MS+Broader+Impacts

**__Broader Impacts__**
=Future Research=

Research is being done to stop the disease, and restore what’s been lost. Researchers trying to understand how the body’s gut microbiome may impact the severity of multiple sclerosis (MS), which could lead to new methods to stopping MS (National Multiple Sclerosis Society, 2017). They are also testing methods of protecting the nervous system from MS damage, which includes repurposing therapies already approved for other disorders. Major clinical trials are in progress testing new methods to treating all forms of MS, including progressive MS. The global Progressive MS Alliance is concentrating new resources on discovering the answers that will lead to new treatments and eventually, end progressive MS.

Scientists are learning new information about how multiple sclerosis damages the nervous system. They are learning about the factors involved in the body’s ability to recover from damage. Early human trials of investigative therapies are in progress, focusing on repairing myelin (National Multiple Sclerosis Society, 2017). Studies are offering new evidence that exercise and rehabilitation can improve many functions and even help rewire areas of the brain. Researchers are following these leads to find the best ways people can increase the quality of their lives. Studies are discovering lifestyle factors that people can change, such as childhood obesity, smoking, and vitamin D levels, that may decrease the risk of the next generation developing MS. Researchers have found variations of genes that combine to influence whether a person is more at risk for developing MS. They are following these clues to help understand what causes MS and how to find better prevention and treatments.

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