- As of 2020, about 2.8 million people globally have multiple sclerosis (MS).
- There is currently no cure for MS and the disease symptoms can become severe over time, causing permanent issues.
- Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, have discovered the first genetic marker associated with MS severity and progression.
- Scientists believe this finding may aid in the development of new drugs to help slow the progression of the disease.
As of 2020, about
There is currently no cure for MS. The disease affects each person differently in terms of when symptoms first arise and their severity.
As the body goes through a cycle of symptom flares and remission, the severity of the disease can increase, leading to permanent mobility issues, vision loss, and even partial or full paralysis.
Now, researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, have discovered the first
Scientists believe this finding may aid in the development of new drugs to help slow the progression of the disease.
This study was recently published in the journal
For this study, Dr. Sergio Baranzini — professor of neurology at the University of California, San Francisco, and co-senior author of the study — said he and his team decided to search for a genetic variant related to faster MS progression because the disease evolves differently in each person after diagnosis.
“Neurological progression is a common feature in persons with MS, which is inexorable and independent of whether relapses are controlled or not,” he told Medical News Today.
“Some people have a very aggressive disease [that] can impact their mobility and neurological function in a few years, while others experience a much more benign course,” he explained. “We knew that genetics is important for…
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