Menu
MS is a prominent cause of neurological disability. The course of MS is different for each individual, with approximately 6% of people have an aggressive form of MS and accumulating disability at a faster rate.   Â
Preventing disability is a primary goal of MS treatment. More than 13 treatments with varying potency and safety have been registered for MS in Australia. Treatment choices should be personalised, and the right treatment should be used for each person to optimise long-term outcomes. Currently, however, the best treatment approach in people with aggressive MS remains uncertain.  Â
In this research project, Dr Izanne Roos will first confirm the reliability of statistical models that predict an individual’s risk of developing aggressive MS at the earliest stages of MS.   Â
The team will then establish whether early use of highly potent therapies can prevent aggressive disease in those at high risk. This will be analysed in data from two large MS registries.  Â
Finally, the study team will generalise these findings to the MS population, by testing whether early use of highly potent therapies can prevent disability, using data from two clinical trials and another large clinical study. This will provide conclusive evidence to confirm if early use of high potency therapy can prevent disability in a broader population of people with MS.  Â
Using statistical modelling, Dr Roos and her team validated a model previously developed in Spain that creates individualised predictions for the 10-year risk of eight relevant MS milestones regarding relapses, MRI activity and disability and accumulation. This model can be used in the future to gauge an individual’s future risk of disease severity.Â
Dr Roos and her team have also studied the effectiveness of high-efficacy therapies in people with MS who are at the highest and at the lowest risk of developing disability. The team found that high-efficacy therapies reduce the risk of relapse and disability accumulation in all people irrespective of their risk of aggressive MS. This emphasises the importance of high-efficacy therapies in improving outcomes in people with MS.Â
Over the next 12 months, Dr Roos and her team will complete the analyses on optimal treatments for people with MS and the highest and lowest risks of developing disability. These analyses will look at the risks of relapse and worsening of disability and the effects of timing of treatment.
Updated 31 March 2024Â
Updated: 14 February, 2022
Laboratory research that investigates scientific theories behind the possible causes, disease progression, ways to diagnose and better treat MS.
Research that builds on fundamental scientific research to develop new therapies, medical procedures or diagnostics and advances it closer to the clinic.
Clinical research is the culmination of fundamental and translational research turning those research discoveries into treatments and interventions for people with MS.
$225,000
3 years
