Research suggests that MS occurs in individuals and in families whose genes make them susceptible to developing the disease, and that many genes contribute to MS susceptibility. In addition, individuals who are genetically at risk must encounter some other triggering factor in the environment to actually develop MS. Pinpointing the exact location of these “MS genes” could help determine who is at risk for developing the disease, and may provide clues to its cause, prevention and better treatment.
Genetics is an important research issue in MS because
- it will provide key information regarding the cause of the disease and therefore how to prevent it
- genes that are associated with MS may be targets for the development of new therapies
- if we could identify those people who have a strong genetic predisposition to the disease, we might be able to intervene at its earliest stages or before it appears.
A crucial aspect of this research is collaboration. With funding from a National MS Society Collaborative MS Research Center Award, MS geneticists from around the world have joined to create the International MS Genetics Consortium, whose work has already sped the search for MS genes exponentially. The IMSGC completed the identified variations in two genes that help regulate the immune system as clearly increasing genetic susceptibility to MS, as well as several other genes of newly suspected importance in MS, some of which have, as yet, no known function. These have now become targets of intense research interest by MS investigators.
This group recently reported the largest MS genetics study ever undertaken, a identifying 29 new genetic variants associated with MS, and confirming 23 others previously associated with the disease, verifying a major role for the immune system in the development of MS. The study involved nearly 10,000 people with MS and more than 17,000 controls without MS, and was funded by the Wellcome Trust, the National Institutes of Health, the National MS Society and many other organizations. Read more here.
Read about other studies funded by the National MS Society:
- Studying human cells isolated in the laboratory, researchers reveal a novel interaction between two genes that influence susceptibility to developing MS, certain environmental factors, and a chemical process (called N-glycosylation) that modifies the structure of molecules, which together may contribute to our understanding of how complex interactions lead to the development of MS. Read more here.
- Fast Forward, LLC, a nonprofit subsidiary of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and Lineagen, Inc., an innovative molecular diagnostics company focused on complex, genetically linked disorders, today announced an alliance to fund the clinical development and validation of a blood-based assay for MS. Read more here.
- Researchers used novel methods to compare genetic material in three pairs of identical twins, where one twin had multiple sclerosis and the other did not. Read about the results here.
Early Clinical Trial Shows Feasibility of Reducing Immune Responses in People with MS Using Their Own Altered Blood Cells
Jun 05, 2013
An international team has reported results of a small, early clinical trial involving 10 people with relapsing or secondary-progressive MS that tested the feasibility and preliminary safety of using a patient’s own altered blood cells to reduce immune responses against specific components of myelin, the nerve covering that is a key target of immune attacks in MS.
Research sheds light on emotional changes in MS - Interview with clinical psychologist/researcher Dr. David Rintell
May 24, 2013
In proclaiming May as National Mental Health Awareness Month, President Barack Obama sought to “shine a light” on the mental health problems experienced by tens of millions of Americans. Emotional changes may be a major concern for people with MS. Clinical psychologist David Rintell, EdD (Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Boston) addresses these issues with people with MS in his practice, and has been funded by the National MS Society’s Health Care Delivery and Policy Research (HCDPR)program to study ways to help enhance mental health to people with MS.
MS Trial Alert: Investigators Nationwide Recruiting People with All Types of MS for Early, Phase I Study to Determine Safety of Experimental Antibody
May 22, 2013
Summary: Investigators nationwide are recruiting 60 people with all types of MS for a phase I study to determine the safety and tolerability of rHIgM22, an experimental antibody. The study is funded by Acorda Therapeutics, Inc.