Where We Stand in Research: Challenges and Opportunities
by John R. Richert, MD
People are always asking ‘What’s going on in MS research?’ But lately, many individuals are also adding, ‘What challenges are we facing in the current economic environment?’ As a response, I believe a quick update on the Society’s research program — where we are now and what is required to maintain critical discovery — will not only address this question, but also let each of us know what we can do to help.
There has never been a more amazing time in MS research than now. Progress is being made at a remarkable rate, and the National MS Society’s 62-year-involvement has driven much of this progress, including the six approved disease-modifying drugs and new therapeutic approaches making their way through the development process.
And even in these challenging economic times, we’re continuing to propel research forward. This year alone, we’re providing over $33.5 million to support 345 new and ongoing projects in our core research portfolio, plus $1.5 million for Fast Forward, our drug development subsidiary which continues to attract its own new funding streams. In addition, thanks to the efforts of our MS activists, an additional $5 million has been specifically set aside for funding MS research out of the 2009 Department of Defense budget.
At the Society, we have three clear research goals — STOP MS, REVERSE THE DAMAGE AND END MS FOREVER. Here are some exciting projects making headway in our three-pronged approach:
- Our portfolio of projects focusing on immune aspects of MS, in particular the large-scale clinical trial of estriol, a pregnancy hormone, to treat MS, and Fast Forward’s recent investments in promising immune-modulating molecules -- are opening up new avenues to STOP MS.
- Our research on rehabilitation and health care delivery, and of course the four international teams working on nervous system protection and repair, whose work is funded by the Promise: 2010 campaign, are making tremendous progress, including plans for small-scale clinical trials as offshoots of this initiative to test the safety of cell therapy, are examples of strategies to REVERSE THE DAMAGE.
- The definitive scan to search for all common MS-related genes is being performed by the International MS Genetics Consortium, a collaboration launched by Society funding. The wealth of data that will be coming out of this gene scan has the potential to lead us closer than we’ve ever been to finding ways to stop the disease and END MS FOREVER.
The shifting economy challenges each of us to prioritize our spending on what’s most important. The Society has made some similar choices (which we believe will be temporary) to keep moving MS research forward.
- We’ve chosen to continue to fund our discovery research portfolio and fellowships at reduced levels.
- We’ve also chosen to place some research award programs on hold.
These choices, while difficult, offer critically important opportunities for you to ensure that promising avenues don’t fall by the wayside.
Exciting new technologies, like gene chips, proteomics, and new imaging techniques are allowing scientists to revisit age-old questions about MS in new and much faster ways. And there are more investigators conducting MS research now than at any other time in history. Now more than ever, we need the flexibility and resources to pursue the most promising leads coming from these and other critical investigations.
We hope that the reduction in research spending will be of short duration, but should it become necessary to continue on this path, we know that some established researchers and some promising young scientists will abandon their focus on MS to move into areas where funding is more plentiful. We have to do everything possible to keep them in the MS field.
Each of us plays a crucial role in fueling MS research and moving us all toward a world free of MS. Now is the time when each of us must take stock of our own priorities and ask ourselves, “What more can I do?” and “Who else do I know who could help?”
We are poised to make quantum leaps forward in our understanding of MS. Re-energizing our growth in philanthropic giving is critical. Please contribute now to ensure that the brightest minds around the world continue to pursue the answers that we so anxiously await.