The program reads multiple layers of biology from one sample, including circular RNA, and studies patterns across large patient populations. Decode Health will share new research at the ACTRIMS-ECTRIMS and AMP meetings and meet with partners at HLTH this fall.
NASHVILLE, Tenn., Oct. 14, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Decode Health, a precision medicine research and development company, today announced the expansion of its neuroinflammatory disease program, which studies multiple sclerosis (MS) and related conditions at two levels: the biology in a single blood sample and the patterns across large patient populations. Decode's work is designed to support earlier, more accurate diagnosis and better monitoring as disease changes over time.
This fall, Decode will share this work at three meetings, each with a different audience. It will present circular RNA research to clinicians, researchers, and drug developers at the joint ACTRIMS-ECTRIMS meeting in Toronto. With its sequencing partners, it will then share the protocols behind its multi-layer readout at the Association for Molecular Pathology's annual meeting in Seattle. It will round out the fall in the Global Health Connector Village at HLTH in Las Vegas, meeting with health technology companies and the payers and health systems they serve.
From the RNA in one sample, Decode currently reads seven layers of biology, including circular RNA, HLA type, and immune cell receptors. Reading the layers together gives its models more to learn from and a fuller view of the biology in neuroinflammatory disease and beyond. Circular RNA, the focus of the company's newest research, is unusually stable and still relatively unexplored, which makes it a promising source of new diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets.
"In neuroinflammatory disease, care depends on getting the right diagnosis early and knowing how the disease is changing over time," said Chase Spurlock, PhD, CEO and co-founder of Decode Health. "We read seven layers of biology from the RNA in a single blood sample, several of which would normally require their own tests. That means more answers from each sample, faster and at lower cost. We also study how these diseases play out across large populations. Working at both levels helps our partners act sooner on diagnosis and monitoring and points the way to new therapies."
From claims and clinical records, Decode predicts which patients will need the most care. Drug developers and diagnostics companies work with Decode on biomarker and therapeutic candidates, and health technology companies use its risk models to help the payers and health systems they serve reach patients sooner.
- Sharper diagnosis: MS and the conditions that mimic it, such as neuromyelitis optica (NMO), can be hard to tell apart early but require different clinical care. In a study published in The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics, a Decode machine learning model separated NMO from relapsing-remitting MS with more than 90% accuracy, and the analysis pointed to small-molecule candidates with potential therapeutic value. The company's newest research finds that circular RNA profiles can also separate neuroinflammatory disease states.
- Better monitoring: MS can progress quietly between clinic visits. At the molecular level, Decode's RNA profiles track with markers of nerve damage, suggesting these profiles could help monitor disease between visits. At the population level, a study Decode published in Communications Medicine used routine claims data to predict which people with MS would be among the highest-cost patients over the next four months. The models captured about 76% of that spending, compared with 37% to 44% for standard approaches based on recent costs.
Machine learning has been central to Decode's work from the start, and the company continually adopts new tools to move faster, most recently agentic AI, which runs and compares many analyses at once. Experts review every finding. Decode's published quality control framework for RNA sequencing, along with newer protocols and quality metrics, is designed to keep the multi-layer readout consistent from lab to lab.
The expanding neuroinflammatory program builds on Decode's years of work across immune-mediated diseases, including autoimmune disease. Next, the company is studying how these circular RNA signals change over time and whether they show up in other neurological and immune-mediated conditions.
"When people with MS give blood samples to research, each one holds the potential for new discoveries, even years later," said Sara Loud, CEO of the Accelerated Cure Project for MS, a nonprofit that makes samples and data from people with MS available to researchers. "Through our longstanding collaboration, Decode Health is developing innovative ways to uncover new insights from these samples, opening possibilities for earlier diagnosis, better monitoring and, ultimately, better care for people affected by MS."
About Decode Health
Decode Health is a precision medicine research and development company based in Nashville, Tennessee. It turns molecular and clinical data into findings that partners can act on. Life sciences companies work with Decode on biomarker panels and therapeutic candidates, and health technology companies use its risk models to serve payers and health systems. Backed by peer-reviewed publications and NIH funding, Decode's platform grows stronger with every program. Learn more at www.decodehealth.ai.
Media Contact
Michele Hart-Henry, Decode Health, 1 855-899-9551, [email protected], www.decodehealth.ai
SOURCE Decode Health
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