Timeline of MS Research Progress

Interesting timeline I found from the MS Society website detailing the progress of MS and discoveries related to it throughout the decades.

1981 - First MRI pictures of a brain affected by MS are produced, revolutionizing MS diagnosis

1984 - First modern documentation of cognitive problems in MS

1988 - First MRI demonstration of lesion activity in MS, even when the disease seems quiet

1993 - First disease-modifying therapy for relapsing MS approved

1996 - First proof that aerobic exercise improves physical and psychological well-being in MS

1999 - Society grantees first to isolate immature brain cells capable of developing into replacements for myelin-making cells destroyed by MS

2003 - Italian researchers transplant cells to enhance nerve tissue repair in mice with MS

2004 - Study by Society Fellow shows MS course is particularly aggressive among Black Americans

2005, 2010, 2018 - McDonald Criteria for diagnosing MS updated by Society Task Force, speeding time to diagnosis for many

2007 - With support from Society to International MS Genetics Consortium, scientists confirm two genes linked to MS risk; many more uncovered since.

2010 - First oral disease-modifying therapy approved for relapsing MS

2012 - Launch of Progressive MS Alliance to speed the development of therapies

2013 - Studies hint that exercise and rehabilitation can improve many functions and even help rewire the brain

2014 - Important clinical trials of myelin repair strategy for MS launched

2015 - Society co-hosts international conference on cell-based therapies to forge next steps for cell therapy in MS

2015 - Society funding helps launch MS Microbiome Consortium to promote research on role of gut bacteria in MS progression and treatment

2016 - Positive results regarding bone marrow-derived stem cells (HSCT) in aggressive, relapsing MS announced

2016 - Society-funded International Consortium of MS Genetics identifies 200 genetic variations linked to MS

2016 - Society launches studies on dietary approaches to treat MS

2017 - First disease-modifying therapy for primary progressive MS approved

2018 - First MS therapy to treat pediatric MS approved

2018 - Study shows that ibudilast can reduce brain atrophy in progressive MS

2019 – A Society-sponsored study estimates that nearly 1 million adults are living with MS in the U.S.

2020 - Society issues recommendations for aHSCT-bone marrow transplant for MS

2020 - Society-supported Wellness Research Group publishes exercise and physical activity guidance for ALL people with MS

2020 - North American MS COVID-19 Clinical Database established

2021 - Study shows that stem cells from skin of people with MS make normal myelin

2021 - Studies suggest changes in nervous system related to MS begin well before noticeable symptoms - offers promise for stopping the disease before it is diagnosed

2021 - Society-funded researchers discover brain cells that fight inflammation with instructions from gut bacteria

2022 - Pathways to MS Cures research roadmap published and gains global endorsement

2022 - Society-funded researchers publish the strongest evidence yet that Epstein-Barr virus can trigger MS when other risk factors are present