It is of great importance to clinically differentiate NMO from more common demyelinating disorders such as multiple sclerosis (MS), as immunomodulatory therapies for MS including interferon-beta (IFN-β), glatiramer acetate, and natalizumab have been shown to be ineffective and, in some cases, harmful [4••]. The gene discussed is IFNB1; the disease is multiple sclerosis.