An ex-vivo method of analyzing the effect of dimethyl fumarate (DMF) or monomethyl fumarate (MMF) in a subject having a condition characterized by at least one symptom chosen from neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation, the method comprising: measuring in a sample isolated from the subject, during treatment or after treatment with dimethyl fumarate or monomethyl fumarate, the expression level of at least one gene selected from the group consisting of Ccl20, Ccl3, Ccl4, Cxcl1, Cxcl10, Cxcl2, Cxcl3, Cxcl6, IL1a, Ifit3, Nfkbia, Nfkbiz, Tnfaip2, Zc3h12a, Ggt1, Srxn1, and Sqstm1； and comparing the expression level of the at least one gene in the sample isolated from the subject during or after treatment to the expression level of said at least one gene in a sample isolated from the subject at an earlier time.
