MS Progressive Types: Research

" What is research but a blind date with knowledge?"

                                          ~ Will Harvey

At least 60% of all MSers have Relapsing/Remitting MS (RRMS). It follows that most clinical trials apply to RRMS as well. The goal of these clinical trials is to slow or prevent slipping into the chasm known as Chronic Progressive MS. There is less known and fewer treatments for progressive MS types and also less research to address those problems.

There have been exciting news flashes about MS research with promising results. But we must be careful and not get too excited too quick. For example, stem cells are a favorite topic -- tests and treatment in other parts of the world seem to have positive results. Read Mandy Crane's article about a test in Chicago that stopped or reversed disability. She cautions readers because that test did NOT work for progressive.

So what is happening with research involving progressive MS? To be fair, there is more research concerning progressive MS now than there ever was before. If I search for RRMS at the clinical trials site, the response is a long list of trials. If, however, I search for SPMS, the advanced stage of RRMS, the page lists only a handful of trials; for PPMS, even fewer; and for PRMS there are none.

Research may be a clinical trial where the human element is added, or sometimes it is a study gathering and analyzing data from interviews and documented cases. A new research project may be expanding on treatments already approved for another disease, or it may be completely different. Let's look at some projects for progressive MS.

Secondary Progressive MS (SPMS)
Research for Secondary Progressive often centers around the fact that it is the advanced stage of Relapsing/Remitting and focuses on treatments already approved for the earlier stage.

MSers with SPMS often continue with treatment begun in their RRMS stage, but that is not always effective. A study to see if Betaseron is effective in SPMS found it to be true only when relapses still occurred. A Betaferon (called Betaseron in the U.S.) test, with a goal to determine if it is effective as progression sets in, has recently been terminated. A second Betaferon test is planned to determine disability progression, safety and adherence in daily use.

Researchers do not always rely on RRMS for SPMS research. An example of a new test that did not reach goals for RRMS, but is showing positive results so far for SPMS is Maestro-01 in Canada and Europe and Maestro-03 in the United States. Stopped for RRMS, it continues in its third and final phase for Secondary Progressive MS.
This study is based on two immune response genes in the autoimmune process (HLA types DR2 and/or DR4). Most MSers, 65%-75%, have one of these genes.