Studying families that have multiple relatives with MS to learn how MS develops

A person’s genetics can influence their risk of developing MS. However, few MS genes have been identified, and it is not well understood how genes drive MS development.

Previous research by Dr Nicholas Blackburn and his team into the genetics of MS families (families that have 3 or more close relatives who have MS) has shown that there are genetic changes in MS families that may affect a person’s genes in a way that contributes to MS. These changes are rare in the general population but can occur multiple times in a single family because of shared genetics. These changes might be why some families have many people with MS.

The focus of this current project is to increase the number of MS families studied to establish if similar genetic changes to those already identified occur across other MS families. Dr Blackburn and his team will then use the genetic changes identified in MS families to test whether the same genes are linked to MS in data from thousands of people with MS. Together, this will provide clues as to why MS develops so strongly in some families and lead us to better understand why MS develops overall, including in people who do not have a family history.