Multiple sclerosis, a multidisciplinary approach (R-5898)

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic demyelinating disease of the central nervous system that mainly affects young adults worldwide. MS-symptoms are very diverse which makes a definitive diagnosis difficult. Although the disease cannot be cured, medications are available that suppress the incident and severity of relapses. Despite these medications, 10 years after diagnosis almost half of the MS-patients are unable to participate in normal daily life. Therefore, extensive research into the disease cause, pathological mechanisms and therapy improvement is essential. Within Flanders various research groups at universities and hospitals investigate aspects of the disease. Collaboration between these groups will boost MS-research in Flanders and allows research from bench to bedside. Moreover, a MS-research community will make MS research within Flanders more visible to the rest of Europe and the world which will increase funding possibilities and collaboration with other well-established research groups. Within the MS-research community new findings and insights will be exchanged between partners and techniques and methods will be made available. Besides, new research initiatives will be started on important and relevant aspects of MS. This will lead to high impact publications, new patents en eventually more efficient therapies for the disease.

Keywords:MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS

Disciplines:Immunology, Laboratory medicine, Medical systems biology, Molecular and cell biology