The present invention refers to the use of glutamate transporters, glutamate and EGF to detect the presence of demyelinating diseases in a subject, to determine the status or severity of the same or to monitor the effects of a therapy administered to a subject who suffers from such diseases; to the use of the said markers for the searching, identification, development and evaluation of the efficacy of compounds for the treatment of such diseases, with a view to developing new drugs; to the use of compounds which promote the expression of the EAAT1 and EAAT2 transporters, as well as EGF for the treatment of demyelinating diseases. In a preferred embodiment, the methods and compounds of the invention are applicable to MS.