Pharmacogenomics of Interferon Beta Therapy in Multiple Sclerosis
Summary
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune-mediated disorder characterised by demyelination in the central nervous system and a highly variable clinical course. Interferon-beta (IFNβ) remains one of the foundational disease-modifying therapies, yet up to 40 % of patients derive limited benefit or develop neutralising antibodies. Pharmacogenomics seeks to explain this inter-individual heterogeneity by linking genetic and molecular profiles to treatment response. Studies have revealed that baseline expression levels of type I interferon response genes can predict subsequent pharmacological effects, while specific single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in immune-regulatory loci modulate receptor signalling and downstream pathways such as JAK-STAT. Emerging approaches integrate genome-wide association data with transcriptomic signatures and machine-learning models to stratify responders and non-responders, aiming to personalise therapy, reduce exposure to ineffective drugs and improve long-term outcomes. This field addresses a global imperative: to refine therapeutic decision-making, optimise resource use and mitigate the burden of disability in MS.
Research from Nature Portfolio
No recent Nature Portfolio content available.
Pharmacogenomics of Interferon Beta Therapy in Multiple Sclerosis publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in pharmacogenomics of interferon beta therapy in multiple sclerosis across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Interferon-beta (IFNβ): A type I interferon used as a first-line disease-modifying therapy in MS, acting through modulation of innate and adaptive immunity.
Pharmacogenomics: The study of how genetic variation influences individual responses to drugs, encompassing both efficacy and adverse effects.
Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP): A common form of genetic variation involving a single base-pair change, which can impact gene function or regulation.
Gene expression signature: A specific pattern of transcript abundance across multiple genes that characterises a biological state or predicts a clinical outcome.
Biomarker: A measurable indicator of a biological or pathogenic process, or of pharmacological response to a therapeutic intervention.
References
- CCR5 Δ32 and CTLA-4 +49 A/G Gene Polymorphisms and Interferon-β Treatment Response in Croatian and Slovenian Multiple Sclerosis Patients. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2024).
- Fuzzy Logic System for Classifying Multiple Sclerosis Patients as High, Medium, or Low Responders to Interferon-Beta. Technologies (2023).
- Pharmacogenomics of Interferon-ß Therapy in Multiple Sclerosis: Baseline IFN Signature Determines Pharmacological Differences between Patients. PLOS ONE (2008).
About these summaries
This Nature Research Intelligence Topic summary is created with the cited references and a large language model. We take care to ground generated text with facts, and have systems in place to gain human feedback on the overall quality of the process in line with our AI principles. We strive to create accurate and useful summaries for people unfamiliar with the research topic and that supports this goal. These pages are a beta release and will be updated as we learn how best to help people gain value from a research topic summary.
Turn complex research questions into confident strategic decisions
When you're under pressure to set direction, justify investment, or understand your competitive position, you need more than raw data — you need trusted insights you can act on.
Benchmark your performance against global peers using robust, methodologically sound analysis.
Combine quantitative metrics with qualitative expert insight to uncover strengths, gaps and emerging opportunities.
Gain tailored, decision-ready recommendations aligned to your strategic priorities.
Talk to us to learn more about our data dashboards and bespoke strategy reports.
Grow research skills, confidence and careers with training built for every stage of the research lifecycle.
Developed with Nature Portfolio journal Editors and internationally renowned experts. Discover three ways to learn:
Self-paced, online courses in convenient bite-sized units, covering key skills across scientific writing, publishing, grant writing, data analysis, and more.
Expert trainer-led workshops with hands-on exercises and real-time feedback across core research skills, delivered via interactive group sessions.
Editor-led workshops combining core principles in writing and publishing, personalised 1:1 feedback from Nature Portfolio Editors and hands-on exercises.
Explore course catalogues and workshop agendas, enquire about the options or request institutional pricing.