The Promise 2010 CampaignMaking a Promise to a Future Free of MS
Nationwide, more than 400,000 people live with MS. In our area, this number is more than 16,000. Every hour someone is diagnosed with MS and many lives are forever changed. To fund research, to provide hope, to find a cure - this is why we're here.
How does the NMSS Help?
The National MS Society has always been committed to supporting research initiatives that bring promising answers to the puzzle of MS. In fact, the National MS Society has invested more than $420 million in scientific investigations and in 2004, more than $30 million will be spent on 300 research investigations across the country.
What's Next?
Promise 2010 is a national fundraising campaign, focused on four targeted areas. With a nationwide goal of $25 million, over a five-year period, each Chapter's commitment is critical to its success. The MIchigan Chapter remains on the forefront of research progress with a commitment to this campaign.
Promise 2010's four targeted areas of research that will be studied are:
- Promising Research: Tissue Repair and Protection
- Promising Care and Treatment: MS Pediatric Care Centers
- Promising Understanding: Sonya Slifka Longitudinal Study
- Promising Research: MS Lesions Project
This research is exciting and promising, but we can't do it without you. For more information on how to get involved, call or email Elana Sullivan 800-243-5767 or donate online.
Making a Promise to a Future Free of MS - This is Why We're Here.
TISSUE REPAIR AND PROTECTION
The National MS Society has funded tissue repair studies for years and in this time, researchers have made dramatic discoveries.
Currently, researchers are able to repair myelin in mice that have a disease that mimics MS in animals. However, this progress has not gone beyond an animal model until now. Promise 2010 will bring together researchers from the best institutions worldwide to begin moving tissue repair studies from animal testing to human model testing.
Why is this so exciting and important?This research has the potential to show us how to stop disease progression, therefore improving the quality of life for people living with MS.
MS PEDIATRIC CARE CENTERS
In the past year, the NMSS has learned some frightening statistics. What was previously deemed a "prime of life" adult disease is now being diagnosed in children. In fact, doctors estimate that as much as 5% of the MS population may be diagnosed in childhood or teenage years.
This is an alarming number for us as more than 11,000 people are living with MS in our area. That means potentially hundreds of children are being misdiagnosed and therefore not receiving the treatment they need. With Promise 2010, we hope to make the disease a little less scary and the future more hopeful for these children.
SONYA SLIFKA LONGITUDINAL STUDY
This study is will involve thousands of people with various types and degrees of MS. The concept is simple: monitor a representative cross-section of persons with MS throughout the country over an extended period of time.
From this, researchers will be able to ask questions about the impact of access to quality healthcare, disease course, treatments, economic status and quality of life. The information will permit scientists to pose new questions because virtually every aspect of people's lives are being tracked. This will allow investigators to determine factors in individuals' lives that may influence their disease course.
MS LESIONS PROJECT
One of the most studied areas of MS since the MRI is lesions. Initially, researchers thought that the progress and severity of one's disease was based upon the number of lesions. In the last five years, however, investigators have discovered that there are various types of MS lesions. As of now, they have isolated four types.
What does this mean?In effect, lesion type varies from person to person. For example, two individuals with MS may not have the same type of lesions. Further study may indicate that MS may be a “syndrome” of several diseases.
Why is this exciting?By determining the lesion type, researchers may be able to individualize treatment. Because of this, people living with MS may be able to receive treatment specific to their disease course.