National MS Society invests $21m in 78 new research projects

The US National Multiple Sclerosis Society has committed over $21 million to support an expected 78 new multiple sclerosis (MS) research projects as part of a comprehensive research strategy aimed at stopping MS, restoring function that has been lost, and ending the disease forever.

This financial commitment is part of a projected investment of over $53 million in 2015 alone to support more than 380 new and ongoing studies around the world. The Society pursues all promising paths, while focusing on priority areas including progressive MS, nervous system repair, gene/environmental risk factors and wellness and lifestyle.

“These new grants are part of a comprehensive strategy to accelerate research that will propel the knowledge to end MS and identify everyday solutions that change the lives of people with MS,” says Cynthia Zagieboylo, president and CEO of the National MS Society.

National MS Society relies on more than 130 world-class scientists to evaluate proposals

Just a few of the new cutting-edge research projects include a study at Baylor College of Medicine investigating a protein that may play a role in myelin repair and replacement of lost nerve cells, two events that may improve progressive MS;  a University of Glasgow study looking at whether adult stem cells from the nose hold promise for nervous system tissue repair; and an exploration at Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital asking whether specific brain circuits are involved in the profound fatigue experienced by people with MS. Three new commercial partnerships are propelling the development of treatments targeting progressive MS.

To find the best research with the most promise, the National MS Society relies on more than 130 world-class scientists who volunteer their time to carefully evaluate hundreds of proposals every year. This rigorous evaluation process assures that Society funds fuel research that delivers results in the shortest time possible. 

National MS Society-funded research paved the way for a broad spectrum of existing therapies, none of which existed just several decades ago, and continues to be a driving force of MS research to move closer to a world free of MS.