Toward a global research agenda for preventing multiple sclerosis

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Immunology
• Public Health
• Genetics

Background:

• Despite advances in understanding genetic and environmental risk factors, effective prevention strategies for multiple sclerosis (MS) remain elusive.
• Current knowledge necessitates a structured approach to prevent MS onset and progression.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a comprehensive research agenda focused on the primary and secondary prevention of MS.
• To synthesize current knowledge and identify actionable pathways for MS prevention.

Main Methods:

• A global workshop convened diverse stakeholders including people with MS, clinicians, researchers, and policymakers.
• Expertise spanned MS, chronic diseases, epidemiology, clinical trials, genomics, immunology, virology, behavioral science, and public health.

Main Results:

• Primary prevention recommendations include targeting modifiable risk factors, discovering novel etiological factors, and fostering collaborations.
• Secondary prevention strategies involve identifying predictive biomarkers, linking them to outcomes, developing screening tools, and establishing prodromal criteria.
• Cross-cutting themes emphasized communication, evaluation, implementation mindset, and public health engagement.

Conclusions:

• The workshop successfully laid the groundwork for a global, collaborative MS prevention agenda.
• Future efforts will focus on implementing the proposed research pathways for MS prevention.