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THE
NATIONAL MS SOCIETY...ONE THING PEOPLE WITH MS CAN COUNT ON news bulletin 
Dateline: March 29, 2001 Chapter's MS WALK To Fuel Increased Efforts In Unlocking The Mysteries Of MS During Nationwide Research Support Initiative Now more than ever your
participation as a walker, volunteer or sponsor is needed at the National
MS Society’s MS WALK on Sunday, April 22, 29 and May 6. In addition to
its annual commitment to area and national programs and research, the
Greater Delaware Valley Chapter of the National MS Society has volunteered
to raise an additional $1 million over the next several years.
Participants at 21 MS WALK sites throughout the region will help support
the nationwide Research Support Initiative, a series of programs targeted
at research areas that need attention. These projects have the potential
to drastically change our current understanding and treatment of the
disease and provide hope to over 8,400 area residents with MS. Four of the targeted research areas the MS WALK will support through the Research Initiative include: Initiative On Genetics Of MS: Many genes contribute to determining a person’s
susceptibility to developing MS. Identifying these genes and understanding
how they contribute to the disease process will provide clues to the cause
of MS, and perhaps ways to prevent or treat it. Initiative On Gender And MS: We know that many more women than men have MS, and
that MS usually goes into remission during the third trimester of
pregnancy. We must begin to find out why, because there may be drugs on
the market, even now, which could be used to treat MS. Longitudinal MS Study: This
project will monitor a cross-section of people with MS throughout the
country over an extended period of time. Similar to the famous Framingham
Heart Study, this project may be able to answer questions about whether
there are factors that predict the long-term prognosis for a person’s
MS. The MS Lesion Project: International
teams of researchers are examining MS lesions in the brain to determine if
there is any correlation between the type of damage seen in the brain
tissue and the symptoms of the disease. Ultimately, we may learn why drugs
work for some people and not for others. None
of these projects would be possible without the support of the community
and the thousands of donors who participate or volunteer during the MS
WALK and other events. For more information about the upcoming MS WALK,
please click
here
or call 800-883-WALK. |
