FGF2 and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: Proteomic profiling of CSF also identified proteins with a potential prognostic value in ALS, including MIP-1α, wrCRP, HMGB, creatine kinase, granzyme B, and IL-8, whose increased levels have been correlated with more rapidly progressive disease; cystatin C protein levels were positively correlated with survival; increase in GPNMB and UCHL1 were specific for ALS patients showing a short survival time; bFGF increased in ALS patients with longer survival, whereas VGF levels correlated with progressing muscle weakness (Ranganathan et al., 2005; Barschke et al., 2017).