disease progression and relapse activity in fingolimod-treated multiple sclerosis. Brain. 2025 Nov 14. 
  9. Investigating the impact of age on neurodegeneration after optic neuritis in multiple sclerosis using optical coherence tomography. Mult Scler. 2025 Oct
  10. Myelin injury precedes axonal injury and symptomatic onset in multiple sclerosis. Nat Med. 2026 Jan
  11. Blood biomarkers for predicting disability worsening in progressive multiple sclerosis: a multinational, individual participant-level analysis. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2025 Oct 15
  12. Biomarker discovery using Nucleic Acid-Linked Immuno-Sandwich Assay in multiple sclerosis patients experiencing progression independent of relapse activity. Mult Scler. 2025 Nov
  13. Blood and CSF biomarkers for multiple sclerosis: emerging clinical applications. Lancet Neurol. 2025 Dec
  14. Serum Neurofilament Light Chain in Multiple Sclerosis: Superiority of Age- and BMI-Corrected Z Scores/Percentiles Over Absolute Cutoff Values for Prediction of Treatment Response. Ann Clin Transl Neurol. 2025 Nov
  15. Markers of axonal injury in blood and tissue triggered by acute and chronic demyelination. Brain. 2025 Aug 01
  16. Advancing multiple sclerosis management in older adults. Nat Rev Neurol. 2025 08
  17. The role of serum neurofilament light (sNfL) as a biomarker in multiple sclerosis: insights from a systematic review. J Neurol. 2025 May 15
  18. Vitamin B12 Levels Association with Functional and Structural Biomarkers of Central Nervous System Injury in Older Adults. Ann Neurol. 2025 Feb 10. 
  19. Multifaceted Biomarkers Suggest a Similar Profile of CNS Pathology in Relapsing and Progressive MS. Eur J Neurol. 2025 Feb
  20. Association of Menopause With Functional Outcomes and Disease Biomarkers in Women With Multiple Sclerosis. Neurology. 2025 Jan 28
  21. Increased EBNA1-specific antibody response in primary-progressive multiple sclerosis. J Neurol. 2024 Dec 12
  22. Proteomic Profiling and Pathophysiological Implications in Multiple Sclerosis. Neurol Neuroimmunol Neuroinflamm. 2025 Jan
  23. Remyelination protects neurons from DLK-mediated neurodegeneration. Nat Commun. 2024 Oct 23
  24. Serum Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein and Neurofilament Light Chain Levels Reflect Different Mechanisms of Disease Progression under B-Cell Depleting Treatment in Multiple Sclerosis. Ann Neurol. 2024 Oct 16.
  25. Remyelination protects neurons from DLK-mediated neurodegeneration. bioRxiv. 2024 Aug 31
  26. Association of Complement Factors With Disability Progression in Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis. Neurol Neuroimmunol Neuroinflamm. 2024 Jul
  27. Targeting complement C3a receptor resolves mitochondrial hyperfusion and subretinal microglial activation in progranulin-deficient frontotemporal dementia. bioRxiv. 2024 Jun 01.
  28. An autoantibody signature predictive for multiple sclerosis. Nat Med. 2024 May
  29. Neurofilaments as biomarkers in neurological disorders – towards clinical application. Nat Rev Neurol. 2024 05
  30. Serum biomarker levels predict disability progression in patients with primary progressive multiple sclerosis. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2024 Apr 12
  31. Synaptic injury in the inner plexiform layer of the retina is associated with progression in multiple sclerosis. Cell Rep Med. 2024 Apr 16
  32. Scientific commentary on: “Phosphorylated tau in the retina correlates with tau pathology in the brain in Alzheimer’s disease and primary tauopathies”. Acta Neuropathol. 2024 02 03
  33. Serum glial fibrillary acidic protein and disability progression in progressive multiple sclerosis. Ann Clin Transl Neurol. 2024 02
  34. Neurofilament Light Chain Elevation and Disability Progression in Multiple Sclerosis. JAMA Neurol. 2023 12 01
  35. Patient-reported outcome parameters and disability worsening in progressive multiple sclerosis. Mult Scler Relat Disord. 2024 Jan
  36. Serum neurofilament light chain reference database for individual application in paediatric care: a retrospective modelling and validation study. Lancet Neurol. 2023 09
  37. Editorial: CSF and blood biomarkers in COVID-19 and other neuroinfectious diseases. Front Neurol. 2023
  38. Challenges and Opportunities for the Promising Biomarker Blood Neurofilament Light Chain. JAMA Neurol. 2023 06 01
  39. Prognostic performance of blood neurofilament light chain protein in hospitalized COVID-19 patients without major central nervous system manifestations: an individual participant data meta-analysis. J Neurol. 2023 Jul
  40. A Predictive Autoantibody Signature in Multiple Sclerosis. medRxiv. 2023 May 15
  41. Visually Evoked Potential as Prognostic Biomarker for Neuroaxonal Damage in Multiple Sclerosis From a Multicenter Longitudinal Cohort. Neurol Neuroimmunol Neuroinflamm. 2023 05
  42. Serum Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein Compared With Neurofilament Light Chain as a Biomarker for Disease Progression in Multiple Sclerosis. JAMA Neurol. 2023 03 01
  43. The multifaceted role of neurofilament light chain protein in non-primary neurological diseases. Brain. 2023 02 13

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