High Levels of a Blood Protein (Hemoglobin) Related to Decreases in Brain Tissue Volume in Small Sample of People with Progressive MS December 21, 2016 Researchers at Imperial College London found that high levels of the protein hemoglobin in the blood were related to decreases in brain tissue volume (atrophy) in a study of 141 people with secondary progressive MS. Hemoglobin is normally contained within red blood cells, but these findings indicate that it may escape in people with MS, and enter the brain. The team is now working on further studies to confirm and understand the findings. Read more on the Imperial College London website Read the paper on Wellcome Open Research Read more about research in progressive MS