Are environmental contaminants increasing the risk of developing the autoimmune disease multiple sclerosis?

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is mainly affecting young people and women. Untreated, it leads to severe disability and premature death.

The cause of MS is largely unknown, but epidemiologic and genetic studies indicate that MS is triggered in genetically susceptible individuals following exposure to lifestyle and environmental factors.

The underlying mechanisms of why specific genetic and environmental risk factors increase the risk of MS are unknown.Nationally more than 3,400 newly diagnosed MS patients and 4,000 matched controls have been collected, wherof genotypic information of known risk genes, lifestyle information and blood is available for a majority of them.

We will use our state-of-the-art mass spectrometry methodologies and machine learning tools to combine the measurement of metabolites, lipids, environmental contaminants and proteins measured in blood with information of known risk genes, lifestyle data and information from medical records.This project will elucidate the molecular interplay between molecules, risk genes, the environment, the microbiome and the clinical outcome of the individual patient.

We foresee that this will lead to increased understanding of the underlying mechanisms of known risk genes and the environment for the risk of developing MS.

This may ultimately lead to new recommendations for minimizing risk for developing MS and improved treatment strategies tailored for the individual patient.