Petzold, Axel;
(2025)
Keynote Lecture: Neurofilaments to assess brain injury – Did we find an ideal biomarker?
Presented at: WAKNA 2025, Jena, Germany.
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Abstract
Neurofilament proteins have emerged as powerful biomarkers for neuronal injury, offering a window into the structural integrity of the nervous system. In this keynote lecture, we will explore the journey of neurofilaments from their cellular origins to their application in clinical diagnostics and trials. The presentation will trace the translational arc of neurofilament research, beginning with high-resolution microscopy and single-neuron imaging techniques that illuminate the cytoskeletal architecture and its disruption during injury. I will demonstrate the mechanisms of neurofilament release from damaged neurons, drawing on experimental models and post-mortem studies to highlight their pathological significance and detectability in body fluids. The clinical part of this keynote lecture will review the role of neurofilaments across a spectrum of acute and chronic neurological conditions, including sepsis-associated encephalopathy, COVID-19-related neuroinflammation, subarachnoid haemorrhage, ischaemic and haemorrhagic stroke, traumatic brain injury, and epilepsy. Emphasis will be placed on how neurofilament levels correlate with acute brain injury severity, prognosis, and therapeutic response, underlining their value in both acute care and longitudinal monitoring. Finally, this keynote lecture will examine the evolving role of neurofilaments in clinical trial design and patient stratification. After two decades of scientific and clinical maturation, neurofilaments are reshaping the landscape of neurotherapeutic development, bringing us closer to precision medicine in neurology.
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