Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammation of the central nervous system. The disease course can differ but often results in various degrees of disability. There are around 17 000 MS patients in Sweden and the disease usually has its onset between 20 and 50 years of age. Women are clearly over-represented compared to men.

A combination of genetic and environmental factors is known to be involved in the development of MS. More than thirty years ago the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) gene complex was identified as a susceptibility factor for MS. People who carry certain variants of this gene complex have an increased risk of developing MS compared to the general population. There has recently been several other genes described which also contribute to development of MS. Environmental factors, sunlight, vitamin D and smoking are all also factors which influence the susceptibility for MS. Our research group is trying to identify new factors important for MS development. For this purpose we have so far collected blood samples from about 7 000 MS patients and 5 000 healthy controls. These samples are used for various types of analyses and provides us with important information about the individuals’ genetic and environmental circumstances. When we analyze these data we hope to identify additional factors involved in MS development.

There is still much need for improved treatment as well as means to predict and prevent the disease. We are now especially in need of funding for additional sample collection and are hoping to raise 1 000 000 SEK for this purpose.

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