To achieve the vision of a world free of MS, the National MS Society is a driving force of MS research, relentlessly pursuing prevention, treatment and cure. We devote nearly $50 million each year to a spectrum of key initiatives and other projects based on the guiding principles of Speed, Collaboration and Possibilities:
- Speed
Finding expeditious ways to conduct research, forge relationships, bridge barriers and garner resources to propel research forward - Collaboration
Fostering coalitions worldwide with experts in other fields and diseases to make rapid and meaningful progress - Possibilities
Fueling novel ideas, potential therapies, projects and technologies to discover and pursue every avenue that holds promise
Right now, our researchers are developing and testing novel experimental treatments and tissue repair strategies that may soon be in use for MS. Read more about the progress we’ve made and intriguing leads being pursued by MS investigators.
Research Scope and Philosophy
We strive to fund the best, most relevant research in the U.S. and abroad aimed at moving us closer to a world free of MS
Areas of Research Focus
We support more than 440 research grants and training fellowships on a broad range of topics relevant to MS, including immune aspects, nerve tissue repair and myelin biology, clinical trials, rehabilitation, psychosocial issues and health care delivery. We are also pursuing some key areas of emerging opportunity and need, including:
- Targeted Initiatives —Funding vital MS research and care through the Promise: 2010 Initiative and speeding treatments to people with MS through the Fast Forward™ initiative.
- Collaborative MS Research Centers —These special centers combine the expertise of top MS researchers with scientists outside the field of MS who are using cutting-edge technologies to engage in large-scale explorations, gaining from each other’s experience.
- High-Risk Pilot Research —These unique grants fund short-term investigations on new, untested ideas, allowing researchers to quickly determine if their novel ideas are worth pursuing.
- Research on Progressive MS — Although many of the Society’s research studies explore virtually every aspect of MS and more basic aspects of how the nervous system and immune system works, some studies focus specifically on progressive forms of MS.
Recent Research News
Surprising Phase II Clinical Trial Results of Oral Ibudilast Show Some Evidence of Neuroprotection But Little Impact Against Inflammation in MS
Mar 18, 2010
Ibudilast (previously known as MN-166, Medicinova, Inc.), an oral anti-inflammatory agent, did not reduce relapses or MRI-observed inflammation in a phase II study of 292 people with relapsing MS. However, some evidence that this agent could protect the nervous system from damage (neuroprotection) was observed in this study.
Two New Studies Link Epstein-Barr Virus to Risk of Developing MS
Mar 16, 2010
Two new studies are adding to an increasing body of evidence that shows a possible role for Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in the development of MS. Alberto Ascherio, MD, DrPH (Harvard School of Public Health, Boston) and colleagues showed that an EBV-positive blood test preceded MS diagnosis in a large sample of MS cases identified through U.S. military databases. (Annals of Neurology, accepted online January 20, 2010) Manuel Comabella, MD (Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Barcelona) and an international team of colleagues report that reactions to a specific protein associated with EBV were increased in people with MS compared with siblings who did not have MS (Multiple Sclerosis 2010;16[3]:355–358)
Trial of Low-Dose Naltrexone Finds Preliminary Benefit to Mental Health Quality of Life for People with MS
Mar 15, 2010
Results from a pilot clinical trial involving 60 people with all types of multiple sclerosis, testing low-dose Naltrexone, a drug approved for treating addiction, suggest that it may improve several measures of mental health quality of life and pain, and that further testing in larger numbers of individuals may be warranted. The study, by Bruce Cree, MD, Douglas Goodin, MD, and colleagues (MS Center, University of California at San Francisco), was presented at the 2008 American Academy of Neurology meeting and has been accepted for publication and now online in the Annals of Neurology.
FDA Approves Botox® for Treating Spasticity, or Tightness, in Upper Limbs
Mar 12, 2010
A new use for Botox® (onabotulinumtoxin A, Allergan, Inc.) was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, providing an additional treatment option for people with MS or other disorders who may experience spasticity in muscles of the elbow, wrist and fingers. Spasticity is an often painful muscle tightness that can make movements difficult. In clinical trials largely involving people with spasticity after stroke, targeted injections of Botox into muscles were found to be beneficial and safe.
UPDATE: CCSVI - International Scientific Panel Formed to Expedite Review of Submitted CCSVI Research Proposals
Mar 11, 2010
This International panel of experts is conducting an expedited review of all CCSVI applications received through a special request for applications. Read more about CCSVI.