Ways To Help Advance MS Research

 Researchers are committed to finding solutions for everyone affected by MS — the very people who hold the key to the answers. Without participants in research studies, MS research would come to a standstill.
 
People with MS, and sometimes family members, can help advance MS research by:

• responding to surveys online
• sharing their voices and ideas through NARCOMS and iConquerMS^TM, organizations that amass volunteer-submitted information
• volunteering for clinical trials and other studies
• donating DNA from saliva and blood samples
• arranging for brain or spinal cord tissue donation to a tissue bank; this type of donation is incredibly valuable and truly appreciated by all who are involved in moving toward a world free of MS.  Blood samples also can be donated for use in MS research studies.

Assess each opportunity and make an informed decision before agreeing to participate — understand the possible benefits and risks. See our Guide to Participating in Clinical Trials.

Everyone can get involved to support research investment, or advocate so that Congress provides funding for MS research and supports other efforts such as understanding incidence and prevalence. 

 

Participate in a Clinical Trial

Clinical trials help to determine if treatments and other interventions are safe and effective. Studies enrolling diverse populations are monitored to ensure that the rights and safety of all participants are protected. Without the participation of people with MS, it would be impossible to develop new and better solutions.

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Surveys and Other Research Studies

Conducted by investigators seeking to answer scientific or health policy questions about MS, or by pharmaceutical or medical device companies aiming to develop or improve products for people with MS.

Participate Now

Participate in Genetic Studies

By donating DNA from blood samples, you are helping research that could lead to ending MS forever. Learn more about genetic studies and how you can participate.

Give DNA

Donate to Tissue Banks

People living with MS may hold the key to finding a cure. Learn more about tissue banks and donating brain and spinal cord tissue for researchers studying MS.

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COVID-19 Studies Recruiting People with MS

Explore opportunities for participation in research studies seeking to understand the impacts of COVID-19 and how the vaccine can affect people living with MS.

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Research Studies: Newly Diagnosed with MS

If you are new to MS, you have the chance to help advancements in MS research. Discover studies researching the earliest stages of MS looking for participants.

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NARCOMS Patient Registry

Register as a willing MS research participant to facilitate multicenter studies. Initiated by the Consortium of MS Centers.

Visit NARCOMS

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iConquerMS™ Online Portal

Share information and ideas for research topics important to you. Each contribution and suggestion brings us closer to faster diagnoses and improved treatments.

Visit iConquerMS™

 

Researchers Recruiting People with Primary Progressive MS for Genetics Studies – Key to finding treatment options

Primary progressive MS is characterized by steadily worsening neurologic function from the onset of the disease. There are still many gaps in the knowledge we have about what differentiates relapsing-remitting from primary progressive MS, and the underlying mechanisms of primary progressive MS. The MS Genetics Group at the University of California San Francisco is recruiting people with primary progressive MS for a research study involving a one-time blood sample donation with the goal of identifying genetic factors driving the course of the disease. The team also is looking for people without MS who are not related to serve as controls. The team hopes to identify the major genetic factors that play a role in disease presentation and progression. Please note: you do not have to be located in or travel to California to participate. Everything for the study can be done remotely and is free of charge to participants.

Rationale: Specific subtle variations in the human genome are known to play a role in determining who is susceptible to developing multiple sclerosis, and may also influence the course of the disease. People living with MS can make a difference in studies searching for these genes by donating their DNA with a blood sample. Identifying the exact location and role of MS genes could help determine who is at risk for developing the disease and can provide clues to its cause, prevention, and lead to better treatments.

Details: Once an individual has completed the initial online intake form, they will receive a call from the study coordinator to discuss details and answer any questions. The consent form and health information privacy form can be signed electronically. Participants will then be emailed a link to two additional short online surveys and sent a blood-collection kit. The kit includes everything necessary for the blood draw, which can be taken to your local Quest Diagnostics Lab and returned in a prepaid envelope to the lab at UCSF. There is no cost to participants.

Contact: To participate or request additional information, please complete a brief intake survey.
OR you may contact UCSF directly:
Clinical Research Coordinator
UCSF Multiple Sclerosis Genetic Susceptibility Project
675 Nelson Rising Lane, Suite 235A, Box 3206
San Francisco, CA 94158
Email: msdb@ucsf.edu
Toll Free Phone: 1-866-MS-Genes (1-866-674-3637) or Office Phone: (415) 502-7202

MS Trial Alert: Researchers Recruiting People with Relapsing MS for Antibody Study

Summary: Investigators at seven sites in the United States are recruiting at least 24 people with relapsing MS for a study of ublituximab (TG Therapeutics, Inc.), an experimental monoclonal antibody administered via intravenous infusion. At most, 100 people will be enrolled.

Rationale: Ublituximab is a new monoclonal antibody that binds to a molecule (CD20) on the surface of immune cells called B cells, and depletes them from circulation. B cells have several functions including making antibodies, and evidence suggests they play a role in immune-system mediated damage to brain and spinal cord tissues in MS. Other therapies targeting B cells (rituximab, ocrelizumab) have shown some benefit in clinical trials. Ublituximab binds to CD20 in a unique way, and thus may have greater B cell depletion capabilities than similar agents. Clinical trials are ongoing in people with blood cancer as well.

Eligibility and Details: Participants should be aged 18 to 55, have a diagnosis of relapsing MS, and have had more than one relapse in the previous two years. Further enrollment criteria are available from the contact below.

Participants are initially randomly assigned to receive either ublituximab or placebo infusions (infusions range from 1 to 4 hours).  After 28 days, participants receiving placebo will receive ublituximab.

The primary outcomes being measured are the levels of B cell depletion, and the number of participants who experience adverse events. Secondary outcomes include monitoring relapses and MRI-detected disease activity.

Contact: To learn more about the enrollment criteria for this study, and to find out if you are eligible to participate, please contact Koby Mok, PhD, via e-mail at kmok@tgtxinc.com, or by phone at 949-422-2468.

Sites are enrolling in the following cities:
Fort Collins, CO
Lexington, KY
San Antonio, TX
Knoxville, TN
Columbus, OH
Phoenix, AZ
Round Rock, TX

Download a brochure that discusses issues to think about when considering enrolling in an MS clinical trial (PDF).
 

Positive Results from Study of Bone Marrow-Derived Stem Cells in People with Aggressive, Relapsing MS

Summary

• Researchers in Canada have published results of a long-term trial of an individuals’ own (autologous) hematopoietic (blood cell-producing) stem cell transplantation. The study involved 24 people with aggressive relapsing-remitting MS whose disease was not controlled with available therapies.
• Three years after the procedure, 70% remained free of disease activity, with no relapses, no new MRI-detected inflammatory brain lesions, and no signs of progression.
• None of the surviving participants, who were followed for 4 to 13 years after the procedure, experienced clinical relapses or required MS disease-modifying therapies to control their disease, and 40% experienced reductions in disability.
• One of the participants died and another required intensive hospital care for liver complications. All participants developed fevers, which were frequently associated with infections, and other toxicities.
• Additional research is focusing on figuring out who might benefit from this procedure and how to reduce its risks. 

“These results suggest that aggressive MS may be stopped with an effective but risky procedure, for a subset of people,” said Dr. Bruce Bebo, Executive Vice President, Research, at the National MS Society. “Additional research by investigators around the world is focusing on figuring out who might benefit from this procedure and how to reduce its risks, which can include death.”

Details
Background: An experimental procedure that has been explored for several years in MS is called “autologous hematopoietic (blood cell-producing) stem cell transplantation” – or HSCT. This procedure has been used in attempts to “reboot” the immune system, which launches attacks on the brain and spinal cord in people with MS.

In HSCT, the stem cells (derived from a person’s own bone marrow or blood) are stored, and the rest of the individual’s immune cells are depleted by chemotherapy. Then the stored stem cells are reintroduced by infusion into the vein. The new stem cells migrate to the bone marrow and over time produce new blood cells, including immune cells. The goal of this currently experimental procedure is to establish a new immune system that no longer recognizes myelin and other nervous system tissue as dangerous. In theory, this should stop the attacks that lead to tissue damage and disability.

There are a number of laboratories around the world testing variations of HSCT for the treatment of autoimmune diseases, including MS. Preliminary findings suggest this is a promising, but potentially risky strategy for the treatment of MS.

The Study: Drs. Harold Atkins, Mark Freedman and team at the Ottawa Hospital, University of Ottawa and other institutions in Canada conducted a Phase 2 trial of HSCT that involved 24 people with aggressive relapsing-remitting MS whose disease was not controlled with available therapies. No control group was used which would have enabled comparison against the results found in the treatment group. The procedure used by this group included complete destruction of bone marrow cells and an additional step that enriched the transplanted cells for stem cells.

Results - Safety: One of the participants died of transplantation-related complications that caused liver failure and another required intensive hospital care for liver complications. The treatment regimen was modified over the course of the study to reduce toxicity, but all participants still developed fevers, which were frequently associated with infections.

Results – Effectiveness: Three years after the procedure, 70% of the participants remained free of disease activity, meaning they had no relapses, no new MRI-detected inflammatory brain lesions, and no signs of progression. The remaining 30% experienced progression of disability. In addition, for the entire follow-up period ranging from 4 to 13 years after the procedure, of the 23 survivors:

• None experienced clinical relapse, had new active inflammatory MRI brain lesions, or required MS disease-modifying therapies to control their disease.
• The average rate of brain atrophy (shrinkage), a measure that has been linked to MS progression, returned to levels associated with normal aging.
• 40 percent experienced some lasting reversal of disability such as vision loss, muscle weakness and balance problems.
• Some were able to return to work or school. 

The results were published online on June 9, 2016 in The Lancet.  Major funding for the study came from the MS Society of Canada and its affiliated Multiple Sclerosis Scientific Research Foundation.

Next Steps: Rigorous clinical trials of stem cell therapies are needed to determine their safety and effectiveness in people with MS. Trials of this and other stem cell therapy approaches are taking place in Canada, the United States, Europe and elsewhere. To help explore the potential of stem cell therapy, in November 2015, the International Conference on Cell-Based Therapy for Multiple Sclerosis was convened in Lisbon, Portugal under the auspices of the International Advisory Committee on Clinical Trials in MS (a group jointly sponsored by the National MS Society and the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis). Seventy leading researchers and clinicians conferred on clinical trials needed to provide answers about which types of cells, which route of delivery, and which types and stages of disease, would be the most promising approach for treating MS. Read more about this meeting

Read more about stem cells and MS
 

German Study Suggests Leukemia and Colorectal Cancer Rates Increased with Mitoxantrone Use for MS

Summary

• A study of 676 people with MS treated with the MS therapy mitoxantrone in Germany reveals that the rates of acute myeloid leukemia (a type of cancer) and colorectal cancer were significantly increased above what would be expected in the general population there. Rates of other cancers were not increased.
• The authors note that if the findings are confirmed, recommending colonoscopy after treatment may be advisable, since if found early enough, colorectal cancer is curable.
• The team (led by Dr. Mathias Buttmann, University of Würzburg, Germany) has published results in Neurology (published early online, May 11, 2016).

Details
Background: Mitoxantrone is a powerful immune-suppressing therapy. Prior to its approval for use in MS, it was used only to treat certain forms of cancer. It acts in MS by suppressing the activity of immune T cells, B cells, and macrophages that are thought to lead the attack on nerve-insulating myelin. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved mitoxantrone for reducing neurologic disability and/or the frequency of relapses in people with secondary progressive MS or worsening relapsing-remitting MS. The total lifetime dose is limited to avoid possible heart damage. Acute myeloid leukemia has been previously reported in people treated with mitoxantrone for MS or cancer.

The Study: Investigators identified 677 people with MS seen at the University of Würzburg MS center between January 1994 and December 2007 who had received mitoxantrone. They were able to follow up with 676 of these patients.

The results show that 37 people developed cancer after taking mitoxantrone, including nine cases of breast cancer, seven cases of colorectal cancer, and four cases of acute myeloid leukemia. The rate of acute myeloid leukemia was 10 times that seen in the general population in Germany. The rate of colorectal cancer was three times that seen in the general population in Germany. The rate of breast and other cancers was not increased over that seen in the general population in Germany. Older age at treatment was associated with increased risk of cancer, but not prior use of other immunosuppressive treatments, or duration of treatment with mitoxantrone.

The team (led by Dr. Mathias Buttmann, University of Würzburg, Germany) has published results in Neurology (published early online, May 11, 2016).

Comment: The authors state that if the findings are confirmed, “posttreatment colonoscopy might improve the risk-benefit ratio of this highly active immunosuppressive drug,” since if found early enough, colorectal cancer is curable. They also note that mitoxantrone is currently the only MS therapy approved for treating secondary progressive MS, and that the overall rate of cancers may still justify the use of mitoxantrone in people who are severely affected with MS and where there are no better treatment options available.

Read more about mitoxantrone
Read more about treating secondary progressive MS
Read more about making treatment decisions in MS