NEFM is an intermediate filament component of the neurofilament heteropolymers that form the neuronal cytoskeleton together with microtubules. Neurofilaments act as structural space-fillers for axons and are also involved in axonal transport. Antibodies that detect NEFM are regularly used to identify neurons and distinguish them from glia (neurofilament-negative) and for diagnosis in neuropathology. Because neurofilaments are released into the blood when axons and neurons deteriorate, antibodies to neurofilaments are also used to observe the progression and state of neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis and Huntington’s disease, and NEFM is a common biomarker of neuronal damage. In immunohistochemistry, NEFM antibodies highlight axons of neuronal cells in the central nervous system and in peripheral nerves. References: European Journal of Neurology. 2010 Mar. 17 (3): 377–8, PMID: 19845747; Neurology. 2009 Apr. 72 (15): 1322–9, PMID: 19365053; PLOS One. 2017 Feb. 12 (2): e0172762, PMID: 28241046; Garland Science. ISBN: 978-0-8153-3218-3.