Questions about MS? 0808 800 8000
Donate now
Photo: Immuno fluorescence at the Edinburgh lab

Emerging research and treatments

There's never been a more exciting time in MS research.

On this page you can read about some of the most active areas of MS research.

Visit our treatments in trials page for the latest clinical trials results for MS

Photo: Microglia cells stained red and green

Immune system and MS

To stop MS, we need to step in when the immune system goes wrong. In MS, the immune system becomes confused and attacks the protective myelin coating around our nerves.

Read about the immune system and MS
Photo: Immuno fluorescence at the Edinburgh lab

Myelin repair

To stop MS we need to find treatments that repair the damage to the myelin coating around nerves. Read about the latest myelin repair research, including clinical trials.

Find out about myelin repair research

Vitamin D

We're learning a lot about the role that vitamin D plays in MS, but we still don’t know if taking vitamin D supplements could help to manage MS. Find out what we're doing to change this.

Read about our vitamin D research

Genetics

Genetics is the study of our genes and how they might be linked to conditions like MS. We've learned a lot about how genes might influence the risk of developing MS. Researchers are using this to learn more about MS risk in families, and to help develop new treatments.

Find out about genes and MS

Hormones

We know that MS can differ in men and women. We’re now working to understand the role hormones like oestrogen and testosterone play in MS. 

Read about hormones

Viruses

Viruses are tiny microbes that can make us ill. Some viruses might be involved in MS. One virus linked to MS is Epstein-Barr virus (EBV).

Read about viruses and MS

You may also be interested in

Picture of Dr Veronica Miron from the Edinburgh Centre for MS Research

Research news

MS research has never been more exciting. The momentum is building and we won't give up until we've stopped MS for good. Find out about the discoveries being made by our researchers.

Read the latest research news