Several exciting initiatives are underway to increase our understanding of disease progression in MS:
- A Collaborative MS Research Center team at the University of California at San Francisco is seeking molecules that may be used as “markers” to help doctors predict MS progression before it occurs.
- At Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, researchers are using novel imaging techniques to compare different parts of the brain in primary-progressive and other types of MS — which could eventually yield new strategies for predicting and monitoring MS progression.
- A new Collaborative MS Research Center at the Oregon Health Sciences Center is investigating possible causes for the degeneration of nerve fibers (axons) in the central nervous system.
Nervous System Repair and Protection
Alongside these efforts to identify effective medications to slow the progression of PPMS, researchers are looking for ways to protect and repair brain tissue that is damaged or lost in MS. The Nervous System Repair and Protection Initiative, funded through the Society’s Promise: 2010 Campaign has brought together four teams of researchers in the U.S. and Europe to study possible mechanisms for preventing damage to brain tissue and restoring function in those individuals who have already experienced significant tissue loss.