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The International Consortium of MS Genetics has identified 200 genetic variations associated with MS, providing new leads to understanding how genes and other factors combine to make people susceptible to getting multiple sclerosis. These findings were made possible by the combined efforts of consortium members, who were able to analyze data from more than 100,000 people. These studies are already yielding important clues to the cause of MS and developing strategies for stopping the disease and ending it forever: Most of the identified gene variants implicate genes associated with immune system function, and many are also involved in other autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, Type I diabetes, and ulcerative colitis.
 
The team reported on these findings at the American Society of Human Genetics 2016 Annual Meeting in Vancouver, B.C. Additional details will be available when the study is published in a journal. This work has been supported by several sources, including research grants from the National MS Society and a Society Career Transition Fellowship to study presenter Nikolaos A. Patsopoulos, MD, PhD (Brigham and Women’s Hospital). 

Read more about this study from the American Society of Human Genetics
 
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