Research in MS is progressing at a remarkable rate, with more potential therapies in the pipeline than at any other time in history. The National MS Society is a driving force of MS research, supporting and stimulating world-class research into ways to prevent, better treat and cure this unpredictable disease of the brain and spinal cord. Learn how far we’ve come, where we’re going and what the Society and others are doing to move toward a world free of MS.
Research News
Bulletins about research progress from around the world
New Funding Opportunity
The NMSS announces new funding opportunities in Health Care Delivery and Policy Research
Research We Fund
The who, what, where, why and how of the Society’s cutting-edge MS research
Intriguing Leads on the Horizon
Exciting leads and clinical trials researchers are pursuing
Clinical Trials
These treatment trials urgently need patients willing to participate
Researchers Need You
How you can help move research forward by getting involved
How Far We’ve Come
History and timeline of progress, and how the Society has helped propel these advances
Recent Research News
Investigators Find No Overall Link Between Hepatitis B Vaccine and MS
Oct 02, 2008
A study evaluating the potential that hepatitis B vaccination increases the risk of developing MS found no general increase in risk from exposure to the vaccine. However, the investigators did find a possible hint that a specific brand of the vaccine may increase the risk of MS, but that finding requires confirmation. The study, led by Yann Mikaeloff, MD, PhD (Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, INSERM), evaluated vaccination records of 349 children in France who had experienced a neurologic episode. Most previous studies have found no link between MS and hepatitis B vaccine, which can prevent serious health problems associated with hepatitis B virus infection. The study will appear in the journal Neurology (early online publication, October 8, 2008).A study evaluating the potential that hepatitis B vaccination increases the risk of developing MS found no general increase in risk from exposure to the vaccine. However, the investigators did find a possible hint that a specific brand of the vaccine may increase the risk of MS, but that finding requires confirmation. The study, led by Yann Mikaeloff, MD, PhD (Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, INSERM), evaluated vaccination records of 349 children in France who had experienced a neurologic episode. Most previous studies have found no link between MS and hepatitis B vaccine, which can prevent serious health problems associated with hepatitis B virus infection. The study will appear in the journal Neurology (early online publication, October 8, 2008).
$5 Million Awarded to New MS Research Program
Sep 30, 2008
We are pleased to announce that $5 million has been awarded for an historic MS research project within the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) thanks in large part to the tireless work of MS activists across the country who helped to secure the funding.
World Congress on MS: Late-Breaking News and Rehabilitation Strategies
Sep 20, 2008
The final day of the World Congress on Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis featured progress understanding cognitive function and rehabilitation as well as late-breaking research on new therapies and new approaches to studying MS.
World Congress on MS: Treatment Challenges, Insights and Breakthroughs
Sep 19, 2008
Presentations from leading MS researchers during the third day of this unprecedented gathering in Montreal, Quebec highlighted the changing landscape of MS, new insights into risk factors and progress in the search for better treatments. The Plenary session ECTRIMS Lecture by Chris Polman, MD, (Free University, The Netherlands) explored concepts related to what has been and can be learned from treating MS and its animal models, even from studies that are unsuccessful, and the opportunities for deeper understanding of the disease presented by both large-scale and small clinical studies.
Atlas of MS Rolls Out, and World Congress of MS Rolls On, with New Data on Repairing MS Damage and New Therapeutic Approaches
Sep 18, 2008
The Atlas of MS, providing data on MS around the world, was introduced on the second day of the first World Congress on Treatment and Research in MS, along with novel strategies to repair MS damage, new data on children with MS, and updates on alternative interventions. The congress, being held this week in Montreal, Quebec, is the largest international conference on MS research and treatment in 2008.