Towards Multiple Sclerosis Prevention Trials

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the commonest non-traumatic cause of neurological disability in young people in developed countries. There is currently no apparent cure for MS. Although the precise cause of MS remains speculative infection with EBV appears to be necessary and sufficient. In addition to EBV infection, MS is thought to result from other environmental effects acting in a genetically susceptible population. These environmental risk factors appear to act at the population level and interact with genetic risk factors to modify biological processes relevant to MS risk. Targeting EBV and other environmental risks associated with MS development offer a potential opportunity to reduce the risk of MS at a population level. In this talk, Professor Giovannoni will review the epidemiology of MS, including new clinical insights, that underpin the science of MS prevention trials. He will touch on the parallels MS has to type 1 diabetes mellitus and the overlap between these two autoimmune diseases.