​we hope you will help us crack the code for Multiple sclerosis.

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​This blogsite discusses a new theory of MS—that the disease may be caused by microbes or their components within the brain. Dr. Kriesel will share his new scientific opinions about a bacterial cause of this disease in order to raise awareness about MS, generate discussion about the possible causes of MS, field reader comments, enroll people in this new Microbes in MS study, and raise money for lab efforts at the University of Utah. If you want to get involved, please consider the five options below.
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​​FOLLOW THE BLOG & JOIN THE DEBATE ​

A healthy debate will help the MS field move forward. We hope you post comments and reply to comments on the blogs, keeping the dialog respectful and on topic. All comments will be moderated before posting.
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donate to this MS research

 This Microbes in MS research could change our understanding of multiple sclerosis. We hope that these discoveries will, in time, directly improve patient care. If you can donate, we welcome your help to advance our research. Please make a donation here, or for assistance with this process, please email or call Brian Davis (801-587-7903), the Senior Director of Advancement in the Department of Internal Medicine at University of Utah. Brian will be happy to help you join us in cracking the MS code.
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Donations will be used to support the Microbes in MS research project ongoing in Dr. Kriesel’s lab at the University of Utah, with the goal of developing tests to link specific microbes to MS. We plan to develop PCR (direct detection through amplification) and spinal fluid serologic (antibody) testing for the presence of or exposure to selected MS candidate microbes. Funds will be used to support staff salaries, purchase supplies and equipment, perform more sequencing, and support metagenomic analysis and other project-related items. All monetary contributions are fully tax deductible. 

SPREAD THE WORD

MS research remains grossly underfunded. Why not let officials at the National MS Society and National Institutes of Health know how important this research is to you? You can share our findings with them or share your own thoughts on why MS research deserves more time and funding. Congress funds the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs which includes the Multiple Sclerosis Research Program. Send an email to your Senators and Representatives, calling for increased research resources.

National MS Society
Douglas S. Landsman, Assoc. VP, Biomedical Research — National MS Society — Douglas.landsman@nmss.org
             P.O. Box 4527  New York, NY  10163
Bruce Bebo, Executive VP, Research — National MS Society — Bruce.bebo@nmss.org
              P.O. Box 4527  New York, NY  10163

​National Institutes of Health
Ursula Utz, Program Director, Neural Environment — Multiple Sclerosis Program — Utzu@ninds.nih.gov

United States Congress
Find your representatives here. Find your senators here.
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You can also spread the word by sharing this website and the Microbes in MS research paper with friends and colleagues.

Lend your expertise

We welcome your expert help. Perhaps you have special knowledge and experience in serologic test development, or oligoclonal band subtraction, or analysis of large datasets. Maybe you understand social media or the scientific press, or have other special skills that might help shed light on the MS disease process. Or maybe you have access to specialized equipment, techniques, or additional human samples. Contact us ​and tell us what you might contribute.

​enroll in the microbes in MS study

If you have MS, ADEM, or NMO and have had a brain biopsy that showed “primary demyelination” (i.e. no other cause of deymylination was identified), you may qualify for this study. Please contact us here.

​We are also interested in analyzing spinal fluid for reactivity against our MS Candidate Microbes. If you have access to frozen spinal fluid specimens from persons with confirmed MS, ADEM, or NMO, please contact us here. 

At this point, we are not performing spinal taps on persons, unless they have had a brain biopsy and are already enrolled in our study. 
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