Neurofilaments: important markers for neurological diseases

Neurofilaments are structural proteins in our neurons. When neurons are damaged, neurofilaments are released into the blood. In neurodegenerative disease such as ALS, neurofilament levels have been shown to increase as the disease worsens. This means that elevated levels of neurofilaments can help us identify neurodegenerative diseases and can indicate the rate at which the disease is expected to progress.