of Canada, NIH and other agencies. Topics included a new trial in primary-progressive MS, advantages of early treatment and its long-term impact, treating sleep disorders, quality of life, MS genetics, the role of immune B cells, myelin repair, environmental risk factors and many more. A full summary of the AAN presentations can be found on the Research section of the Society’s website at www.nationalMSsociety.org. Study Finds No Link between Stress and Development of MS A new study found that stress does not appear to increase a person’s risk of developing multiple sclerosis. The study focused on two large groups of women in the Nurses’ Health Study, involving nearly 240,000 female nurses followed over time in the United States. The nurses were asked to report on general stress at home and at work, as well as recall physical and sexual abuse in childhood and as teenagers. The investigators, led by Trond Riise, Ph.D., with the University of Bergen in Norway, found that those who later developed MS did not respond significantly differently than those who did not develop MS in terms of their histories of general levels of stress or physical or sexual abuse. The study’s authors concluded that their results do not support a major role of stress in the development of MS, but that more research is needed to definitely exclude stress as a potential risk factor for developing MS. Research Shows Low Vitamin D Levels in African-Americans with MS According to a new study, African-Americans with MS have significantly lower levels of vitamin D than African-Americans who do not have MS, but these levels are not linked to disease severity. Researchers concluded that larger studies of diverse populations are necessary to fully understand the relationship of MS and vitamin D. The study was conducted by Jeffrey Gelfand, M.D., Ari Green, M.D., and colleagues at the University of California in San Francisco with
funding provided by a National MS Society/American Academy of Neurologist Clinician Scientist Award to Dr. Green, as well as a research grant funding genetic studies in ethnically distinct populations to Jorge Oksenberg, Ph.D. African-Americans are at increased risk for having low vitamin D levels, possibly because melanin, which determines the level of pigment in the skin, acts as a filter of ultraviolet light, limiting the amount of vitamin D that can be produced by the body in response to sunlight. This study team previously reported that African-Americans tended to have a more aggressive course of disease than Caucasian Americans, were at higher risk for developing mobility impairments, were more likely to develop MS later in life, and were at higher risk for having symptoms restricted to the optic nerve and spinal cord. Research is increasingly pointing to a reduced level of vitamin D in the blood as a risk factor for developing MS. The National MS Society is funding several projects in this area, including a new clinical trial getting underway to test whether vitamin D can reduce disease activity in people who have multiple sclerosis. Positive Results Announced from Phase 3 Study of Oral BG-12 Biogen Idec announced that the experimental oral therapy BG-12 significantly reduced the proportion of people with MS who experienced relapses in a twoyear study of more than 1,200 people with relapsingremitting MS. Although its exact mode of action is not known, BG-12 is thought to inhibit immune cells and molecules involved in MS attacks on the brain and spinal cord. The results were announced in April. Data analysis is ongoing and the company expects to provide a full report at an upcoming medical meeting. Another trial of BG-12 is currently underway.
These and many other ongoing efforts by researchers around the world reflect the rapid pace of MS research. For more information on these and other research initiatives, visit the National MS Society online at www.nationalMSsociety.org.
Moving Toward A World Free of MS
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