Following a new initiative unveiled on Friday and reported by The Canadian Press, researchers in Quebec will track one thousand individuals who have an immediate family member diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
The goal moves beyond simply diagnosing the condition to preventing symptoms from ever emerging.
“We are able to tell people that we catch it early (…) with great confidence that they will be able to have a full life, a life as they planned it, and that the disease will not affect them,” said Dr. Adil Harroud, of the McGill University Health Centre.
Unlike Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease, where physicians can at best hope to slow symptom progression, modern medicine has advanced sufficiently to stop multiple sclerosis before it starts.
Close relatives of an individual with multiple sclerosis face an approximate five percent risk of developing the condition themselves. That risk fluctuates depending on the individual.
The Racine MS project initially targets first-degree family members such as siblings and children. Simple blood tests will determine whether participants require further medical investigation.
“We know that today, when we are able to catch the disease early enough, before too much damage sets in at the level of the brain, then at the level of the spinal cord, we are able to stop the disease and prevent further attacks on the nervous system,” Harroud said.
Dr. Simon Thebault, a neurologist at the Neuro and an assistant professor at McGill University, is collaborating on this aspect.
Researchers note that early detection currently happens mostly by chance. Patients often discover lesions during magnetic resonance imaging scans conducted for unrelated medical reasons.
“And in that context, if we identify signs of the disease, we will be able for the first time to treat them before the onset of symptoms, but in a deliberate way, not just by chance,” Harroud said.
Evidence shows that implementing existing treatments during incidental early detection prevents multiple sclerosis symptoms in roughly 70 to 80 percent of cases. The new project aims to systematically identify these high-risk candidates before physical symptoms such as vision, walking, or sensory disturbances manifest.
The research team plans to implement specific measures to onboard participants living outside major hubs like Montreal and Quebec City.
Scientists will examine various genetic and environmental factors, including specific proteins found in the blood and past infection with the Epstein-Barr virus.
Relatives of a diagnosed patient carry a baseline risk of approximately five percent, though this figure varies from person to person.
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