Neurology

Mayo Clinic Laboratories, a leading global reference laboratory, and Progentec Diagnostics, a digital health and biomarker technology-based company focused on autoimmune conditions, today announced a strategic collaboration to bring Progentec’s suite of proprietary biomarker blood tests for the proactive management of autoimmune diseases to market. The collaboration aims to increase accessibility for providers and patients across the U.S. and select global markets.

The nonprofit patient advocacy group called The MOG Project supports patients with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD), which is a rare and debilitating central nervous system demyelinating disorder. A team of Mayo Clinic neurologists, neuro-ophthalmologists, and the Autoimmune Neurology Laboratory at Mayo Clinic share a unique relationship with The MOG Project as they harness the power of patients’ experiences with MOGAD and their biospecimen data to advance the science behind this disease.

In August of 2021, 28-year-old Mike Knudson, a Twin Cities resident known for his vibrant and active lifestyle, set out on what he anticipated to be an adventurous hiking vacation to the picturesque Glacier National Park in Montana. Little did he know that this journey in nature would be the start of an unexpected life path.

In this “Hot Topic,” Divyanshu Dubey, M.B.B.S., associate professor of laboratory medicine and pathology and neurology at Mayo Clinic, discusses various clinical and paraclinical features of autoimmune encephalitis, autoimmune seizures, and epilepsy.

Identifying a precise genetic cause of hearing loss impacts clinical management. Nicole Boczek, Ph.D., and Melanie Meyer, M.S., CGC, explain how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' updated panel yields comprehensive results for optimal patient care.

In this episode of “Answers From the Lab,” host Bobbi Pritt, M.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic, is joined by Vanda Lennon, M.D., Ph.D., founder of the Neuroimmunology Laboratory and now director of the Neuroimmunology Research Laboratory at Mayo Clinic. Dr. Pritt and Dr. Lennon discuss the research and testing innovations that have led to critical advancements in the field of autoimmune neurology over the last few decades.

Tying together the expertise and curiosity of Mayo Clinic autoimmune neurology researchers with eager patients who have rare disease and are looking for answers, the innovative collaboration benefits both patients affected by MOGAD and scientists on the front lines of discovery.

Joe Mondloch and his wife Sue have existed in a grey area of uncertainty due to the unpredictable autoimmune neurological illness Joe has lived with for the last seven years. Rare, incurable, and debilitating, the newly classified disorder can be hard to manage. But thanks to information and direction provided by a rare disease advocacy group, the Mondlochs sought care at Mayo Clinic and received much more than answers.

Angela Pickart, M.S., CGC, and Emily Lauer, M.S., CGC, explain how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' multigene panel helps identify the cause of hereditary ataxia. Precise diagnosis of this complex movement disorder helps guide patient treatment and family screening.

This Specialty Testing webinar will discuss the spectrum of autoimmune movement disorders and explore diagnosis and treatment.

In this month's "Hot Topic," Eoin Flanagan, M.B., B.Ch., reviews the recent diagnostic criteria for Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein Antibody-associated Disease (MOGAD).

Sean Pittock, M.D., explains how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' novel Ma2 test aids diagnosis of autoimmune neurology disorders that are often caused by underlying cancer. Rapid diagnosis is key to preventing significant disability and disease.