http://www.mssociety.org.uk/news_events/news/daily/wrong_disease_re.html

14 November 2002

The MS Society has commented on media reports suggesting that research into multiple sclerosis is looking in the wrong direction.

In a paper for the Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, three neurologists from Glasgow University and the Leiden University Medical Centre contest the long-held theory that MS is an autoimmune disease.

Mike O'Donovan, chief executive of the Multiple Sclerosis Society said: New perspectives on MS are always to be encouraged provided they are balanced and comprehensive. We must continually review the direction of research and encourage active debate.

No doubt there will be discussion in the research community about the ideas in the paper but we note that a number of experienced international researchers have already disputed aspects of it.