Special: ECTRIMS 2024 - Personalized MS treatments, genetic risk factors and the benefits of early, effective therapies for women and children

MS-Perspektive - The Multiple Sclerosis Podcast

Personalized treatments, genetic risk factors, gender differences and the advantages of early, highly effective therapies.

You can read the full article here: https://ms-perspektive.com/ectrims-2024-ww1

This year, ECTRIMS 2024 in Copenhagen, Denmark, will once again bring together leading experts in multiple sclerosis (MS) from around the world. The prestigious conference is the premier event for researchers, physicians and healthcare professionals all working towards a common goal: improving quality of life through groundbreaking research and advances in the treatment of MS and related diseases. The event, which is expected to attract around 9,000 attendees, promises a rich program of inspiring keynote addresses, exciting oral and poster presentations, and carefully curated scientific and educational sessions. In addition, there will be numerous opportunities for networking and connecting with the international MS community. I have brought you some exciting papers to start my coverage of this year’s event.

From biomarkers that help predict disease progression to new insights into genetic risk factors and gender differences in treatment, these results underscore the growing importance of personalized care in the management of MS. Key findings include the benefits of early, high-potency treatments for children, the association of inherited genetic variants with MS risk, and the therapeutic inertia in the management of women with MS. These studies pave the way for more targeted and effective treatment strategies that could transform outcomes for people with MS worldwide.

Table of Contents

• Early High Efficacy MS Treatment in Children Shows Long-Term Benefits
• New Genetic Discoveries Bring Personalized MS Treatments Closer for Diverse Populations
• Blood tests help to identify the progression of disabilities in MS at an early stage
• Unutilized opportunities: Why women with MS are less likely to receive highly effective therapies at an early stage

References

1. Long-term disability outcomes among children with multiple sclerosis treated with high-efficacy therapy, Sharmin, S. et al. (2024). Presented at ECTRIMS 2024.
2. Mavridi, A., Bompou, M.E., Redmond, A. et al. (2024). Current and Emerging Treatment Options in Pediatric Onset Multiple Sclerosis. Sclerosis; 2(2):88-107. https://doi.org/10.3390/sclerosis2020007
3. Novel ancestry-specific and putative causal genetic variants for multiple sclerosis identified by an ancestry-informed regression and trans-ethnic fine-mapping analysis, McCauley, J.L., et al. (2024). Presented at ECTRIMS 2024.

4. Serum neurofilament light chain and glial fibrillary acidic protein levels at disease onset unveil immunologic pathways of disability acquisition in multiple sclerosis, Monreal E., et al. (2024). Presented at ECTRIMS 2024.

5. Meier S., Willemse E.A., Schaedelin S., et al. (2023). Serum Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein Compared with Neurofilament Light Chain as a Biomarker for Disease Progression in Multiple Sclerosis. JAMA Neurol., 80(3):287-297. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2022.5250

6. Lublin, F. D., Häring, D. A., Ganjgahi, H., et al. (2022). How patients with multiple sclerosis acquire disability. Brain: A Journal of Neurology, 145(9), 3147-3161. https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awac016

7. Is there therapeutic inertia in women with MS? Vukusic, S., et al. (2024). Presented at ECTRIMS 2024.

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See you soon and try to make the best out of your life, Nele

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