Grant: Project Grant

In multiple sclerosis (MS), disability can accumulate due to recurring attacks and progressive disease. While high-potency disease-modifying treatments have significantly reduced attacks in relapsing-remitting MS, there remain limited therapeutic options for progressive forms of the disease, including primary-progressive and secondary-progressive MS. As a result, many individuals continue to experience worsening disability despite treatment. Disease progression remains a major unmet clinical challenge in MS. Understanding the biological and imaging-based factors that drive progression is essential to improving predictions of which patients are most at risk of accumulating disability. In this study, we propose to leverage advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data and serum samples collected through the longitudinal, multi-centre Canadian Prospective Cohort Study to Understand Progression in MS (CanProCo). Specifically, we aim to investigate novel imaging measures and blood-based biomarkers to identify patterns associated with disease worsening. The research proposed here could lead to the development of a validated set of biomarkers that can reliably identify individuals with MS at a heightened risk of experiencing clinical progression in the near future. Such biomarkers could serve as critical tools for both clinical decision-making and patient monitoring. Moreover, a better understanding of MRI and blood biomarkers from this large Canadian study has the potential to improve patient stratification in clinical trials, ensuring that high-risk individuals are appropriately identified. This would not only streamline the trial process but also accelerate the development and availability of more effective treatments for MS.