MS Research: What does the “cure” mean?

For people living with multiple sclerosis the “cure” means different things to different people. For people who have just been diagnosed, the cure will stop MS in its tracks. For people who have lived with MS and have experienced loss of mobility and other serious impairments, the cure means repair of the nervous system and recovery of lost functions.For people with a family history of MS, the cure will allow their children or grandchildren to live a life free from MS.

The research funded by the MS Society addresses all three definitions of a cure. Research is multi-faceted but with clear purpose: to find a cure for MS, protect the nervous system and repair damage caused by MS, and improve monitoring and management of the disease.



MS Research Accomplishments During Past 10 Years

MS research continues to advance knowledge of the disease and treatment for people with MS. There is much greater understanding of this unpredictable, often disabling disease. Many of those accomplishments have taken place in the past 10 years thanks to the support of the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada and its sister national MS societies around the world, many governments and private industry. Here are some key advances:

There are treatments for some types of multiple sclerosis.
o They are useful in relapsing MS
o Their impact on development of disability still not clear

Researchers have developed "windows" into the disease through technology.
o MRI scanning assists doctors in diagnosing MS more quickly
o Canadians are leaders in MRI and other magnetic resonance technology to measure disease activity within the central nervous system

We have evidence myelin can and does regrow spontaneously which indicates repair is possible.
o Myelin repair and regrowth takes place in the early stages of MS
o Studies are underway using the body's own cells to repair myelin

Investigators have a better understanding of the nature of MS which means some types of MS can be more effectively managed. This is because of :
o Studies of MS tissue (pathology)
o Studies of the immune system (immunology)
o Studies of the way MS naturally progresses without treatment (natural history studies)