Krysko KM, Henry RG, Cree BAC, et al. - In this observational cohort study involving 356 women and 160 men (mean age: 43 years; median disease duration: 6 years), researchers evaluated whether biological aging is correlated with clinical disability and brain volume loss in multiple sclerosis (MS), as measured by leukocyte telomere length (LTL). The UCSF-EPIC cohort study included adults with MS/CIS. LTL was evaluated by quantitative PCR on DNA samples and expressed as telomere to somatic DNA ratio (T/S). At baseline and follow-up, expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) and 3D T1-weighted brain MRI were performed. Using simple and mixed effects linear regression models, associations of baseline LTL with cross-sectional and longitudinal outcomes were evaluated. According to findings, shorter telomere length was linked to disability independent of chronological age, indicating that biological aging may contribute to neurological injury in MS. The authors suggested that targeting aging-related mechanisms may be a potential therapeutic strategy against MS progression.