Cause research

Through biomedical research, we aim to understand what causes MS. This helps us develop more effective treatments for MS, and ultimately stop it from occurring.

Current projects

• Understanding the role of brain inflammation in progressive MS 
• Understanding the causes of hypoxia in MS 
• Investigating Epstein-Barr and MS 
• Developing Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopic Imaging (MRSI) as a tool for studying MS
• Identifying inflammatory immune cells in the spinal fluid of people with relapsing-remitting MS
• Understanding genetic variation in multiple sclerosis
• Imaging demyelination and remyelination in people with MS
• Studying how mitochondria function in MS
• What controls the blood brain barrier in MS?
• MS Society Tissue Bank
• Do grey matter lesions relate to cognitive difficulties in people with MS?
• Understanding risk factors associated with MS
• Understanding the genetics of MS in South Asian populations
• Learning more about T-cells’ role in MS
• Mapping the genes of MS
• Understanding childhood MS
• Using genetics to predict who will respond to beta-interferon
• Can the body’s own stem cells be stimulated to make myelin?
• Predicting who is likely to benefit from a potential new treatment for MS
• Researching the causes, and more effective treatments for, MS with a more powerful MRI scanner

 

Understanding the role of brain inflammation in progressive MS 

Prof Richard Reynolds
Imperial College London
£263,081

What’s the project about?

The progressive stage of MS cannot be treated at the moment, which is partly due to our lack of understanding about how progression develops.

Recent research carried out by Prof. Reynolds and his team suggests that there may be a chronic inflammation of the lining of the brain, called the meninges, that leads to damage to the brain tissue underneath. This damage results in a slow loss of nerve cells over many years. Their results show that the faster the rate of progression, the more inflammation in the meninges and that more nerve cells are lost. This theory now needs to be tested in laboratory model of MS so that we can understand how this happens.

How will it help people with MS?

The results of this study should give us a better insight into the nature of the molecules that damage nerve cells in MS and will help the development of new potential therapies to treat the progressive stage of MS. 

The difference you can make

One of our research priorities is to find out more about progressive forms of MS.

Please help us achieve this goal by donating to the MS Society.

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Understanding the causes of hypoxia in MS 

Professor Kenneth Smith
Institute of Neurology, University College London
£237,878

What's the project about?

A major feature of MS is inflammation in specific areas of the brain. Prof Kenneth Smith and his team have found that these areas suffer from an oxygen shortage, called hypoxia, which can be severe enough to cause symptoms and damage to the cells that produce myelin, resulting in demyelination. At the moment it is not known what causes hypoxia. As this uncertainty slows down the search for treatments to correct the hypoxia, this research project hopes to clarify this and identify the causes of hypoxia in laboratory models of MS. 

How will it help people with MS?

Once the cause of this hypoxia has been identified, researchers will be able to look to try and develop treatment strategies can either prevent or alleviate the symptoms and damage caused by hypoxia in MS.

The difference you can make

You can help us beat MS by supporting research like this – research that could help us understand the causes of MS and develop more effective treatments.

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Investigating Epstein-Barr virus and MS 

Dr Jill Brooks
University of Birmingham
£89,316

What's the project about?

MS is thought to be an autoimmune condition, where the body’s own immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue. One possible explanation of this ‘autoimmune’ behaviour is that a virus might cause a strong immune response and some of that response recognises not only the virus but also, by chance, normal parts of the central nervous system, like myelin.

There is evidence to suggest a possible role in MS for a virus called Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). EBV is a common virus that most people acquire in early life and is then carried for life usually with no harmful effects. This project led by Dr Jill Brooks at the University of Birmingham aims to determine whether or not the immune response to EBV in people with MS really does contain cells that cause this autoimmune response and could damage myelin. 

How will it help people with MS?

By investigating the possible causes of MS the results of this project could lead to new ways of diagnosing or treating MS. 

The difference you can make

Nobody understands what causes MS and researchers are working hard to put the pieces together. Donate to MS research and help us find the causes of MS. 

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Developing Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopic Imaging (MRSI) as a tool for studying MS 

Dr Charlotte Stagg
University of Oxford
£38,984

What’s the project about?

This project aims to improve our understanding of how MS affects the brain, by using a new imaging technique.

Current MRI methods are unable to accurately measure nerve cell damage that occurs during the early stages of MS. A recent advance in MRI called MR Spectroscopic Imaging (MRSI) has the potential to allow researchers to look at the very early stages of nerve cell damage in people with MS for the first time.

The researchers will recruit 12 people with relapsing remitting MS and 12 volunteers without MS. Looking at the levels of brain chemicals, to see if these levels reflect the symptoms experienced by people with MS. They will also compare results with MRI scans to see whether the MRSI approach provides any new information.

How will it help people with MS?

If MRSI can be developed for use in MS, it will lead to a better understanding of the early damage that occurs in MS and to allow us to monitor the effectiveness of future treatments.

The difference you can make

Our aim is to beat MS. You can help us by supporting research like this – research that could help us understand the causes of MS and develop more effective treatments.

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Identifying inflammatory immune cells in the spinal fluid of people with relapsing-remitting MS 

Dr John Curnow
University of Birmingham
£148,007

What’s the project about?

There are many different types of immune cell. This project is looking at aggressive immune cells that cause damage in MS and others that suppress immune damage.

This study aims to answer the following two questions:

1. What particular types of immune cells are present?
2. How does the presence of these immune cells relate to the symptoms of MS?

Researchers will take small amounts of blood and spinal fluid from people with MS and other neurological conditions, and also from people without MS or other neurological conditions. They will look at immune cells present in the blood and spinal fluid to see whether they cause or suppress the damage seen in MS.

How will it help people with MS?

This project will significantly add to our understanding of how the immune system is changed in people with MS. This could help us to identify which cells are responsible for the damage in MS and which could potentially be targeted for the development of new therapies for MS. 

Knowing how these cells relate to the symptoms of MS may also help us manage and treat MS more effectively.

The difference you can make

Understanding the immune system and its role in MS is a key part of planning future treatment strategies for people living with the condition.

By supporting projects like this you could help us get one step closer to understanding how the immune system works in people with MS.

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Understanding genetic variation in multiple sclerosis 

Dr Stephen Sawcer
University of Cambridge
£72,000

What’s the project about?

Researchers already know that MS is more common in the relatives of people with MS, and that this is because they share DNA.

A particular gene called CD86 is linked to the switching on of white blood cells, which make up part of the immune system. This study will look the levels and functions of the CD86 gene in 200 people.

How will it help people with MS?

A drug called Abatacept is known to act on the CD86 gene and blocks it from switching on white blood cells. This drug has been shown to help people with Rheumatoid Arthritis and is now being looked at for treating MS. This study hopes to provide researchers with further information about which people with MS might respond best to this treatment by looking at their levels of the CD86 gene.

The difference you can make

Nobody understands what causes MS, and we desperately need more therapies.

Donate and help us better understand MS and identify potential new treatments. 

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Imaging demyelination and remyelination in people with MS 

Dr Nikos Evangelou
Nottingham University Hospital NHS Trust
£164,752

What’s the project about?

The brain is made up of two types of tissue: grey matter and white matter.

The aim of this project is to better visualise and understand lesions in the brain using specialised imaging. This will help us understand what causes disability in MS.

Using the most advanced MRI scanner (7 Tesla) Dr Evangelou will scan people with MS using a technique that can help us visualise myelin. His team will be able to study the grey matter in a detail that has not been achieved before.

How will it help people with MS?

By studying people with MS at different stages of disability, the study will provide a better view of how grey matter demyelination affects all types of MS. Results from this study could also greatly improve the screening process used by large clinical trials of potential treatments for myelin repair.

The difference you can make

Our aim is to beat MS. You can help us by supporting research like this – research that could help us understand the causes of MS and develop more effective treatments.

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Studying how mitochondria function in MS 

Prof. Kenneth Smith
University College London
£219,956

What’s the project about?

Recent findings from this group show that some of the symptoms of MS may be due to a shortage of energy in brain cells.

The aim of this project is to:

• Understand how the brain cells become short of energy
• Develop therapies to protect against energy shortage. Such therapies should preserve function and protect against permanent damage to brain cells.

Mitochondria are the structures inside cells that act as the powerhouse, producing energy for the cell to use. Professor Smith’s team will look in detail at the mitochondria in brain cells to see how they react to the damage caused by MS.

How will it help people with MS?

Researchers have already got their first clues about how the mitochondria might be damaged. Once researchers understand more, they can test therapies that protect mitochondria.

The difference you can make

Our aim is to beat MS. You can help us achieve that aim by supporting research like this – research that may help us to understand the causes of MS so that we can develop more effective treatments.

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What controls the blood brain barrier in MS?

Dr Ignacio Romero
The Open University
£205,122

What’s the project about?

Under normal circumstances cells and molecules are prevented from entering the brain by the blood brain barrier.

During an MS attack, the blood brain barrier opens and allows immune cells to enter the brain – where they can attack myelin. Little is understood about what causes the blood brain barrier to open and close – but there is some indication that a class of small molecules called microRNAs may play a role in controlling the blood brain barrier.

In this three year study, the researchers will:

• determine if microRNAs play a role in controlling the blood brain barrier using tissue samples from the MS Society Tissue Bank
• use laboratory models of MS to see if changing the levels of specific microRNAs will change the way the blood brain barrier works

How will it help people with MS?

This is an early laboratory study that will help researchers find out how the blood brain barrier works – and what changes occur in people with MS that cause it to open. Knowledge gained from this study may lead researchers to develop treatments that prevent the blood brain barrier from opening in people with MS.

The difference you can make

Research like this is essential if we are to find out more about what causes the blood brain barrier to open. Please donate to the MS Society so that we can continue to fund research of the highest quality.

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MS Society Tissue Bank

Professor Richard Reynolds
Imperial College London
£1,027,846

What’s the project about?

In July 2009, we awarded a research grant for nearly £1 million to the MS Society Tissue Bank  at Imperial College London to support the work for a further five years.

The Tissue Bank has been supported by the MS Society since 1998 and it allows people with, and without, MS to donate their brain and spinal cord to MS research. 

Researchers at the Tissue Bank then process and store the samples so they can be used for vital MS research into the causes of MS, and potential treatments for the condition.

We are also very grateful for additional funding provided by the Medical Research Council for service support costs for the Tissue Bank.

How will it help people with MS?

Research using tissue samples from humans is vital if we are to understand the causes of MS and develop new effective treatments for the condition. The MS Society provides a valuable resource for researchers around the world who are seeking answers to these very important questions.

The difference you can make

The MS Society Tissue Bank relies on brain and spinal cord donations from people with and without MS to continue their valuable work.

Find out how you can pledge to donate by calling 020 7594 9734. By working together we can beat MS.

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Do grey matter lesions relate to cognitive difficulties in people with MS?

Prof David Miller
Institute of Neurology
£391,533 

What’s the project about?

The brain is divided into two types of tissue (grey matter and white matter).

In the past, researchers were unable to see lesions in the grey matter of people with MS. But new, more powerful MRI machines mean that it’s now possible for researchers to see lesions in these areas of the brain.

Professor Miller and his team will look at detailed MRI scans in people with MS and people without MS to see whether lesions in the brain’s grey matter match up with disability in people with MS. They will specifically look at cognitive disability.

How will it help people with MS?

There is currently no way of predicting what symptoms people with MS will develop, or how severely they will be affected.

If researchers can demonstrate that grey matter lesions are linked with cognitive symptoms in people with MS, they might be able to use this information to eventually predict which people with MS will go on to develop cognitive difficulties.

The difference you can make

Thanks to the generosity of our donors we were able to purchase a brand new state-of-the-art MRI scanner for the Institute of Neurology, which has made this work possible.

Please consider donating to MS research so that we can continue funding vital work like this.

Find out about our other project researching the causes, and more effective treatments for, MS with a more powerful MRI scanner

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Understanding risk factors associated with MS

Ruth Dobson
Queen Mary University, London
£186,418
Three years

What’s the project about?

The causes of MS are not known, but researchers believe that there may be multiple risk factors involved in the development of MS. Both environmental and genetic factors have been associated with MS.

This three year project will set out to understand the factors that influence an individuals risk of developing MS.

Researchers will recruit:

• 100 people with MS
• 120 of their siblings who do not have MS
• 100 people who do not have a relative with MS

They will explore whether there are any risk factors specifically associated with MS such as vitamin D levels, exposure to specific infections, and genetic differences.

How will it help people with MS?

Researchers are planning to use the knowledge gained during this study to identify risk factors associated with MS.

If researchers can better understand the risk factors involved in MS they may, one day, be able to put in place strategies that lower an individuals risk of developing the condition.

The difference you can make

We are dedicated to supporting research that will help us understand the causes of MS so that we can develop better treatments for the condition. Please support research like this so that we can, one day, beat MS.

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Understanding the genetics of MS in South Asian populations

Dr Omar Malik
Imperial College London
£107,400

What’s the project about?

MS is thought to be an autoimmune condition, where the body’s own immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue.

In the case of MS the immune system attacks myelin that coats nerve fibres in the brain and spinal cord.

A group of genes called human leukocyte antigens (HLA) have an important role in regulating the immune system and preventing autoimmunity. The risk of a person having MS is sometimes related to whether they have a particular HLA gene.

In this one year study the researchers plan to analyse DNA obtained from blood samples from around 200 people with MS and 200 people without MS from the South Asian population.

The aim is to improve our understanding of the role that HLA genes play in increasing the risk of MS in the South Asian population, which previously has received little attention.

How will it help people with MS?

The results from this study will improve our understanding of the role of HLA genes in the development of MS.

Increasing our knowledge in this area helps us to understand more about the causes of MS and develop strategies to treat and reduce an individual’s risk of developing MS.

The difference you can make?

Nobody understands what causes MS and researchers are working hard to put the pieces together.

Donate to this project and help us find the causes of MS.

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Learning more about T-cells’ role in MS

Professor David Wraith
University of Bristol
£323,694

What’s the project about?

In MS, a type of immune cell called a T-cell can mistakenly attack myelin that forms a protective layer around nerve fibres. T-cells that attack myelin are called myelin-reactive T-cells.

However, a new type of T-cell called a regulatory T-cell, or T-reg cell, is thought to be able to ‘talk’ to myelin-reactive T-cells and dampen them down. This may prevent myelin-reactive T-cells from attacking myelin and causing an MS attack.

How will it help people with MS?

In this four year project, researchers will use sophisticated imaging techniques and laboratory models of MS to further our understanding of how regulatory T-cells interact and ‘talk’ with myelin-reactive T-cells.

They hope to find a way to ‘reprogramme’ myelin-reactive T cells to stop them attacking myelin.

The difference you can make

Nobody understands what causes MS and researchers are working hard to put the pieces together. Donate to MS research and help us understand the causes of MS.

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Mapping the genes of MS

Professor George Ebers
University of Oxford
£103,947

What’s the project about?

The major histocompatability complex (MHC) is a part of the human genome that contains many genes important in influencing how the immune system works.

Previous work has identified a number of genes in the MHC that are linked with MS and can alter a person’s risk of developing the condition.

In this three year project, researchers will use a number of different state-of-the-art laboratory techniques to study in detail MHC genes in DNA samples from 20 people with MS.

They will look at how these genes function and see how their function might be altered in people with MS.

How will it help people with MS?

Increasing our knowledge in this area helps us to understand more about the causes of MS and to develop strategies to reduce a person’s risk of developing the condition.

The difference you can make

Nobody understands what causes MS and researchers are working hard to put the pieces together. Donate to MS research and help us find the causes of MS. 

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Understanding childhood MS

Dr Evangeline Wassmer 
Institute of Child Health, Birmingham Children’s Hospital
£379,444

What’s the project about?

It is estimated that around one in 20 people with MS develop symptoms before the age of 16. Until recently, childhood MS was not well known and researchers still understand very little about how MS affects children.

The aim of this five year project is to find out how many children in the UK are affected by a first MS-like attack and which of those are most likely to go on to develop MS.

The researchers estimate that approximately 250 children in the UK will experience an MS-like attack in one year, of which 80 will go on to be diagnosed with MS. 

The research plan is divided into two parts:

• In the first part of this study, the researchers plan to collect clinical data over a period of three and half years from as many of these children as possible
• In the second part of the study, the researchers plan to follow a group of children with MS over a longer period of time, initially for five years 

The researchers also hope to follow a group of children with MS both during the course of this project and beyond into adulthood, providing the basis for an extremely valuable long-term study on the causes and progression of childhood MS.

How will it help people with MS?

Understanding how MS affects children will help researchers and doctors determine what treatments and services are appropriate for children and their families.

Dr Wassmer and her team are also looking at the possible causes of MS in children and they hope this will help them understand more about what causes MS in adults.

The difference you can make

By supporting this project not only will you be helping us to improve our understanding of childhood MS but you will also help to raise awareness of childhood MS amongst paediatricians, resulting in prompt diagnosis and treatment. This project is jointly funded with Action Medical Research.

Useful Links

Childhood demyelination study group 
British paediatric surveillance unit

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