Stop MS Appeal

Our Stop MS Appeal was launched in 2015 to raise £100 million for MS research.

Now in its final year, and with match-funding available until Sunday 27 April, your donation has never been more crucial.

Thanks to two generous supporters, every £1 you give now will be matched, up to the value of £250,000. Please, donate now to double your impact in discovering life-changing treatments for MS.

Help us raise £250,000 before Sunday 27 April, and with match funding, we’ll raise a staggering half a million pounds!

Since launching the Stop MS Appeal we’ve made remarkable progress in the treatment revolution. But today, a diagnosis of progressive MS can mean facing a future with no treatment options to slow progression.

That’s why, with your help, we’re funding research like that at the MS Society Edinburgh Centre for MS Research. Professors Anna Williams and David Lyons are leading research there to develop treatments for progressive forms of MS. And using pioneering technology could mean discovering treatments years faster.

Read on to hear more from the people who are helping change the future of MS. And discover how your donation now can help stop MS for good.

Treatment revolution

We’re in the middle of a treatment revolution. We can’t stop now.

"Your support is the most powerful force that we have against MS"

Watch our short film from the Edinburgh Centre for MS Research, and find out how your donation can help stop MS.

My life with secondary progressive MS at 24

Diagnosed at just 17, Jasmine's condition has progressed unusually quickly. In this blog, she shares how she's adapted to life with progressive MS.

Each donation is a building block

Chris, who lives with secondary progressive MS, talks about the importance of hope. And how small actions can lead to life-changing results.

Stop MS history

We launched our Stop MS Appeal in 2015 to raise £100 million for MS research. Here's a look at just some of what's been achieved so far.

How your donation will help stop MS

£30 could process one blood sample

One single blood sample could give researchers crucial information about genes and the immune system as they search for new treatments.

I want to donate £30

£50 could pay for an hour on a microscope

Scientists use high powered microscopes to study cells and tissue in greater detail and improve their understanding of the biology of MS.

I want to donate £50

£100 could pay for half an hour of MRI use

MRI scanning is a crucial technique used to monitor the effect of treatments in clinical trials and understand MS in more detail.

I want to donate £100

Treatments for everyone

Thirty years ago, there were no treatments to slow MS progression. Now, there are around 20, but these don’t work for everyone.

Find out what we’re doing to change that.

From bold ideas to big breakthroughs: 5 recent discoveries at the Edinburgh Centre for MS Research

Researchers at the Edinburgh Centre for MS Research have been working hard to improve our understanding of how nerves are damaged in MS, and turn that knowledge into new treatments that can slow or stop disability progression for people with progressive MS.

Zebrafish are making a splash

Zebrafish, named for their black and white stripes, are helping us answer some big questions about MS. Dr Carl Tucker, Aquatics Facilities Manager at the University of Edinburgh, tells us about the work he does to look after these tiny fish.

Under the microscope: repurposing drugs for MS

Many trials for people with MS are testing repurposed drugs. This means finding a new use for existing medicines. But how can one drug treat multiple conditions? And if a drug has been tested before, why would we test it again?

MS Society Edinburgh Centre for MS Research

We set up the Edinburgh Centre for MS Research in 2007 with generous support from the Volant Trust. Their aim is to speed up the discovery of treatments for people with MS.

Zebrafish study shows cells that survive myelin damage are worse at producing myelin

A study by researchers at the MS Society Edinburgh Centre for MS Research found another clue to what goes wrong in MS – and what we could do to change it.

New research shows star-shaped cell could improve myelin repair

The astrocyte is named for its star-like appearance under the microscope. And researchers from the University of Edinburgh found it could play an important role in repairing lesions in the MS brain.

Researchers create an ‘atlas of MS brain cells’ which could help personalise MS treatment

Researchers used information from post-mortem brain tissue to help understand how MS affects people differently.

Making a splash in research: from zebrafish to Octopus

Fiona Spencer from the Research Network met Dr. Katy Marshall-Phelps from the University of Edinburgh. Fiona wanted to know how Katy’s work using zebrafish feeds into clinical trials for new MS treatments.