Illustration of a network of nerve cells in the brain. Credit Benedict Campbell, Wellcome Images. Reproduced under the Creative Commons License for Attribution, Non-commercial, No derivatives.
Scientists have identified 29 new genetic variants linked to multiple sclerosis, providing key insights into the biology of a very debilitating neurological disease. Many of the genes implicated in the study are relevant to the immune system, shedding light onto the immunological pathways that underlie the development of multiple sclerosis. The research, involving an international team of investigators led by the Universities of Cambridge and Oxford and funded by the Wellcome Trust, is published today, 11 August, in the journal Nature . This is the largest MS genetics study ever undertaken and includes contributions from almost 250 researchers as members of the International Multiple Sclerosis Genetics Consortium and the Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium. Multiple sclerosis is one of the most common neurological conditions among young adults, affecting around 2.5 million individuals worldwide. The disease results from damage to nerve fibres and their protective insulation, the myelin sheath, in the brain and spinal cord. The affected pathways - responsible in health for everyday activities such as seeing, walking, feeling, thinking and controlling the bowel and bladder - are prevented from 'firing' properly and eventually are destroyed.
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